claude-code

Installs the Claude Code CLI (claude) as a global npm package.

devtools:
  - name: nodejs
  - name: claude-code

That is the whole install. Claude Code then opens without permission prompts, because a workstation is the sandbox those prompts exist to protect, and its background auto-updater is off, because the recipe pins the version (claude update still works by hand). You need no toolconfig for either; add a claude-code toolconfig only to change them or to add MCP servers, settings or trusted folders.

Logging in

Two options:

1. Interactively. rl shell <workstation> and run claude, or use the terminal in the browser IDE. Pair with passthrough-www-browser so the login page opens on your laptop.

2. With an API key, injected from a Secret into the workstation’s environment:

   Copy

   environment:
     ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: "${secret:anthropic-api-key}"

Example

A browser-IDE workstation with Claude Code available in both the terminal and the editor panel, and OAuth logins relayed to your laptop’s browser:

apiVersion: workstations.ringleader.dev/v1
kind: WorkstationConfig
metadata:
  name: ai-box
  namespace: local
spec:
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      tier: dev
  identity:
    shell: /bin/bash
  packages:
    - git
    - curl
  devtools:
    - name: nodejs
    - name: claude-code
    - name: vscode-web
    - name: passthrough-www-browser
  ports:
    - 8080
  defaultLocalBinding:
    enabled: true
    autoForward:
      forwardAll: true
    urlForward:
      enabled: true
      open: true

claude login inside the workstation then opens its device-code URL in your browser.

Version behavior

Changing version is the declarative way to move a workstation to a new release.

Node.js

The recipe needs npm. If nodejs is declared first, that Node is used; otherwise the recipe installs the distribution’s Node.js and npm. Declare nodejs explicitly when you care which version Claude Code runs on.

Notes

• The binary lands on the system PATH, so it works for the login user and for root.
• Claude Code is memory-hungry. A 1 GiB VM is not enough; give it at least a few GiB via providerConfig.
• Works on Debian, Ubuntu, and Alpine.