# Installation Requirements for Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor: A Complete Guide > Discover installation requirements for Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor. Learn how to set up the claude-video skill efficiently for your development environment. - Repository: [bradautomates/claude-video](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video) - Tags: getting-started - Published: 2026-07-12 --- **The claude-video skill installs via marketplace for Claude Code, Agent Skills CLI for Codex/Cursor, or manual symlink, with all hosts sharing the same core files in `skills/watch/` and lazy-installing `ffmpeg`, `yt-dlp`, and Whisper dependencies on first use.** The claude-video repository packages video analysis capabilities as a portable skill that runs identically across different AI coding hosts. While each platform handles installation differently, all implementations rely on the same canonical files in `skills/watch/` to ensure consistent behavior when executing the `/watch` command. ## Claude Code Installation Requirements Claude Code installs the skill through its native plugin marketplace. The host reads [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json) to resolve the skill location and entry points. Run these commands in your Claude Code session: ```bash /plugin marketplace add bradautomates/claude-video /plugin install watch@claude-video ``` The host automatically executes [`scripts/setup.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/scripts/setup.py) on first invocation. This pre-flight script installs **ffmpeg** and **yt-dlp** via `brew` on macOS, and scaffolds a `~/.config/watch/.env` file for Whisper API configuration. No manual dependency management is required. ## Codex and Cursor Installation Requirements For Codex, Cursor, and other Agent Skills-compatible hosts, use the Agent Skills CLI to install the skill globally or target specific hosts. Install across all Agent Skills hosts: ```bash npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -g ``` Target a specific host: ```bash npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -g -a codex ``` The CLI copies the entire `skills/watch/` folder into the host-specific directory (e.g., `~/.codex/skills` or `~/.cursor/skills`). The [`.codex-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/.codex-plugin/plugin.json) manifest points to `./skills/` to ensure the host recognizes the skill structure. Use the `--copy` flag instead of symlinks if your filesystem does not support symbolic links. ## Manual Installation for Development Developers can install the skill manually without host-specific tooling by cloning the repository and symlinking the skill folder. ```bash git clone https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video.git ln -s "$(pwd)/claude-video/skills/watch" ~/.codex/skills/watch ``` To build a distributable `.skill` bundle for Claude AI, execute the build script: ```bash bash skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh ``` This packages [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/SKILL.md) and the `scripts/` directory into a format suitable for manual import. ## Shared Runtime Dependencies All installation methods share identical runtime requirements, which are installed **lazily** during the first `/watch` command execution. The [`skills/watch/scripts/setup.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/setup.py) file orchestrates these dependencies: - **`ffmpeg`** – Required by [`scripts/frames.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/scripts/frames.py) for extracting video frames. - **`yt-dlp`** – Used by [`scripts/download.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/scripts/download.py) to fetch video assets and native captions. - **Whisper API key** – Optional; only required when videos lack embedded captions. The setup script creates `~/.config/watch/.env` with placeholders for `GROQ_API_KEY` (preferred) and `OPENAI_API_KEY`. The skill entry point at [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) orchestrates the workflow: download → frame extraction → transcript generation, regardless of which host initiated the installation. ## Summary - **Claude Code** uses marketplace commands (`/plugin install`) and auto-runs [`scripts/setup.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/scripts/setup.py) to configure dependencies. - **Codex/Cursor** use the Agent Skills CLI (`npx skills add`) to copy `skills/watch/` into host-specific directories like `~/.codex/skills/`. - **Manual installation** requires cloning and symlinking, with optional `.skill` bundle generation via [`build-skill.sh`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/build-skill.sh). - All hosts rely on the same core files: [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/SKILL.md) defines the contract, while [`scripts/setup.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/scripts/setup.py) handles lazy installation of `ffmpeg`, `yt-dlp`, and Whisper API configuration. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do I need to install ffmpeg and yt-dlp manually before using the skill? No. The [`scripts/setup.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/scripts/setup.py) file automatically installs these dependencies on first use. For macOS systems, it uses `brew` to install `ffmpeg` and `yt-dlp`. The skill is designed to be self-contained, requiring only the host-specific installation steps to get started. ### Can I use the same skill installation for both Claude Code and Cursor simultaneously? Yes. The skill is host-agnostic. You can symlink the same `skills/watch/` folder into both `~/.claude/skills` and `~/.cursor/skills` directories. Both hosts will execute the same [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/SKILL.md) and [`scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/scripts/watch.py) files, ensuring identical behavior across platforms. ### What API keys are required for the Whisper transcription feature? The skill optionally supports `GROQ_API_KEY` (preferred) or `OPENAI_API_KEY` for Whisper transcription when videos lack native captions. During first run, [`scripts/setup.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/scripts/setup.py) creates a `~/.config/watch/.env` file with placeholder entries for both keys. You only need to populate one to enable automatic transcription. ### How do I uninstall the skill from a specific host? For Claude Code, use `/plugin uninstall watch`. For Codex or Cursor, remove the `skills/watch` directory from the host's skills folder (e.g., `~/.codex/skills/watch` or `~/.cursor/skills/watch`). You may also delete the `~/.config/watch/` directory to remove cached dependencies and API configuration.