> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.remoteagent.chat/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# claude-code

> The default runner. Uses the Claude CLI binary with OAuth token or subscription login — no API key required with a Claude Pro or Max plan.

The `claude-code` runner invokes the `claude` CLI binary as a subprocess. It is the default runner because it works with a **Claude Pro or Max subscription** — no Anthropic API key required. If you already pay for Claude, you can use `claude-code` at no additional cost.

## Requirements

* The `claude` CLI installed globally:

  ```bash theme={null}
  npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
  ```

* Authentication — see [Authentication](#authentication) below.

Verify the binary is available:

```bash theme={null}
claude --version
```

## Authentication

The `claude` binary must be authenticated before the agent can use it. There are four options:

### Option A — Long-lived OAuth token (recommended for servers)

Generate a token once with:

```bash theme={null}
claude setup-token
```

This creates a token (of the form `sk-ant-oat01-...`) that is **valid for one year** and works on any machine without re-login. It is the best option for running the agent on a remote server or a machine you cannot easily log in to interactively.

<Warning>
  `claude setup-token` requires an active **Claude Pro or Max** subscription.
  The token is shown only once — copy it immediately before closing the terminal.
</Warning>

During `remoteagent init`, the wizard will ask for this token and store it in the agent config. The token is injected automatically each time the `claude` binary is invoked — no shell export needed.

### Option B — Interactive login

Authenticate interactively on the machine where the agent runs:

```bash theme={null}
claude login
```

This stores a session credential managed by the `claude` CLI itself. Sessions expire periodically and must be renewed manually by running `claude login` again on the same machine. Best for local development machines you have direct access to.

### Option C — Third-party provider (Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, Microsoft Azure)

If your organisation accesses Claude through a cloud provider rather than a direct Anthropic subscription, run:

```bash theme={null}
claude /login
```

The wizard lets you choose your provider and enter the required credentials (AWS IAM keys for Bedrock, a GCP service account JSON for Vertex AI, or an Azure endpoint for Foundry). Credentials are saved locally by the `claude` binary — they are never transmitted to RemoteAgent.

During `remoteagent init`, choose **"Third-party provider"** in the authentication step and the wizard will run `claude /login` for you.

### Option D — API key

If you have an `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` set in your environment, the `claude` binary will use it automatically.

<Warning>
  `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` takes **precedence over your subscription** — it overrides
  both the OAuth token and `claude login`, even with an active Pro/Max plan.
  Unset it if you want to authenticate via subscription:

  ```bash theme={null}
  unset ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
  ```
</Warning>

## Setup

```bash theme={null}
remoteagent init --runner claude-code
```

Or just press Enter when the runner wizard appears — `claude-code` is the default.

## Token expiry

The dashboard shows a warning when your OAuth token is close to expiring. To renew it, run `claude setup-token` again on the same machine and re-run `remoteagent init` to update the stored token.

## Difference from claude-sdk

|                  | claude-code                                  | claude-sdk               |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Auth             | OAuth token or `claude login` (subscription) | Anthropic API key        |
| API cost         | Included in Pro/Max subscription             | Billed per token         |
| Execution        | Subprocess (`claude` binary)                 | In-process (Node.js SDK) |
| Startup overhead | \~200–500ms per invocation                   | None                     |

Use `claude-sdk` if you prefer direct API access and per-token billing over a subscription.

## Updating the binary

```bash theme={null}
npm update -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude --version
```

Restart the agent after updating:

```bash theme={null}
remoteagent start
```