78592221ec
Dogfooded 2026-04-18 on main HEAD 3848ea6 from /tmp/cdUU.
The 'this is a slash command' helpful-error only fires when
invoked EXACTLY bare. Adding ANY argument silently falls through
to Prompt dispatch and burns billable tokens.
$ claw --output-format json hooks
{"error":"`claw hooks` is a slash command. Use `claw
--resume SESSION.jsonl /hooks`..."}
# clean error
$ claw --output-format json hooks --help
{"error":"missing Anthropic credentials; ..."}
# Prompt fallthrough. The CLI tried to send 'hooks --help'
# to the LLM as a user prompt.
9 known slash-only verbs affected:
hooks, plan, theme, tasks, subagent, agent, providers,
tokens, cache
All exhibit identical pattern:
bare verb → clean error
verb + any arg (--help, list, on, off, --json, etc) →
Prompt fallthrough, billable LLM call
User pattern: 'claw status --help' prints usage. So users
naturally try 'claw hooks --help' expecting same. Gets
charged for prompt 'hooks --help' to LLM instead.
Trace:
main.rs:745-763 entry point:
if rest.len() != 1 { return None; } <-- THE BUG
match rest[0].as_str() {
'help' => ...,
'version' => ...,
other => bare_slash_command_guidance(other).map(Err),
}
main.rs:765-793 bare_slash_command_guidance:
looks up command in slash_command_specs()
returns helpful error string
WORKS CORRECTLY — just never called when args present
Claude Code convention: 'claude hooks --help' prints usage,
'claude hooks list' lists hooks. claw-code silently charges.
Compare sibling bugs:
#108 typo'd verb + args → Prompt (typo path)
#117 -p 'text' --arg → Prompt with swallowed flags (greedy -p)
#119 known slash-verb + any arg → Prompt (too-narrow guidance)
All three are silent-billable-token-burn. Same underlying cause:
too-narrow parser detection + greedy Prompt dispatch.
Fix shape (~35 lines):
- Remove rest.len() != 1 gate. Widen to:
if rest.is_empty() { return None; }
let first = rest[0].as_str();
if rest.len() == 1 {
// existing bare-verb handling
}
if let Some(guidance) = bare_slash_command_guidance(first) {
return Some(Err(format!(
'{} The extra argument `{}` was not recognized.',
guidance, rest[1..].join(' ')
)));
}
None
- Subcommand --help support: catch --help for all recognized
slash verbs, print SlashCommandSpec.description
- Regression tests: 'claw <verb> --help' prints help,
'claw <verb> any arg' prints guidance, no Prompt fallthrough
Joins Silent-flag/documented-but-unenforced (#96-#101, #104,
#108, #111, #115, #116, #117, #118) as 14th.
Joins Claude Code migration parity (#103, #109, #116, #117)
as 5th — muscle memory from claude <verb> --help burns tokens.
Joins Truth-audit — 'missing credentials' is a lie; real cause
is CLI invocation was interpreted as chat prompt.
Cross-cluster with Parallel-entry-point asymmetry — slash-verb
with args is another entry point differing from bare form.
Natural bundles:
#108 + #117 + #119 — billable-token silent-burn triangle:
typo fallthrough (#108) +
flag swallow (#117) +
known-slash-verb fallthrough (#119)
#108 + #111 + #118 + #119 — parser-level trust gap quartet:
typo fallthrough + 2-way collapse + 3-way collapse +
known-verb fallthrough
Filed in response to Clawhip pinpoint nudge 1494948121099243550
in #clawcode-building-in-public.
Claw Code
ultraworkers/claw-code · Usage · 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 surfacePARITY.md— Rust-port parity status and migration notesROADMAP.md— active roadmap and cleanup backlogPHILOSOPHY.md— project intent and system-design framingsrc/+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.
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:
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.