2bf2a11943
Dogfooded 2026-04-18 on main HEAD d1608ae from /tmp/cdYY.
Three related findings:
1. --base-commit has zero validation:
$ claw --base-commit doctor
warning: worktree HEAD (...) does not match expected
base commit (doctor). Session may run against a stale
codebase.
error: missing Anthropic credentials; ...
# 'doctor' used as base-commit value literally.
# Subcommand absorbed. Prompt fallthrough. Billable.
2. Greedy swallow of next flag:
$ claw --base-commit --model sonnet status
warning: ...does not match expected base commit (--model)
# '--model' taken as value. status never dispatched.
3. Garbage values silently accepted:
$ claw --base-commit garbage status
Status ...
# No validation. No warning (status path doesn't run check).
4. Stale-base signal missing from JSON surfaces:
$ claw --output-format json --base-commit $BASE status
{"kind":"status", ...}
# no stale_base, no base_commit, no base_commit_mismatch.
Stale-base check runs ONLY on Prompt path, as stderr prose.
Trace:
main.rs:487-494 --base-commit parsing:
'base-commit' => {
let value = args.get(index + 1).ok_or_else(...)?;
base_commit = Some(value.clone());
index += 2;
}
No format check. No reject-on-flag-prefix. No reject-on-
known-subcommand.
Compare main.rs:498-510 --reasoning-effort:
validates 'low' | 'medium' | 'high'. Has guard.
stale_base.rs check_base_commit runs on Prompt/turn path
only. No Status/Doctor handler includes base_commit field.
grep 'stale_base|base_commit_matches|base_commit:'
rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs | grep status|doctor
→ zero matches.
Fix shape (~40 lines):
- Reject values starting with '-' (flag-like)
- Reject known-subcommand names as values
- Optionally run 'git cat-file -e {value}' to verify real commit
- Plumb base_commit + base_commit_matches + stale_base_warning
into Status and Doctor JSON surfaces
- Emit warning as structured JSON event too (not just stderr)
- Regression per failure mode
Joins Silent-flag/documented-but-unenforced (#96-#101, #104,
#108, #111, #115, #116, #117, #118, #119, #121) as 15th.
Joins Parser-level trust gaps: #108 + #117 + #119 + #122 —
billable-token silent-burn via parser too-eager consumption.
Joins Parallel-entry-point asymmetry (#91, #101, #104, #105,
#108, #114, #117) as 8th — stale-base implemented for Prompt
but absent from Status/Doctor.
Joins Truth-audit — 'expected base commit (doctor)' lies by
including user's mistake as truth.
Cross-cluster with Unplumbed-subsystem (#78, #96, #100, #102,
#103, #107, #109, #111, #113, #121) — stale-base signal in
runtime but not JSON.
Natural bundles:
Parser-level trust gap quintet (grown):
#108 + #117 + #119 + #122 — billable-token silent-burn
via parser too-eager consumption.
#100 + #122 — stale-base diagnostic-integrity pair:
#100 stale-base subsystem unplumbed (general)
#122 --base-commit accepts anything, greedy, Status/Doctor
JSON unplumbed (specific)
Filed in response to Clawhip pinpoint nudge 1494978319920136232
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.