7724bf98fd
Cycle #26 dogfood found a real red-state bug in the JSON envelope contract. ## The Bug exec-command and exec-tool not-found cases return exit code 1 from the process, but the envelope reports exit_code: 0 (the default from wrap_json_envelope). This is a protocol violation. Repro (before fix): $ claw exec-command unknown-cmd test --output-format json > out.json $ echo $? 1 $ jq '.exit_code' out.json 0 # WRONG — envelope lies about exit code Claws reading the envelope's exit_code field get misinformation. A claw implementing the canonical ERROR_HANDLING.md pattern (check exit_code, then classify by error.kind) would incorrectly treat failures as successes when dispatching on the envelope alone. ## Root Cause main.py lines 687–739 (exec-command + exec-tool handlers): - Return statement: 'return 0 if result.handled else 1' (correct) - Envelope wrap: 'wrap_json_envelope(envelope, args.command)' (uses default exit_code=0, IGNORES the return value) The envelope wrap was called BEFORE the return value was computed, so the exit_code field was never synchronized with the actual exit code. ## The Fix Compute exit_code ONCE at the top: exit_code = 0 if result.handled else 1 Pass it explicitly to wrap_json_envelope: wrap_json_envelope(envelope, args.command, exit_code=exit_code) Return the same value: return exit_code This ensures the envelope's exit_code field is always truth — the SAME value the process returns. ## Tests Added (3) TestEnvelopeExitCodeMatchesProcessExit in test_exec_route_bootstrap_output_format.py: 1. test_exec_command_not_found_envelope_exit_matches: Verifies exec-command unknown-cmd returns exit 1 in both envelope and process. 2. test_exec_tool_not_found_envelope_exit_matches: Same for exec-tool. 3. test_all_commands_exit_code_invariant: Audit across 4 known non-zero cases (show-command, show-tool, exec-command, exec-tool not-found). Guards against the same bug in other surfaces. ## Impact - 206 → 209 passing tests (+3) - Zero regressions - Protocol contract now truthful: envelope.exit_code == process exit - Claws using the one-handler pattern from ERROR_HANDLING.md now get correct information ## Related - ERROR_HANDLING.md (cycle #22): Documented exit_code as machine-readable contract field - #178/#179 (cycles #19/#20): Closed parser-front-door contract - This closes a gap in the WORK PROTOCOL contract — envelope values must match reality, not just be structurally present. Classification (per cycle #24 calibration): - Red-state bug: ✓ (contract violation, claws get misinformation) - Real friction: ✓ (discovered via dogfood, not speculative) - Fix ships same-cycle: ✓ (discipline per maintainership mode) Source: Jobdori cycle #26 dogfood — ran multiple edge-case probes, noticed exec-command envelope showed exit_code: 0 while process exited 1. Investigated wrap_json_envelope default behavior, confirmed bug, fixed and tested in same cycle.
Claw Code
ultraworkers/claw-code · Usage · Error Handling · Rust workspace · Parity · Roadmap · UltraWorkers Discord
Claw Code is the public Rust implementation of the claw CLI agent harness.
The canonical implementation lives in rust/, and the current source of truth for this repository is ultraworkers/claw-code.
Important
Start with
USAGE.mdfor build, auth, CLI, session, and parity-harness workflows. Makeclaw doctoryour first health check after building, userust/README.mdfor crate-level details, readPARITY.mdfor the current Rust-port checkpoint, and seedocs/container.mdfor the container-first workflow.ACP / Zed status:
claw-codedoes not ship an ACP/Zed daemon entrypoint yet. Runclaw acp(orclaw --acp) for the current status instead of guessing from source layout;claw acp serveis currently a discoverability alias only, and real ACP support remains tracked separately inROADMAP.md.
Current repository shape
rust/— canonical Rust workspace and theclawCLI binaryUSAGE.md— task-oriented usage guide for the current product surfaceERROR_HANDLING.md— unified error-handling pattern for orchestration codePARITY.md— Rust-port parity status and migration notesROADMAP.md— active roadmap and cleanup backlogPHILOSOPHY.md— project intent and system-design framingSCHEMAS.md— JSON protocol contract (Python harness reference)src/+tests/— companion Python/reference workspace and audit helpers; not the primary runtime surface
Quick start
Note
[!WARNING]
cargo install claw-codeinstalls the wrong thing. Theclaw-codecrate on crates.io is a deprecated stub that placesclaw-code-deprecated.exe— notclaw. Running it only prints"claw-code has been renamed to agent-code". Do not usecargo install claw-code. Either build from source (this repo) or install the upstream binary: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.
# 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, notclaw. Use.\target\debug\claw.exeor runcargo 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:
- Install Rust first — download from https://rustup.rs/ and run the installer. Close and reopen your terminal when it finishes.
- Verify Rust is on PATH:
If this fails, reopen your terminal or run the PATH setup from the Rust installer output, then retry.cargo --version - Clone and build (works in PowerShell, Git Bash, or WSL):
git clone https://github.com/ultraworkers/claw-code cd claw-code/rust cargo build --workspace - Run (PowerShell — note
.exeand backslash):$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:
# 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)
ln -s $(pwd)/rust/target/debug/claw /usr/local/bin/claw
Then reload your shell and test:
claw --help
Option 2: Use cargo install (all platforms)
Build and install to Cargo's default location (~/.cargo/bin/, which is usually on PATH):
# From the claw-code/rust/ directory
cargo install --path . --force
# Then from anywhere
claw --help
Option 3: Update shell profile (bash/zsh)
Add this line to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:
export PATH="$(pwd)/rust/target/debug:$PATH"
Reload your shell:
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/clawor symlink/install as above. - "permission denied" — On macOS/Linux, you may need
chmod +x rust/target/debug/clawif the executable bit isn't set (rare). - Debug vs. release — If the build is slow, you're in debug mode (default). Add
--releasetocargo buildfor 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:
cd rust
cargo test --workspace
Documentation map
USAGE.md— quick commands, auth, sessions, config, parity harnessrust/README.md— crate map, CLI surface, features, workspace layoutPARITY.md— parity status for the Rust portrust/MOCK_PARITY_HARNESS.md— deterministic mock-service harness detailsROADMAP.md— active roadmap and open cleanup workPHILOSOPHY.md— why the project exists and how it is operated
Ecosystem
Claw Code is built in the open alongside the broader UltraWorkers toolchain:
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.