# How to Install Claude Video on Linux and Windows: Complete Cross-Platform Guide > Install Claude Video on Linux and Windows with this cross-platform guide. Follow simple steps via Agent Skills CLI for seamless setup and enjoy the `/watch` command. - Repository: [bradautomates/claude-video](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-07-26 --- **Claude Video installs identically across Linux, Windows, and macOS via the Agent Skills CLI, but defers OS-specific dependency setup until your first `/watch` command.** The **Claude Video** skill from `bradautomates/claude-video` is architected as a platform-agnostic Agent Skill that runs on any host supporting the Agent Skills runtime (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI). While the core installation steps remain consistent across operating systems, the first-run setup dynamically adapts to your environment by detecting missing binaries and printing the exact package manager commands needed for your specific OS. ## Agent-Skills CLI Installation (Recommended) The **Agent-Skills CLI** provides the simplest path to install Claude Video on Linux and Windows without manual configuration. Install the skill globally for your user: ```bash npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -g ``` The CLI discovers the skill metadata from [`skills/watch/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/SKILL.md) and copies the entire skill folder while preserving the relative script layout that the orchestration layer expects. This method works identically on Linux, Windows, and macOS because the runtime handles path resolution internally. ## Manual Developer Installation For development workflows or custom agent configurations, manually symlink the skill directory into your host's skill folder. Clone the repository and link the skill: ```bash git clone https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video.git ln -s "$(pwd)/claude-video/skills/watch" ~/.codex/skills/watch ``` On **Windows**, use the equivalent `mklink` command: ```cmd mklink /D %USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills\watch %CD%\claude-video\skills\watch ``` This approach keeps your local repository in sync with the skill runtime, as the symlink references the live `skills/watch` directory containing the execution scripts. ## Claude AI Web Interface Installation For the pure-web Claude AI interface, you must upload a pre-built skill bundle rather than using the CLI. Build the bundle locally (requires a Unix-like shell): ```bash bash skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh ``` This generates `dist/watch.skill`. Drag this file into **Settings → Capabilities → Skills** on claude.ai to activate the functionality without local CLI installation. ## First-Run Setup on Linux and Windows When you invoke `/watch` for the first time on a non-macOS system, [`skills/watch/scripts/setup.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/setup.py) executes automatically with the `--check` flag. If **ffmpeg** or **yt-dlp** are missing from your `PATH`, the script prints OS-specific installation commands rather than failing silently: - **Linux (apt)**: `sudo apt install ffmpeg yt-dlp` - **Linux (dnf)**: `sudo dnf install ffmpeg yt-dlp` - **Windows (winget)**: `winget install ffmpeg yt-dlp` Simply copy and paste the suggested command into your terminal. The setup script also scaffolds `~/.config/watch/.env` with placeholders for Whisper API keys if you require audio transcription capabilities. After satisfying these prerequisites, subsequent `/watch` calls execute without prompts because the pre-flight check becomes a fast lookup (< 100 ms). ## Platform-Agnostic Architecture The skill never hard-codes platform-specific paths to `ffmpeg` or `yt-dlp`. Instead, [`skills/watch/scripts/config.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/config.py) loads configuration from environment files while [`skills/watch/scripts/download.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/download.py) and [`skills/watch/scripts/frames.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/frames.py) expect these binaries to exist on the system `PATH`. This design ensures the same codebase runs on any operating system. The [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) orchestrator coordinates between download, frame extraction, and transcription modules regardless of underlying platform differences. ## Summary - **Install globally** using `npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -g` for the simplest cross-platform setup. - **Manual installation** works via symlinks on Linux/macOS or `mklink` on Windows, pointing to `skills/watch/`. - **First-run detection** in [`setup.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/setup.py) identifies missing `ffmpeg` and `yt-dlp` binaries, printing exact commands for apt, dnf, or winget. - **Web users** must build the skill bundle using [`skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh) and upload the resulting `watch.skill` file. - **Configuration** persists in `~/.config/watch/.env` for API keys and user preferences across all platforms. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can I install Claude Video on Windows without WSL? Yes. The Agent Skills CLI (`npx skills add`) works natively on Windows. When you first run `/watch`, the setup script provides `winget` commands to install `ffmpeg` and `yt-dlp` directly on Windows without requiring Windows Subsystem for Linux. ### What happens if I don't have ffmpeg installed when I run a watch command? The skill invokes `skills/watch/scripts/setup.py --check`, detects the missing binary, and prints the exact command needed for your operating system (apt, dnf, or winget). The skill will not proceed until you install the dependency, but it tells you precisely how to do so. ### Is there a difference between the CLI install and the manual symlink method? Functionally, no. Both methods expose the `skills/watch` directory to your agent host. The CLI method copies the files, while the symlink method references them directly. Developers prefer symlinks to modify source code in `skills/watch/scripts/` and see changes reflected immediately without reinstallation. ### Do I need Python installed separately to use Claude Video on Linux? No. The skill runs within the Agent Skills runtime environment (Claude Code, Codex, etc.), which provides its own Python execution context. You only need to ensure `ffmpeg` and `yt-dlp` are available on your system `PATH` as instructed during first-run setup.