Claude Chat CLI

A powerful command-line tool for managing Claude instances with real-time chat interface, automatic setup, message routing, and tmux integration.

⚠️ IMPORTANT WARNING

This project is for personal research and experimentation only. DO NOT use it in actual coding work or production environments.

This tool uses the --dangerously-skip-permissions flag to achieve smooth chat functionality, which poses significant security risks:

• ⚠️ File Loss Risk: Improper operation may result in project file loss
• ⚠️ Unauthorized Modifications: Files may be modified without explicit permission
• ⚠️ Production Risk: Absolutely NOT suitable for any formal production environment
• ⚠️ Security Concerns: Bypasses safety mechanisms that protect your codebase

DISCLAIMER: The authors and contributors of this project are not responsible for any damage, data loss, security breaches, or other issues that may arise from using this tool. Use at your own risk and only in isolated, non-critical environments.

🚀 Quick Start

⚡ One-Line Installation (Recommended)

Get everything installed with a single command:

# Clone and install automatically
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/neeboo/claude-chat/main/install.sh | bash

Or manual setup:

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/neeboo/claude-chat.git
cd claude-chat

# 2. Run the installation script
chmod +x install.sh && ./install.sh

🎯 Instant Usage

After installation, start using claude-chat immediately:

# Start a Claude instance (auto-setup everything)
claude-chat start /path/to/your/project main

# Open the chat interface in your browser
claude-chat chat

# That's it! Everything is ready.

🔄 Multi-Instance Setup

# Start multiple instances for different roles
claude-chat start /path/to/frontend ui --no-attach
claude-chat start /path/to/backend api --no-attach --proxy
claude-chat start /path/to/docs docs --no-attach

# Open chat to communicate with all instances
claude-chat chat

✅ What the Installation Script Does

The installation script automatically:

1. ✅ Detects your OS and installs tmux if needed
2. ✅ Installs Bun runtime if not present
3. ✅ Builds the project and creates global command
4. ✅ Verifies everything works correctly
5. ✅ Shows quick start guide for immediate use

🎮 What the Start Command Does

The claude-chat start command automatically:

1. ✅ Initializes the project with Claude Chat protocol
2. ✅ Sets up VS Code hooks and configuration
3. ✅ Starts the message router if needed
4. ✅ Creates and configures tmux session
5. ✅ Registers the instance with the router
6. ✅ Launches Claude with proper environment variables
7. ✅ Connects you to the tmux session

🔧 Manual Installation (If Needed)

If the automatic installation doesn't work for your system:

Prerequisites:

# Install tmux
# macOS: brew install tmux
# Ubuntu: sudo apt install tmux
# CentOS: sudo dnf install tmux

# Install Bun
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash

Build from source:

git clone https://github.com/neeboo/claude-chat.git
cd claude-chat
bun install
bun run build
sudo ln -sf $(pwd)/dist/cli.js /usr/local/bin/claude-chat

✨ Key Features

• 🚀 One-Command Setup: claude-chat start <path> <role> - does everything automatically
• 💬 Real-time Chat Interface: Web-based chat UI for communicating with Claude instances
• 📡 WebSocket Support: Real-time messaging with live updates
• 🔧 Auto-Initialization: Automatically sets up hooks, documentation, and configuration
• 📡 Message Router: HTTP-based communication between Claude instances
• 🖥️ tmux Integration: Seamless session management with environment setup
• ⚙️ Flexible Configuration: Environment variables and persistent settings
• 🔄 Smart Proxy Support: Integrated proxy setup for network access
• 📝 VS Code Hooks: Automatic integration with Claude's event system
• 👥 Multi-Instance Support: Manage multiple Claude instances simultaneously

💬 Real-time Chat Interface

Access the web-based chat interface to communicate with all your Claude instances in real-time:

Opening the Chat Interface

# Open chat interface automatically
claude-chat chat

# Or manually visit: http://localhost:8888/chat

Chat Features

• 🗨️ Group Chat Experience: Chat with all Claude instances like a group conversation
• 🎯 Targeted Messaging: Send messages to specific instances using @mentions
• 📢 Broadcast Messages: Use @all to send messages to all instances
• ⏰ Real-time Updates: Instant message delivery via WebSocket
• 📜 Message History: Persistent chat history with timestamps
• 👤 Instance Status: Live display of online Claude instances
• 🔄 Auto-reconnection: Automatic reconnection on connection loss

Chat Interface Usage

1. Send to all instances: Select @all (default) and type your message
2. Send to specific instance: Select @InstanceName from the dropdown
3. View conversations: All messages appear in real-time with sender info
4. Monitor instances: Left sidebar shows all connected Claude instances

📋 Command Reference

Main Commands

# Start a Claude instance with chat support (recommended - all-in-one)
claude-chat start <path> <role> [options]

# Open the real-time chat interface
claude-chat chat [--port <port>]

# Manual setup commands (optional)
claude-chat init <path>           # Initialize project only
claude-chat register <path> <role> # Register instance only
claude-chat router --start        # Start router only

# Status and management
claude-chat status               # Show all instances and router status
claude-chat list                # List registered instances
claude-chat config --show       # Show current configuration

Start Command Options

The start command supports many options for customization:

claude-chat start <path> <role> [options]

# Basic options
-n, --name <name>        # Custom instance name
-s, --session <session>  # Custom tmux session name  
--no-attach             # Start in background (don't attach to tmux)

# Proxy options
--proxy                 # Enable proxy with your configured settings

# Initialization options
--no-init               # Skip automatic project initialization
--force-init            # Force overwrite existing init files
--hooks-only            # Only setup hooks during init
--docs-only             # Only setup documentation during init

Chat Command Options

claude-chat chat [options]

# Options
--port <port>           # Override router port (default: from config)

Example Usage Patterns

# Standard development setup with chat
claude-chat start ~/dev/my-app main

# Start UI instance in background with proxy
claude-chat start ~/dev/frontend ui --no-attach --proxy

# Start API instance with custom name
claude-chat start ~/dev/backend api --name "API Server" --no-attach

# Open chat interface
claude-chat chat

# Force reinitialize an existing project
claude-chat start ~/dev/old-project main --force-init

# Start without auto-initialization
claude-chat start ~/dev/minimal-project main --no-init

⚙️ Configuration

Environment Variables

Override default settings with environment variables:

# Temporary override for one command
CLAUDE_CHAT_PORT=8080 claude-chat start ~/project main

# Set in your shell profile for permanent changes
export CLAUDE_CHAT_HOST=192.168.1.100
export CLAUDE_CHAT_PORT=9999
export PROXY_HOST=127.0.0.1
export PROXY_PORT=7893

Supported environment variables:

• CLAUDE_CHAT_HOST - Router host (default: localhost)
• CLAUDE_CHAT_PORT - Router port (default: 8888)
• CLAUDE_ROUTER_URL - Complete router URL override
• PROXY_HOST - Proxy server host (default: 127.0.0.1)
• PROXY_PORT - Proxy server port (default: 7893)

Persistent Configuration

# Show current settings
claude-chat config --show

# Change default port
claude-chat config --set-port 8080

# Change default host  
claude-chat config --set-host 192.168.1.100

# Reset to defaults
claude-chat config --reset

📁 What Gets Created

When you run claude-chat start for the first time in a project, it creates:

your-project/
├── .claude/
│   ├── hooks/
│   │   └── simple-notifier.sh    # Message notification script
│   └── settings.local.json       # VS Code hook configuration
└── CLAUDE.md                     # Communication protocol documentation

🔄 Multi-Instance Workflow with Chat

Perfect for complex projects with multiple Claude instances:

# Terminal 1: Start main instance (stays attached)
claude-chat start ~/dev/my-app main

# Terminal 2: Start supporting instances (background)
claude-chat start ~/dev/my-app ui --no-attach
claude-chat start ~/dev/my-app api --no-attach --proxy
claude-chat start ~/dev/my-app docs --no-attach

# Terminal 3: Open chat interface for group communication
claude-chat chat

# Check status
claude-chat status

Now you can:

• Chat with all instances via the web interface
• Send targeted messages to specific instances
• Monitor real-time conversations
• Keep track of all instance activities

🌐 Message Router API

The built-in HTTP API enables both programmatic and chat interface communication:

REST Endpoints

# Send message between instances (programmatic)
curl -X POST http://localhost:8888/message \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"from": "ui", "to": "main", "content": "Task completed"}'

# Check router health
curl http://localhost:8888/health

# View all instances
curl http://localhost:8888/status  

# View message history
curl http://localhost:8888/messages

# Access chat interface
curl http://localhost:8888/chat

WebSocket Support

The chat interface uses WebSocket for real-time communication:

// WebSocket endpoint
ws://localhost:8888/

// Message format
{
  "type": "send_message",
  "from": "human",
  "to": "instance_id", // or "all"
  "content": "Hello Claude!"
}

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Port already in use:

# Check what's using the port
lsof -i :8888

# Use a different port
claude-chat config --set-port 8080
claude-chat start ~/project main

Chat interface not loading:

# Check if router is running
claude-chat status

# Restart router
claude-chat router --restart

# Check browser console for WebSocket errors

tmux not found:

# Install tmux first
brew install tmux  # macOS
sudo apt install tmux  # Ubuntu

Proxy not working:

# Check your proxy settings
echo $PROXY_HOST $PROXY_PORT

# Start with proxy enabled
claude-chat start ~/project main --proxy

VS Code hooks not working:

# Check if files were created
ls -la .claude/

# Verify script permissions
chmod +x .claude/hooks/simple-notifier.sh

WebSocket connection failed:

# Check firewall settings
# Ensure port 8888 is not blocked
# Try different port: claude-chat config --set-port 9999

Debug Mode

# Run with verbose output
DEBUG=1 claude-chat start ~/project main

# Check router logs
claude-chat status

# Monitor WebSocket connections in browser dev tools

📖 Project Structure

claude-chat/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts              # Message router server with WebSocket support
│   ├── cli.ts                # CLI interface with chat commands
│   ├── config.ts             # Configuration management
│   ├── CLAUDE_TEMPLATE.md    # Protocol template
│   └── simple-notifier.sh    # Notification script template
├── dist/                     # Built files
├── package.json
└── README.md

🔒 Security Considerations

Important Reminders

• ⚠️ Research Use Only: This tool is designed for personal experimentation
• 🔒 Permission Bypass: Uses --dangerously-skip-permissions for functionality
• 🚫 No Production Use: Never use in production or critical environments
• 💾 Backup Important Data: Always backup your projects before use
• 🔍 Monitor Activities: Watch for unexpected file changes
• 🛡️ Isolated Environment: Use in sandboxed or test environments only

Best Practices

1. Use in isolated directories: Don't run on important projects
2. Regular backups: Backup your work frequently
3. Monitor file changes: Use git to track modifications
4. Limited scope: Only use for experimental coding tasks
5. Network isolation: Consider using in offline environments

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
3. Make your changes and test thoroughly
4. Ensure security considerations are addressed
5. Commit: git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'
6. Push: git push origin feature/amazing-feature
7. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

👨‍💻 Author

neeboo

• GitHub: @neeboo
• Repository: claude-chat

⚖️ Disclaimer

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK: This software is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. The authors and contributors shall not be liable for any damages, data loss, security breaches, or other issues arising from the use of this tool. Users are responsible for understanding the risks and using the tool only in appropriate, non-critical environments.

⚠️ Remember: This tool is for research and experimentation only. Always prioritize safety and security in your development workflow.