Claude Code Desktop

A user-friendly desktop interface for Claude Code CLI.

Non-engineers and engineers alike can use Claude Code through an intuitive GUI — no terminal experience required.

Features

• Auto-launch Claude Code — Opens Claude Code immediately on startup
• Claude / Terminal toggle — Switch between Claude Code and a regular terminal
• Simple / Advanced UI modes — Simplified interface for non-engineers, compact mode for engineers
• Multi-tab sessions — Run multiple Claude Code or terminal sessions simultaneously
• Drag & drop folders — Drop a project folder to open Claude Code in that directory
• Rich text input — Edit prompts freely with cursor positioning (unlike raw terminal)
• Command reference sidebar — All Claude Code commands and keyboard shortcuts at a glance
• Quick action buttons — One-click Yes/No/Ctrl+C for tool approvals
• Status bar — Real-time activity indicator (reading files, editing, waiting for approval...)
• Session auto-save — Sessions are saved automatically and can be restored on restart
• CLI auto-detection — Checks for Claude Code CLI and guides installation if missing

Supported Platforms

Platform	Format	Architecture
macOS	.dmg	Apple Silicon (M1-M4) / Intel
Windows	.exe (installer + portable)	x64
Linux	.AppImage / .deb	x64

Prerequisites

• Node.js v18+ (nodejs.org)
• Claude Code CLI (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
• Anthropic account (Pro plan or API key)

The app checks for Claude Code CLI on startup and guides you through installation if needed.

Install

Option 1: Download (Recommended)

Download the latest release for your platform from Releases.

• macOS: Open .dmg, drag to Applications
• Windows: Run .exe installer, or use the portable version
• Linux: Run .AppImage directly, or install .deb

Option 2: Build from source

git clone https://github.com/koach08/claude-code-desktop.git
cd claude-code-desktop
npm install
npm start

Build for your platform:

npm run build:mac    # macOS (.dmg)
npm run build:win    # Windows (.exe)
npm run build:linux  # Linux (.AppImage, .deb)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Cmd+Enter	Send input
Cmd+T	New tab
Cmd+W	Close tab
Cmd+1-9	Switch tabs
Alt+↑↓	Input history

Claude Code Commands

Command	Description
/help	Show help
/clear	Clear conversation
/compact	Summarize and compress conversation
/cost	Show token usage and cost
/model	Change AI model
/review	Request code review

Architecture

Each user runs Claude Code with their own Anthropic account. This app is a UI wrapper — no API keys are stored or shared.

License

MIT

Author

Language × AI Lab