not-claude

A drop-in fake for the Claude Code CLI. Looks identical. Thinks forever. Does nothing.

Why?

Sometimes you just need Claude to think for a while. A long while. Indefinitely, even.

not-claude is a terminal impersonator — it mimics the look, feel, and spinner of the real Claude Code CLI down to the last braille dot. Type a prompt, watch it think, take a break. It will still be thinking when you get back.

Install

npm install -g not-claude

Usage

Just type not-claude instead of claude:

not-claude

Then type any prompt and watch it "think" forever.

Slash commands (for realism)

| Command | Description | |------------|------------------------------------| | /help | Show available commands | | /status | Show fake model/account status | | /clear | Clear the screen | | /compact | Compact conversation (fake) | | /cost | Show token usage (spoiler: $0.00) | | /exit | Actually exit |

What it looks like

╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ ✻ Welcome to Claude Code!  (fake v1.0.0)                 │
│                                                          │
│   /help for help, /status for your current setup        │
│                                                          │
│   cwd: /Users/you/your-project                          │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

> refactor the entire codebase

 ⠸ Deliberating… (42s)

FAQ

Is this the real Claude?
No.

Will it ever respond?
No.

Is that the point?
Yes.

Does it work on Windows?
Yes — Node.js handles the ANSI codes.

License

MIT