Claw Code just crossed 188,000 GitHub stars. This repo is the public Rust implementation of the claw CLI agent harness, built in the open with the UltraWorkers community.
The canonical implementation lives in rust/, and the current source of truth for this repository is ultraworkers/claw-code.
## 188K and climbing
Thanks to everyone who starred, tested, reviewed, and pushed the project forward. Claw Code is focused on a straightforward promise: a fast local-first CLI agent runtime with native tools, inspectable behavior, and a Rust workspace that stays close to the metal.
- Native Rust workspace and CLI binary under [`rust/`](./rust)
- Local-first workflows for prompts, sessions, tooling, and parity validation
- Open development across the broader UltraWorkers ecosystem
> [!IMPORTANT]
> Start with [`USAGE.md`](./USAGE.md) for build, auth, CLI, session, and parity-harness workflows. Make `claw doctor` your first health check after building, use [`rust/README.md`](./rust/README.md) for crate-level details, read [`PARITY.md`](./PARITY.md) for the current Rust-port checkpoint, and see [`docs/container.md`](./docs/container.md) for the container-first workflow.
>
> **ACP / Zed status:** `claw-code` does not ship an ACP/Zed daemon entrypoint yet. Run `claw acp` (or `claw --acp`) for the current status instead of guessing from source layout; `claw acp serve` is currently a discoverability alias only, and real ACP support remains tracked separately in `ROADMAP.md`.
## Current repository shape
- **`rust/`** — canonical Rust workspace and the `claw` CLI binary
- **`USAGE.md`** — task-oriented usage guide for the current product surface
- **`PARITY.md`** — Rust-port parity status and migration notes
- **`ROADMAP.md`** — active roadmap and cleanup backlog
- **`PHILOSOPHY.md`** — project intent and system-design framing
- **`src/` + `tests/`** — companion Python/reference workspace and audit helpers; not the primary runtime surface
## Quick start
> [!NOTE]
> [!WARNING]
> **`cargo install claw-code` installs the wrong thing.** The `claw-code` crate on crates.io is a deprecated stub that places `claw-code-deprecated.exe` — not `claw`. Running it only prints `"claw-code has been renamed to agent-code"`. **Do not use `cargo install claw-code`.** Either build from source (this repo) or install the upstream binary:
> ```bash
> cargo install agent-code # upstream binary — installs 'agent.exe' (Windows) / 'agent' (Unix), NOT 'agent-code'
> ```
> This repo (`ultraworkers/claw-code`) is **build-from-source only** — follow the steps below.
```bash
# 1. Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/ultraworkers/claw-code
cd claw-code/rust
cargo build --workspace
# 2. Set your API key (Anthropic API key — not a Claude subscription)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
# 3. Verify everything is wired correctly
./target/debug/claw doctor
# 4. Run a prompt
./target/debug/claw prompt "say hello"
```
> [!NOTE]
> **Windows (PowerShell):** the binary is `claw.exe`, not `claw`. Use `.\target\debug\claw.exe` or run `cargo run -- prompt "say hello"` to skip the path lookup.
### Windows setup
**PowerShell is a supported Windows path.** Use whichever shell works for you. The common onboarding issues on Windows are:
1. **Install Rust first** — download from and run the installer. Close and reopen your terminal when it finishes.
2. **Verify Rust is on PATH:**
```powershell
cargo --version
```
If this fails, reopen your terminal or run the PATH setup from the Rust installer output, then retry.
3. **Clone and build** (works in PowerShell, Git Bash, or WSL):
```powershell
git clone https://github.com/ultraworkers/claw-code
cd claw-code/rust
cargo build --workspace
```
4. **Run** (PowerShell — note `.exe` and backslash):
```powershell
$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "sk-ant-..."
.\target\debug\claw.exe prompt "say hello"
```
**Git Bash / WSL** are optional alternatives, not requirements. If you prefer bash-style paths (`/c/Users/you/...` instead of `C:\Users\you\...`), Git Bash (ships with Git for Windows) works well. In Git Bash, the `MINGW64` prompt is expected and normal — not a broken install.
## Post-build: locate the binary and verify
After running `cargo build --workspace`, the `claw` binary is built but **not** automatically installed to your system. Here's where to find it and how to verify the build succeeded.
### Binary location
After `cargo build --workspace` in `claw-code/rust/`:
**Debug build (default, faster compile):**
- **macOS/Linux:** `rust/target/debug/claw`
- **Windows:** `rust/target/debug/claw.exe`
**Release build (optimized, slower compile):**
- **macOS/Linux:** `rust/target/release/claw`
- **Windows:** `rust/target/release/claw.exe`
If you ran `cargo build` without `--release`, the binary is in the `debug/` folder.
### Verify the build succeeded
Test the binary directly using its path:
```bash
# macOS/Linux (debug build)
./rust/target/debug/claw --help
./rust/target/debug/claw doctor
# Windows PowerShell (debug build)
.\rust\target\debug\claw.exe --help
.\rust\target\debug\claw.exe doctor
```
If these commands succeed, the build is working. `claw doctor` is your first health check — it validates your API key, model access, and tool configuration.
### Optional: Add to PATH
If you want to run `claw` from any directory without the full path, choose one of these approaches:
**Option 1: Symlink (macOS/Linux)**
```bash
ln -s $(pwd)/rust/target/debug/claw /usr/local/bin/claw
```
Then reload your shell and test:
```bash
claw --help
```
**Option 2: Use `cargo install` (all platforms)**
Build and install to Cargo's default location (`~/.cargo/bin/`, which is usually on PATH):
```bash
# From the claw-code/rust/ directory
cargo install --path . --force
# Then from anywhere
claw --help
```
**Option 3: Update shell profile (bash/zsh)**
Add this line to `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc`:
```bash
export PATH="$(pwd)/rust/target/debug:$PATH"
```
Reload your shell:
```bash
source ~/.bashrc # or source ~/.zshrc
claw --help
```
### Troubleshooting
- **"command not found: claw"** — The binary is in `rust/target/debug/claw`, but it's not on your PATH. Use the full path `./rust/target/debug/claw` or symlink/install as above.
- **"permission denied"** — On macOS/Linux, you may need `chmod +x rust/target/debug/claw` if the executable bit isn't set (rare).
- **Debug vs. release** — If the build is slow, you're in debug mode (default). Add `--release` to `cargo build` for faster runtime, but the build itself will take 5–10 minutes.
> [!NOTE]
> **Auth:** claw requires an **API key** (`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_API_KEY`, etc.) — Claude subscription login is not a supported auth path.
Run the workspace test suite after verifying the binary works:
```bash
cd rust
cargo test --workspace
```
## Documentation map
- [`USAGE.md`](./USAGE.md) — quick commands, auth, sessions, config, parity harness
- [`rust/README.md`](./rust/README.md) — crate map, CLI surface, features, workspace layout
- [`PARITY.md`](./PARITY.md) — parity status for the Rust port
- [`rust/MOCK_PARITY_HARNESS.md`](./rust/MOCK_PARITY_HARNESS.md) — deterministic mock-service harness details
- [`ROADMAP.md`](./ROADMAP.md) — active roadmap and open cleanup work
- [`PHILOSOPHY.md`](./PHILOSOPHY.md) — why the project exists and how it is operated
## Ecosystem
Claw Code is built in the open alongside the broader UltraWorkers toolchain:
- [clawhip](https://github.com/Yeachan-Heo/clawhip)
- [oh-my-openagent](https://github.com/code-yeongyu/oh-my-openagent)
- [oh-my-claudecode](https://github.com/Yeachan-Heo/oh-my-claudecode)
- [oh-my-codex](https://github.com/Yeachan-Heo/oh-my-codex)
- [UltraWorkers Discord](https://discord.gg/5TUQKqFWd)
## Ownership / affiliation disclaimer
- This repository does **not** claim ownership of the original Claude Code source material.
- This repository is **not affiliated with, endorsed by, or maintained by Anthropic**.
