# free-code

**The free build of Claude Code.**

All telemetry stripped. All injected security-prompt guardrails removed. All experimental features unlocked. One binary, zero callbacks home.

<p align="center">
  <img src="assets/screenshot.png" alt="free-code screenshot" width="800" />
</p>

---

## What is this

This is a clean, buildable fork of Anthropic's [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code) CLI -- the terminal-native AI coding agent. The upstream source became publicly available on March 31, 2026 through a source map exposure in the npm distribution.

This fork applies three categories of changes on top of that snapshot:

### 1. Telemetry removed

The upstream binary phones home through OpenTelemetry/gRPC, GrowthBook analytics, Sentry error reporting, and custom event logging. In this build:

- All outbound telemetry endpoints are dead-code-eliminated or stubbed
- GrowthBook feature flag evaluation still works locally (needed for runtime feature gates) but does not report back
- No crash reports, no usage analytics, no session fingerprinting

### 2. Security-prompt guardrails removed

Anthropic injects system-level instructions into every conversation that constrain Claude's behavior beyond what the model itself enforces. These include:

- Hardcoded refusal patterns for certain categories of prompts
- Injected "cyber risk" instruction blocks
- Managed-settings security overlays pushed from Anthropic's servers

This build strips those injections. The model's own safety training still applies -- this just removes the extra layer of prompt-level restrictions that the CLI wraps around it.

### 3. Experimental features enabled

Claude Code ships with dozens of feature flags gated behind `bun:bundle` compile-time switches. Most are disabled in the public npm release. This build unlocks all 45+ flags that compile cleanly, including:

| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| `ULTRAPLAN` | Remote multi-agent planning on Claude Code web (Opus-class) |
| `ULTRATHINK` | Deep thinking mode -- type "ultrathink" to boost reasoning effort |
| `VOICE_MODE` | Push-to-talk voice input and dictation |
| `AGENT_TRIGGERS` | Local cron/trigger tools for background automation |
| `BRIDGE_MODE` | IDE remote-control bridge (VS Code, JetBrains) |
| `TOKEN_BUDGET` | Token budget tracking and usage warnings |
| `BUILTIN_EXPLORE_PLAN_AGENTS` | Built-in explore/plan agent presets |
| `VERIFICATION_AGENT` | Verification agent for task validation |
| `BASH_CLASSIFIER` | Classifier-assisted bash permission decisions |
| `EXTRACT_MEMORIES` | Post-query automatic memory extraction |
| `HISTORY_PICKER` | Interactive prompt history picker |
| `MESSAGE_ACTIONS` | Message action entrypoints in the UI |
| `QUICK_SEARCH` | Prompt quick-search |
| `SHOT_STATS` | Shot-distribution stats |
| `COMPACTION_REMINDERS` | Smart reminders around context compaction |
| `CACHED_MICROCOMPACT` | Cached microcompact state through query flows |

See [FEATURES.md](FEATURES.md) for the full audit of all 88 flags and their status.

---

## Requirements

- [Bun](https://bun.sh) >= 1.3.11
- macOS or Linux (Windows via WSL)
- An Anthropic API key (set `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` in your environment)

```bash
# Install Bun if you don't have it
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
```

---

## Build

```bash
# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/paoloanzn/claude-code.git
cd claude-code

# Install dependencies
bun install

# Standard build -- produces ./cli
bun run build

# Dev build -- dev version stamp, experimental GrowthBook key
bun run build:dev

# Dev build with ALL experimental features enabled -- produces ./cli-dev
bun run build:dev:full

# Compiled build (alternative output path) -- produces ./dist/cli
bun run compile
```

### Build variants

| Command | Output | Features | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| `bun run build` | `./cli` | `VOICE_MODE` only | Production-like binary |
| `bun run build:dev` | `./cli-dev` | `VOICE_MODE` only | Dev version stamp |
| `bun run build:dev:full` | `./cli-dev` | All 45+ experimental flags | The full unlock build |
| `bun run compile` | `./dist/cli` | `VOICE_MODE` only | Alternative output directory |

### Individual feature flags

You can enable specific flags without the full bundle:

```bash
# Enable just ultraplan and ultrathink
bun run ./scripts/build.ts --feature=ULTRAPLAN --feature=ULTRATHINK

# Enable a specific flag on top of the dev build
bun run ./scripts/build.ts --dev --feature=BRIDGE_MODE
```

---

## Run

```bash
# Run the built binary directly
./cli

# Or the dev binary
./cli-dev

# Or run from source without compiling (slower startup)
bun run dev

# Set your API key
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

# Or use Claude.ai OAuth
./cli /login
```

### Quick test

```bash
# One-shot mode
./cli -p "what files are in this directory?"

# Interactive REPL (default)
./cli

# With specific model
./cli --model claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514
```

---

## Project structure

```
scripts/
  build.ts              # Build script with feature flag system

src/
  entrypoints/cli.tsx   # CLI entrypoint
  commands.ts           # Command registry (slash commands)
  tools.ts              # Tool registry (agent tools)
  QueryEngine.ts        # LLM query engine
  screens/REPL.tsx      # Main interactive UI

  commands/             # /slash command implementations
  tools/                # Agent tool implementations (Bash, Read, Edit, etc.)
  components/           # Ink/React terminal UI components
  hooks/                # React hooks
  services/             # API client, MCP, OAuth, analytics
  state/                # App state store
  utils/                # Utilities
  skills/               # Skill system
  plugins/              # Plugin system
  bridge/               # IDE bridge
  voice/                # Voice input
  tasks/                # Background task management
```

---

## Tech stack

| | |
|---|---|
| Runtime | [Bun](https://bun.sh) |
| Language | TypeScript |
| Terminal UI | React + [Ink](https://github.com/vadimdemedes/ink) |
| CLI parsing | [Commander.js](https://github.com/tj/commander.js) |
| Schema validation | Zod v4 |
| Code search | ripgrep (bundled) |
| Protocols | MCP, LSP |
| API | Anthropic Messages API |

---

## License

The original Claude Code source is the property of Anthropic. This fork exists because the source was publicly exposed through their npm distribution. Use at your own discretion.
