ClawSharp
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.
Why use ClawSharp?
- 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
The Desktop Experience
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.
Current status
ClawSharp is usable today, but some parts of Claude Code are still being aligned.
Related projects
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
claw CLI agent harness
- openclaude — an open-source coding-agent CLI for cloud and local model providers
Install
Preferred: Package Managers
The easiest way to stay up to date is through your favorite package manager:
macOS (Homebrew)
brew tap claw-sharp/tap
brew install --cask clawsharp
Windows (WinGet or Scoop)
# Using WinGet
winget install ClawSharp
# Using Scoop
scoop bucket add claw-sharp https://github.com/claw-sharp/scoop-bucket
scoop install clawsharp
Standalone CLI
If you only want the terminal agent as a global command:
npm install -g clawsharp
clawsharp --help
Direct Download
Don't like package managers? Snag the latest .exe, .dmg, or .tar.gz directly from our GitHub Releases.
A Note on Security (Gatekeeper & SmartScreen)
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.
Update
npm update -g clawsharp
# or pin to latest:
npm install -g clawsharp@latest
Quick Start: Claude API Key
The simplest way to test ClawSharp is with a direct Anthropic API key.
Using an environment variable
# macOS / Linux
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
clawsharp
# Windows (PowerShell)
$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "sk-ant-..."
clawsharp
Using CLI flags
clawsharp --provider anthropic --model claude-sonnet-4-5
Running from source
git clone https://github.com/claw-sharp/ClawSharp.git
cd ClawSharp
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
dotnet run --project src/ClawSharp.Cli
When the REPL starts, type any message and press Enter. Claude will respond in the terminal.
Quick Start: Codex (auth.json)
ClawSharp supports the Codex provider through its native auth.json token file, designed to mirror the original Claude Code behavior.
Locate or create your auth.json
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.
Launch with Codex
# Auto-discovers ~/.codex/auth.json
clawsharp --provider codex --model codexplan
# Windows (PowerShell)
clawsharp --provider codex --model codexplan
Using environment variables instead
If 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.Cli
Custom auth file path
export CODEX_AUTH_PATH="/path/to/your/auth.json"
clawsharp --provider codex
Other Providers
| 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
Platform Support
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.
Verification
Release archives ship with SHA-256 checksums and GitHub artifact attestations. See docs/distribution.md for verification steps.
Developer Quick Start
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 -- --version
Run all tests:
dotnet test ClawSharp.sln
See docs/contributor-setup.md for a full contributor guide.
Contributing
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.
Documentation