ClawSharp is a C# port of Claude Code, Anthropic’s terminal-based AI assistant.
I built it because I love .NET, and there still are not many open-source code-agent projects in the .NET ecosystem. I also wanted to learn how a terminal-based coding agent is structured end to end — conversation loop, tool execution, session persistence, provider integration, and terminal UX — by building one myself.
The goal with ClawSharp is to stay close to the original Claude Code workflow while shipping as a single self-contained .NET binary that runs across Windows, Linux, and macOS without requiring Node.js at runtime.
This started as a vibe-coded side project, but I’m treating it as a real tool and a real learning project. Contributions, bug reports, and feedback are very welcome.
- Single binary — no Node.js runtime after install
- Cross-platform — Windows, Linux, and macOS on x64 and ARM64
- Multi-provider — Anthropic, Gemini, OpenAI, Codex, GitHub Models, Bedrock, Vertex, Foundry, and Ollama
- Desktop App — A beautiful, integrated GUI for those who prefer windows over terminals
- Persistent sessions — resume chats, keep transcripts, and retain file history
- Extensible — supports plugins, hooks, agents, skills, and MCP servers
ClawSharp now ships with a full Desktop Application built with Tauri. It gives you a rich, multi-window interface for your coding sessions while keeping the core AI engine native and fast.
You get the same power as the CLI, but with side-by-side file views, interactive tools, and a more comfortable workspace for long-form coding.
ClawSharp is usable today, but some parts of Claude Code are still being aligned.
A few open projects in a similar space that I’ve looked at for reference and inspiration:
- claw-code — a public Rust implementation of the
clawCLI agent harness - openclaude — an open-source coding-agent CLI for cloud and local model providers
The easiest way to stay up to date is through your favorite package manager:
macOS (Homebrew)
brew tap claw-sharp/tap
brew install --cask clawsharpWindows (WinGet or Scoop)
# Using WinGet
winget install ClawSharp
# Using Scoop
scoop bucket add claw-sharp https://github.com/claw-sharp/scoop-bucket
scoop install clawsharpIf you only want the terminal agent as a global command:
npm install -g clawsharp
clawsharp --helpDon't like package managers? Snag the latest .exe, .dmg, or .tar.gz directly from our GitHub Releases.
Since ClawSharp is an independent open-source project, our releases are currently unsigned. This helps us stay at zero recurring platform cost, but it does mean your OS will be a bit suspicious at first:
- Windows: You'll see a blue "SmartScreen" box. Click "More info" and then "Run anyway".
- macOS: When you first open the app, it might be blocked. Right-click the app icon in your Applications folder and choose Open, or go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click "Open Anyway".
We treat your code and privacy with the highest respect—the app is fully open-source, so you can always audit what’s happening under the hood.
npm update -g clawsharp
# or pin to latest:
npm install -g clawsharp@latestThe simplest way to test ClawSharp is with a direct Anthropic API key.
# macOS / Linux
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
clawsharp
# Windows (PowerShell)
$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "sk-ant-..."
clawsharpclawsharp --provider anthropic --model claude-sonnet-4-5git clone https://github.com/claw-sharp/ClawSharp.git
cd ClawSharp
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
dotnet run --project src/ClawSharp.CliWhen the REPL starts, type any message and press Enter. Claude will respond in the terminal.
ClawSharp supports the Codex provider through its native auth.json token file, designed to mirror the original Claude Code behavior.
The Codex auth file is typically written by the official codex CLI (~/.codex/auth.json on macOS/Linux, %USERPROFILE%\.codex\auth.json on Windows). It contains an access_token and an account_id.
Example auth.json structure:
{
"access_token": "eyJ...",
"account_id": "org-..."
}ClawSharp reads this file automatically when you use --provider codex or set the Codex environment variables — no extra configuration needed.
# Auto-discovers ~/.codex/auth.json
clawsharp --provider codex --model codexplan# Windows (PowerShell)
clawsharp --provider codex --model codexplanIf you prefer to pass credentials explicitly rather than relying on the auth file:
export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_MODEL=codexplan
export CODEX_API_KEY="eyJ..." # access_token value
export CODEX_ACCOUNT_ID="org-..." # account_id value
dotnet run --project src/ClawSharp.Cliexport CODEX_AUTH_PATH="/path/to/your/auth.json"
clawsharp --provider codex| Provider | Environment variable | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | ANTHROPIC_API_KEY |
clawsharp --provider anthropic |
| Gemini | GEMINI_API_KEY |
clawsharp --provider gemini --model gemini-2.0-flash |
| OpenAI | OPENAI_API_KEY |
clawsharp --provider openai --model gpt-4o |
| GitHub Models | GITHUB_TOKEN |
clawsharp --provider github |
| Ollama | (none required) | clawsharp --provider ollama --model llama3.2 |
Full provider setup details: docs/authentication.md
Self-contained binaries are produced for all supported platforms:
| Platform | RID |
|---|---|
| Windows 64-bit | win-x64 |
| Windows ARM64 | win-arm64 |
| Linux 64-bit | linux-x64 |
| Linux ARM64 | linux-arm64 |
| macOS Intel | osx-x64 |
| macOS Apple Silicon | osx-arm64 |
Release archives: .zip (Windows), .tar.gz (Linux/macOS), plus a shared SHA256SUMS checksum file.
Release archives ship with SHA-256 checksums and GitHub artifact attestations. See docs/distribution.md for verification steps.
git clone https://github.com/claw-sharp/ClawSharp.git
cd ClawSharp
dotnet restore ClawSharp.sln
dotnet build ClawSharp.sln -c Debug
dotnet run --project src/ClawSharp.Cli -- --versionRun all tests:
dotnet test ClawSharp.slnSee docs/contributor-setup.md for a full contributor guide.
ClawSharp started as a personal learning project and is still evolving. If you're interested in code agents, terminal tooling, or building more AI-native tools in .NET, contributions, issues, and feedback are welcome.
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| docs/architect.md | Architecture overview and layer model |
| docs/authentication.md | All provider setup and credential options |
| docs/user-chat-flow.md | Turn-by-turn conversation flow |
| docs/contributor-setup.md | Local development setup |
| docs/extension-migration.md | Migrating extensions and plugins |
| docs/release-process.md | Maintainer release process |
| docs/distribution.md | Distribution, install, and verification |
| docs/telemetry-and-diagnostics.md | Debugging and diagnostics |
| docs/runbooks.md | Operator support runbooks |
| docs/known-gaps.md | Known gaps and deferred work |