f2d653896d
Dogfooded 2026-04-18 on main HEAD ad02761 from /tmp/cdRR.
Three related gaps in one finding:
1. Unknown keys are strict ERRORS, not warnings:
{"permissions":{"defaultMode":"default"},"futureField":"x"}
$ claw --output-format json status
# stdout: empty
# stderr: {"type":"error","error":"unknown key futureField"}
# exit: 1
2. Claude Code migration parity broken:
$ cp .claude.json .claw.json
# .claude.json has apiKeyHelper (real Claude Code field)
$ claw --output-format json status
# stderr: unknown key apiKeyHelper → exit 1
No 'this is a Claude Code field we don't support, ignored' message.
3. Only errors[0] is reported — iterative discovery required:
3 unknown fields → 3 edit-run-fix cycles to fix them all.
Error-routing split with --output-format json:
success → stdout
errors → stderr (structured JSON)
Empty stdout on config errors. A claw piping stdout silently
gets nothing. Must capture both streams.
No escape hatch. No --ignore-unknown-config, no --strict flag,
no strictValidation config option.
Trace:
config.rs:282-291 ConfigLoader gate:
let validation = validate_config_file(...);
if !validation.is_ok() {
let first_error = &validation.errors[0];
return Err(ConfigError::Parse(first_error.to_string()));
}
all_warnings.extend(validation.warnings);
config_validate.rs:19-47 DiagnosticKind::UnknownKey:
level: DiagnosticLevel::Error (not Warning)
config_validate.rs schema allow-list is hard-coded. No
forward-compat extension (no x-* reserved namespace, no
additionalProperties: true, no opt-in lax mode).
grep 'apiKeyHelper' rust/crates/runtime/ → 0 matches.
Claude-Code-native fields not tolerated as no-ops.
grep 'ignore.*unknown|--no-validate|strict.*validation'
rust/crates/ → 0 matches. No escape hatch.
Fix shape (~100 lines):
- Downgrade UnknownKey Error → Warning default. ~5 lines.
- Add strict mode flag: .claw.json strictValidation: true OR
--strict-config CLI flag. Default off. ~15 lines.
- Collect all diagnostics, don't halt on first. ~20 lines.
- TOLERATED_CLAUDE_CODE_FIELDS allow-list: apiKeyHelper, env
etc. emit migration-hint warning 'not yet supported; ignored'
instead of hard-fail. ~30 lines.
- Emit structured error envelope on stdout too, not just stderr.
--output-format json stdout includes config_diagnostics[]. ~15.
- Wire suggestion: Option<String> for UnknownKey via fuzzy
match ('permisions' → 'permissions'). ~15 lines.
- Regression tests per outcome.
Joins Claude Code migration parity (#103, #109) as 3rd member —
most severe migration break. #103 silently drops .md files,
#109 stderr-prose warnings, #116 outright hard-fails.
Joins Reporting-surface/config-hygiene (#90, #91, #92, #110,
#115) on error-routing-vs-stdout axis.
Joins Silent-flag/documented-but-unenforced (#96-#101, #104,
#108, #111, #115) — only first error reported, rest silent.
Cross-cluster with Truth-audit — validation.is_ok() hides all
but first structured problem.
Natural bundles:
#103 + #109 + #116 — Claude Code migration parity triangle:
loss of compat (.md dropped) +
loss of structure (stderr prose warnings) +
loss of forward-compat (unknowns hard-fail)
#109 + #116 — config validation reporting surface:
only first warning surfaces structurally (#109)
only first error surfaces structurally AND halts (#116)
Filed in response to Clawhip pinpoint nudge 1494925472239321160
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.