Claude Code Client

v1.2.1

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A convenient batch script (.cmd) for installing, updating, and running the official Claude Code CLI client in an isolated environment on Windows.

This script automates the download of the claude.exe executable, isolates configuration files from the main system, and provides a simple interface for configuring API connectivity.

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Key Features

1. Portable / Isolated Mode (Default):

   • The script can operate either in portable mode (overriding the USERPROFILE environment variable to point to the claude folder inside the script's directory) or in normal (non-portable) mode, using the standard global Windows user profile %USERPROFILE%. This allows reusing an already installed version of Claude Code and its settings.
   • In portable mode, all global caches, settings, authentication sessions, and Claude Code plugins are stored locally in the script's directory, keeping the global Windows user profile clean.

2. Automatic Installation:

   • On the first run, the script automatically checks for the latest version of Claude Code on Anthropic's servers, downloads it using curl, and sets it up in the appropriate directories.

3. Flexible Configuration via settings.ini:

   • On the first run, the script will prompt you to enter the following parameters:
     • ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL (defaults to the official API: https://api.anthropic.com, but you can specify your own proxy server).
     • ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN (authorization token, useful when using proxies or custom gateways).
     • MODEL_NAME (default model, e.g., claude-sonnet-5).
     • CLAUDE_DIR (path to the Claude Code working directory; defaults to %SCRIPT_DIR%.claude for portable mode, or %USERPROFILE% for system mode).
     • UPDATE_BRANCH (update branch: main or dev).
   • The configuration is saved to a local resources\settings.ini file and automatically loaded on subsequent runs.

4. Profile System:

   • The settings.ini file supports named sections (profiles), allowing you to store multiple configurations in a single file.
   • A profile can be specified via the --profile/-p flag with a section name, or selected interactively from a list by running --profile without an argument.
   • Example settings.ini with a profile:

      ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:20128/v1
      ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=sk-88cc84a27b153ff0-46fd23-2dcde1b5
      MODEL_NAME=openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-5
      CLAUDE_DIR=%SCRIPT_DIR%.claude
      UPDATE_BRANCH=dev
      UPDATE_REPOSITORY=https://github.com/retopology/Claude-Code-Client
      UPDATE_MASK=raw/refs/heads/{BRANCH}/claude.cmd
     
      [Claude Opus 4.8]
      MODEL_NAME=openrouter/anthropic/claude-opus-4.8
     
      [Ollama Qwen3.5:9b]
      ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:11434
      MODEL_NAME=qwen3.5:9b

5. Script Update:

   • Built-in update mechanism via the --update-script/-u flag.
   • The script downloads the latest version from the specified repository and branch, compares versions, and offers to install the update if one is available.
   • Before updating, the current version is saved in resources\old versions\.

6. System PATH Integration:

   • On first installation, the script checks whether its folder has been added to the user's system Path environment variable.
   • If not, it offers to add it automatically, first creating a registry backup in resources\env_backup.reg for safety.
   • You can also manually trigger this procedure using the --add-to-path flag.

7. Command-Line Argument Passthrough:

   • All arguments except those intercepted by the script (--profile/-p, --update-script/-u, --add-to-path, and --version-script) are passed directly to the underlying executable (e.g., claude /fast or claude --help).

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Directory Structure After Setup

After the first run, the script will create the following directory structure (when using the default portable mode):

📁 /
├── 📄 claude.cmd       # Startup script
├── 📁 .claude/         # Local USERPROFILE (isolated environment, created only in portable mode)
│   ├── 📁 .claude/     # Configurations, cache, session history, and plugins
│   └── 📁 .local/
│       ├── 📁 bin/                    # Active claude.exe binary
│       └── 📁 share/claude/versions/  # Archive of downloaded versions
└── 📁 resources/
    ├── 📁 old versions/      # Previous script versions (saved during updates)
    ├── 📄 settings.ini       # Connection settings (URL, token, model, profiles)
    ├── 📄 claude.exe         # Copied executable file
    └── 📄 env_backup.reg     # Registry backup (created before modifying PATH)

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Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10 / 11
• Pre-installed curl utility (built into all modern versions of Windows 10/11)
• Internet connection for downloading the executable and interacting with the API

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Usage

First Run

1. Double-click claude.cmd or run it from the console:

   claude

2. The script will check if Claude Code is installed. If it is already installed on your system, you will be prompted to use the installed version or configure portable mode. Otherwise, it will offer to configure portable mode (default).
3. The script will prompt you to enter configuration parameters. You can also use the default settings simply by pressing Enter at each prompt.
4. Wait for the claude.exe download to complete (unless the already installed system version was selected).
5. When prompted to add the directory to the system PATH, enter y (yes) or n (no). Choosing y will allow you to invoke the client from any folder in the console using the claude command.

Regular Usage

After setup, you can simply run the script to start an interactive Claude Code session:

claude

You can also pass any standard Claude Code arguments:

claude --version
claude /fast

Profiles

Run with a specific profile:

claude --profile work
claude -p work

Interactive profile selection:

claude --profile
claude -p

Manual PATH Integration

You can manually add the directory containing the script to the user's system PATH at any time:

claude --add-to-path

Script Version

To quickly output the version of the client script itself (without launching Claude Code):

claude --version-script

Script Update

claude --update-script
claude -u
claude -u dev