This guide uses Ubuntu inside Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 to run the whaleyxbt/claude-motion toolkit. It does not install Anthropic’s built-in Motion or this website’s separate CLI. The instructions are based on project and Microsoft documentation; we have not validated this sequence on a Windows test machine.
1. Install and identify your Linux environment
Open PowerShell as administrator and run the first command below, then restart if requested. Launch Ubuntu and create its Linux user account. Run the second command in PowerShell to check that Ubuntu uses version 2. Microsoft documents this installation route for Windows 11 and supported Windows 10 builds. On a managed computer, use your organization’s approved installation process. From the next step onward, commands belong in the Ubuntu terminal, not PowerShell.
wsl --install
wsl --list --verbose2. Install the tools inside Ubuntu
Install Git, Python 3, and FFmpeg inside Ubuntu. Follow Microsoft’s linked Node-on-WSL guide to install nvm, then select the current LTS Node release with the commands below. The toolkit lists Node 20 or newer, Python 3, and FFmpeg; use a maintained LTS release that meets that minimum. Verify every version in this same terminal. A Node installation on your Windows drive does not replace a Linux installation. The nvm setup is a prerequisite for the nvm commands shown here.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git python3 ffmpeg
# After installing nvm using the Microsoft guide:
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts
node --version
npm --version
python3 --version
ffmpeg -version3. Keep the project in the Linux filesystem
Create the working folder under your Linux home directory and clone the repository there. Read its README and AGENTS.md before running the package installation. Keeping the project and its tools in one filesystem reduces confusing path and permission problems. Avoid starting in a synced Windows Desktop folder or reusing node_modules copied from another operating system. If the target folder already exists, inspect it before cloning again; do not delete a previous project just to repeat this guide.
mkdir -p ~/projects
cd ~/projects
git clone https://github.com/whaleyxbt/claude-motion.git
cd claude-motion
npm install4. Render the supplied example first
Run the repository’s build script before changing the sample. The README identifies out/effort.mp4 as its example output. The second command opens the current Linux folder in Windows File Explorer; find the output there and open it in a video player. Check that the file plays, has sound, and reaches its final scene. A successful package installation alone does not verify rendering. Save the first error message if the build stops; repeated retries without a change rarely identify the cause.
npm run build
explorer.exe .5. Preview and introduce your coding agent
Run the studio command and open the local URL printed by the terminal in your Windows browser. Keep that terminal running while previewing. Use your agent’s documented WSL setup and open this same project directory. Ask it to read the repository instructions, change one headline, preserve the sample timing, and render another file. Agent installation and account access are separate prerequisites. Start with this limited change before requesting a complete custom video, so you can compare the revised output with a known baseline.
npm run studio6. Diagnose the environment before changing the animation
If a tool is missing, use the commands below to check which executable Ubuntu resolves. Investigate unexpected Windows paths before installing another copy. If Chromium fails to launch, consult Remotion’s Linux dependency list for your Ubuntu version and address the specific missing library. If WSL itself will not start, return to Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance. Keep the failing command, first error, runtime versions, and project revision together when asking for help. Do not treat a browser launch failure as a reason to rewrite the storyboard.
which node
which npm
which python3
which ffmpegYour next step
Your first milestone is a playable sample MP4 from one consistent Ubuntu environment. After that, keep the working source and make a small, reviewable edit before building a new video.
Explore the workspaceSources & further reading
References link to original documentation and creators. Product availability can change; check the linked source before subscribing or installing.
- Install Windows Subsystem for LinuxMicrosoft
- Set up Node.js on WSL 2Microsoft
- Claude Motion toolkit: requirements and quick startwhaleyxbt
- Linux dependenciesRemotion