I'll create a condensed guide specifically for M2 Mac users based on the information provided. credit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1ji8ruv/myclaudeworkflowguideadvancedsetupwith_mcp/

Claude Desktop Setup Guide for M2 Mac Users

Requirements

• Claude Pro subscription ($20/month)
• Claude desktop application
• Node.js and npm
• Python 3
• API keys (free tiers):

- Brave Search: brave.com/search/api - Tavily: tavily.com

Installation Steps

1. Install Prerequisites

bash
Install Node.js and npm using Homebrew
brew update
brew install node
Verify installations
node -v
npm -v
npx -v
Find npx location (needed for config)
which npx
Install Python
brew install python
Verify Python installation
python3 --version

2. Configuration Setup

The Claude desktop application on M2 Macs is typically installed in: /Users/[USERNAME]/Library/Application Support/Claude

Create or edit claudedesktopconfig.json in this directory:

json
{
  "servers": {
    "fetch": {
      "command": "/usr/bin/python3",
      "args": ["-m", "server_fetch"]
    },
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@server/brave-search"],
      "env": {
        "BRAVEAPIKEY": "your-brave-api-key-here",
        "PATH": "/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
        "NODEPATH": "/opt/homebrew/lib/nodemodules"
      }
    },
    "tavily": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/npx",
      "args": ["-y", "tavily-integration@0.1.4"],
      "env": {
        "TAVILYAPIKEY": "your-tavily-api-key-here",
        "PATH": "/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
        "NODEPATH": "/opt/homebrew/lib/nodemodules"
      }
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@server/filesystem", "/Users/username/Documents"]
    },
    "sequential-thinking": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@server/sequential-thinking"]
    }
  }
}

Important:

• Replace username with your actual macOS username
• Verify npx path with which npx (for M2 Macs, it's typically in /opt/homebrew/bin/npx)

3. Verify Setup

• After completing configuration, completely quit the Claude desktop app:

- Right-click the Claude icon in the menu bar (top right) and select "Quit"

• Relaunch the Claude desktop application
• Look for the tools icon in the bottom left corner of the interface (wrench icon)
• Verify all tools are available

Troubleshooting for M2 Mac

Path Issues

• Verify Homebrew paths with echo $PATH
• For M2 Macs, ensure /opt/homebrew/bin is in your path
• Check your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile)

Permission Errors

• For permission issues: sudo chown -R $(whoami) $(npm config get prefix)/{lib/node_modules,bin,share}
• Or set up local npm prefix: npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global
• Update your PATH: export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH

API Key Problems

• Double-check for typos in your API keys
• Verify API keys are active in your accounts
• Confirm you haven't exceeded free tier limits (Brave: 2,000 queries/month, Tavily: 1,000 searches/month)

Security Tips

• Create a dedicated directory for Claude's file access (e.g., /Users/username/Documents/ClaudeFiles)
• Only allow filesystem access to directories you're comfortable with Claude accessing
• Keep your API keys secure

Voice Input Integration

Consider using Whisper for voice-to-text functionality with Claude to speed up interaction.

This streamlined setup provides Claude with web search, filesystem access, and enhanced reasoning capabilities - transforming it from a simple chat interface into a powerful assistant for your M2 Mac.