Claude Code ChatInWindows

Claude Code GUI / ChatUI for VS Code

Claude Code ChatUI is a full-featured GUI extension for Claude Code CLI in VS Code and Cursor. Works natively on Windows (no WSL required) and macOS. Supports both official Anthropic accounts and third-party API providers with GUI configuration. Key features: MCP plugin management, Skills system, Hooks system, real-time token & cost tracking, AI Assistant integration (Gemini + Grok), and multi-language UI (English, 简体中文, 繁體中文). Actively maintained with 236+ commits.

🌐 Languages: English | [简体中文](./README.zh-CN.md) | [繁體中文](./README.zh-TW.md)

> Note: This extension automates the official claude interactive CLI to provide a GUI. It does not modify authentication, proxy network traffic, or touch your credentials — it reuses your already-logged-in subscription. Please review and comply with Anthropic's Terms of Service.

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Why This Extension?

| Feature | Official Claude Code | Claude Code GUI (MaheshKok) | Claude Code UI (AuraTech) | This Project | |---------|---------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------| | Windows No WSL | ❌ Requires setup | ❌ Requires CLI config | WSL path mapping | ✅ Native | | Third-party API GUI Config | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Exclusive | | MCP Plugin GUI Management | CLI-level only | ✅ MCP Hub | ✅ MCP commands | ✅ GUI config (Global + Workspace) | | Skills System GUI | CLI-level only | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Exclusive | | Hooks System GUI | CLI-level only | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Exclusive | | AI Assistant Integration | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Gemini + Grok | | Real-time Token Tracking | ❌ | ✅ Usage meter | ✅ Cost tracking | ✅ | | macOS Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | npm + Native Installer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Actively Maintained | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (236+ commits) |

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📸 Preview

[](docs/assets/ui.png)

📅 Recent Updates

| Version | Date | Highlights | |---------|------|------------| | v5.0.8 | 2026-06-15 | Enables the 1M-token context window by default — long sessions were silently crashing into Prompt is too long at ~165K because the launched model never carried the 1M window (bare --model claude-opus-4-8 = 200K) while the progress bar could show a 1M denominator, and with auto-compaction off there was no safety net. The driver now appends the [1m] suffix for 1M-capable models (Opus 4.6/4.7/4.8, Sonnet 4.6) at spawn and on mid-session /model switch. Toggle via enable1MContext. ⚠️ 1M is in-subscription only on Max/Team/Enterprise + Opus | | v5.0.7 | 2026-06-16 | Fixes the extension failing to run on a freshly-installed machine — a new machine shows two startup gates in sequence (workspace-trust + bypass-permissions warning) but the driver only answered one, so the first prompt's Enter hit the second dialog's "No, exit" and claude exited code 1 in a re-spawn loop. Both gate types are now tracked independently and scanned for ~25s post-spawn | | v5.0.6 | 2026-06-15 | Fixes editing a skill/hook/any .claude/ file freezing the turn ~69s (the CLI's self-edit confirmation menu, unanswered by the PTY driver under bypassPermissions, is now auto-accepted session-wide). Disables the framework's lossy auto-compaction by default (DISABLE_AUTO_COMPACT=1; manual /compact still works). Restores inline rendering of subagent (Agent/Task) tool steps without double-counting their tokens. Raises the Context Window default 200K→400K | | v5.0.5 | 2026-06-15 | Fixes messages being silently swallowed after a /compact or a session switch (the provider-wide compact-mode flag now resets on every session switch, and a send during compaction is visibly rejected instead of lost). Also shrinks the oversized QUESTION option-card title (.ask-question-header 14px→13px) so it no longer towers over the conversation badges | | v5.0.4 | 2026-06-15 | Packaging fix — the v5.0.3 VSIX shipped with zero node_modules (--no-dependencies dropped the native node-pty runtime), so it installed but the chat panel wouldn't open. node-pty's win32-x64 binaries are now bundled correctly | | v5.0.3 | 2026-06-15 | Interactive option cards — Claude emits a fenced `ask block (native AskUserQuestion disabled) that renders as clickable single/multi-select cards; clicking injects the chosen label as the next turn. Fixes the "still processing" lock when an ask block follows a tool call (stop_reason: null), plus card layout/typography polish | | v5.0.2 | 2026-06-14 | First-turn image vision via staged PTY injection — pasted/selected images arrive as a native [Image #N] multimodal attachment (0 Read, no "I don't see an image"); idempotent under the reinject watchdog; graceful degrade to Read if no chip; CJK/space paths + multi-image verified | | v5.0.1 | 2026-06-13 | PTY interactive driver replaces claude -p (usage bills against your subscription); output read from transcript JSONL; permission mode setting; optional Stop hook completion fallback; win32-x64 only | | v4.1.3 | 2026-06-02 | Claude Opus 4.8 model support; Opus 4.7 demoted to Previous; Opus 4.5 hidden from UI (kept for history & pricing) | | v4.1.2 | 2026-05-18 | Security: npm audit 23→5 vulns; tsconfig strict checks (noImplicitReturns, noUnusedParameters); code dedup: unified escapeHtml, centralized MODELDISPLAYNAMES, generic openModal/closeModal | | v4.1.1 | 2026-04-21 | Gemini Vertex AI ADC mode; MCP env backfill fix (APPDATA/PATH/proxy); Windows node stdio wrapper fix; hierarchical auth UI | | v4.1.0 | 2026-04-16 | Opus 4.7 model support; xHigh thinking intensity; /ultrareview command; Compute Mode restore bug fix | | v4.0.10 | 2026-04-13 | Cursor history crash fix; history panel XSS fix | | v4.0.9 | 2026-04-02 | Project metadata & README rewrite for AI search discoverability | | v4.0.8 | 2026-04-02 | Codex MCP template, CLAUDE.md conditional injection | | v4.0.7 | 2026-04-02 | Stream parser upgrade: 6 bug fixes, new CLI message types | | v4.0.5 | 2026-03-30 | AI Assistant Panel: Grok + Vertex AI support; macOS scroll fix | | v4.0.2 | 2026-03-28 | Hooks GUI management panel with 26 event types, 4 hook types, 5 templates | | v3.1.9 | 2026-03-29 | CSP security policy, XSS fixes, Windows orphan process cleanup | | v3.1.8 | 2026-03-12 | Grok MCP template, default model → Sonnet 4.6, cost bubble dedup | | v3.1.7 | 2026-02-18 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 model support, Compute Mode upgrade | | v3.1.4 | 2026-01-29 | macOS platform support added | | v3.1.0 | 2026-01-13 | Skills panel: copy, enable/disable toggle, plugin protection | | v2.1.0 | — | MCP integration, HTTP/SSE transport, server templates | | v2.0.0 | — | Complete UI redesign, statistics dashboard, custom API endpoint |

See [CHANGELOG.md](./CHANGELOG.md) for full details.

🚀 Quick Start

Step 1: Environment Setup

1. Install Git for Windows (includes Git Bash)
2. Install Node.js (LTS version recommended, ≥ 18)
3. Open PowerShell as Administrator and set environment variable:

setx SHELL "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe"

1. Restart your computer (required for changes to take effect)

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Step 2: Install Claude Code CLI

After restarting, open a new terminal window:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

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> ⚠️ VPN Users: Please ensure TUN mode is enabled throughout the installation and usage process, otherwise you may not be able to connect to Claude services.

Step 3: Log in to Claude Code

Using Official Account

claude

A browser window will open for authorization. Log in and copy the token back to the terminal.

Using 🔑 Third-Party API

If you're using a third-party API, configure it in the extension:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+C to open the chat interface
2. Click the settings button ⚙️ in the top right corner
3. Check "Use Custom API Endpoint"
4. Enter your API key in the API Key field (e.g., sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxx)
5. Enter the API address in the Base URL field (e.g., https://v3.codesome.cn)
6. Settings are saved automatically. "Settings updated successfully" confirms the configuration

[](docs/assets/api.png)

Switch back to official account: Uncheck "Use Custom API Endpoint".

> 💡 Tips: > > - If the API key is incorrect, chat will show "processing" until timeout > - You can switch between official account and third-party API anytime via the toggle

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> 💡 This extension supports various third-party API services (e.g., v3.codesome.cn, openrouter.ai). Please consult your API provider for the specific URL.

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Step 4: Install the Extension

✨ Method 1: VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

1. Open VS Code or Cursor
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+X to open Extensions
3. Search for Claude-Code ChatUI or lkbaba
4. Click Install

Direct Link: ➡️ VS Code Marketplace

📦 Method 2: GitHub Release Download

1. 🔗 Go to Releases page
2. Download the .vsix file
3. In VS Code, press Ctrl+Shift+P, select "Extensions: Install from VSIX..."

🛠️ Method 3: Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/LKbaba/Claude-code-ChatInWindows.git
cd Claude-code-ChatInWindows
npm install
npm run package
# The generated .vsix file is in the project root, install using Method 2

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Step 5: Start Using

• Open Chat Interface: Press Ctrl+Shift+C
• File Explorer Icon: Click the icon next to the new folder button

❓ FAQ

Q: Getting "No suitable shell found" error?

1. Make sure Git for Windows is installed
2. Run as administrator: setx SHELL "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe"
3. Restart your computer (required for changes to take effect)

If the problem persists, try:

1. Open system environment variables (Win + X → System → Advanced system settings → Environment Variables)
2. Ensure PATH contains C:\Program Files\Git\cmd
3. Restart your computer

Q: Third-party API configured but chat not responding?

Claude Code CLI sometimes needs to be initialized in the command line first. Run in PowerShell:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
$Env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY  = "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
$Env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = "https://v3.codesome.cn"
claude

If the problem persists, try updating Claude Code CLI:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest

Q: Third-party API stops working after computer restart?

Environment variables $Env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY and $Env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL are temporary and will be lost after restart.

Two solutions:

Option 1: Reset after each restart

$Env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY  = "your API Key"
$Env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = "https://v3.codesome.cn"
claude

Option 2: Set as permanent environment variables (run as administrator)

setx ANTHROPIC_API_KEY "your API Key"
setx ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL "https://v3.codesome.cn"
# Restart computer for changes to take effect

Q: Getting "rg: command not found" error?

This is optional and doesn't affect normal usage. If you want to install ripgrep for better search performance:

# In Git Bash:
curl -L https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/releases/download/14.1.0/ripgrep-14.1.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip -o ripgrep.zip
unzip ripgrep.zip && mkdir -p ~/bin
cp ripgrep-14.1.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc/rg.exe ~/bin/
echo 'alias rg="~/bin/rg"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc

Note: The extension's built-in Grep tool works fine without ripgrep.

Q: Getting "File has been unexpectedly modified" error when Claude edits files?

This error occurs when VS Code/Cursor's auto-save feature modifies files between Claude's Read and Edit operations.

Solution: Disable auto-save

Add this to your VS Code/Cursor settings (settings.json):

"files.autoSave": "off"

Or use a less aggressive option:

"files.autoSave": "onWindowChange"

Why this happens:

1. Claude reads a file and stores its content hash
2. Auto-save triggers and modifies the file on disk
3. Claude tries to edit the file, but the hash no longer matches
4. Claude reports "File has been unexpectedly modified"

Other settings that can cause this issue:

• editor.formatOnSave: true - Formatters modify file content on save
• files.trimTrailingWhitespace: true - Removes trailing spaces on save
• files.insertFinalNewline: true - Adds newline at end of file

If you need these features, consider disabling them temporarily when using Claude Code.

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🤝 How to Contribute

1. Fork the project and create a feature branch
2. Focus on a single new feature or improvement
3. Test thoroughly on a real Windows environment
4. Submit a Pull Request with clear description

Welcome all AI engineers, developers, and geeks on Windows!

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📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• andrepimenta – Original project claude-code-chat
• Mrasxieyang (linux.do community) – Provided the core solution for native Windows installation
• Anthropic – For creating the powerful Claude and Claude Code
• All developers contributing to the Claude Code ecosystem ❤️

Source & license

This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: LKbaba
• Source: LKbaba/Claude-code-ChatInWindows
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=lkbaba.claude-code-chatui

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.