Use DeepSeek in Claude Code from the Terminal

Anthropic currently recommends its native installer for macOS, Linux, and WSL. The npm package remains supported and is also the installation path shown in DeepSeek's Claude Code integration page. Pick one method so an older binary does not shadow the version you expect.

After installation, confirm the command resolves and run the built-in diagnostic before adding provider settings. On native Windows, use Anthropic's PowerShell installer or WinGet and install Git for Windows if you want the Bash tool.

Set the DeepSeek Anthropic endpoint, API token, and exact model routes in the same shell where you will start Claude Code. DeepSeek's documented split uses V4 Pro for the main and Claude-style default routes, with V4 Flash reserved for Haiku-style and subagent work.

Keep the bracketed `deepseek-v4-pro[1m]` value exactly as documented. Do not substitute older compatibility aliases or invent a Claude-prefixed DeepSeek model name.

PowerShell uses `$env:` assignments rather than `export`. Run these commands in the PowerShell window that will launch Claude Code. Session variables disappear when that window closes unless you persist them separately.

If the `claude` command is missing, install the native Windows build with Anthropic's PowerShell command or WinGet, then reopen the terminal before testing again.

Shell exports only affect the current process and its children. For repeated use, add the non-secret routing values to your shell profile or store the environment block in `~/.claude/settings.json`. Keep the API token in a secret manager or protected environment file rather than committing it to a repository.

The settings file shown below applies to the Claude Code CLI as well as other Claude Code surfaces that read the same configuration. The purpose here is terminal persistence, not Desktop model mapping.

Change into the repository you want Claude Code to inspect, then launch `claude`. The CLI inherits the environment variables from that shell. Run `claude doctor` when the command starts but tools, shell access, or updates behave unexpectedly.

A successful prompt is not enough to prove the intended model handled it. Check DeepSeek's provider-side usage or request logs for the model ID. The documented configuration deliberately routes the main session and repeated subagent work differently, so Pro and Flash activity can both be correct.

`claude: command not found`: reopen the shell and confirm the native binary directory is on PATH. If more than one installation exists, keep one current installation so an older npm or Homebrew binary does not win PATH resolution.

Authentication errors: print the environment in the same shell that launches Claude Code, confirm the DeepSeek key is active, and test the Anthropic-compatible endpoint independently before changing CLI settings.

Unexpected Flash usage: confirm every Pro value includes the exact documented model string and remember that `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL` intentionally uses Flash. Do not diagnose routing from the terminal label alone.

Missing native binary after npm install: reinstall without flags that omit optional dependencies. Anthropic's npm package delivers a platform-specific native binary through optional dependencies.

Claude Desktop developer mode is a separate app surface. Model alias mapping, whitelist changes, Local mode, GUI behavior, and unsupported Desktop features do not belong in this terminal setup guide.

Open the linked Claude Desktop page when the installed app rejects a model name, when a Desktop UI label disagrees with provider logs, or when you need the current compatibility and limitation matrix. The two pages link to each other so each can answer one task without duplicating the other.