ACE CLI

vocweb/ace-cli · Usage · Rust workspace · Parity · Roadmap

ACE CLI is a Rust implementation of an AI coding agent harness, originally forked from claw-code. The canonical implementation lives in rust/, and the current source of truth for this repository is vocweb/ace-cli.

Important

Start with USAGE.md for build, auth, CLI, session, and parity-harness workflows. Make ace doctor your first health check after building, use rust/README.md for crate-level details, read PARITY.md for the current Rust-port checkpoint, and see docs/container.md for the container-first workflow.

Current repository shape

• rust/ — canonical Rust workspace and the ace CLI binary
• USAGE.md — task-oriented usage guide for the current product surface
• PARITY.md — Rust-port parity status and migration notes
• ROADMAP.md — active roadmap and cleanup backlog
• PHILOSOPHY.md — project intent and system-design framing
• src/ + tests/ — companion Python/reference workspace and audit helpers; not the primary runtime surface

Quick start

Note

[!WARNING] cargo install claw-code installs the wrong thing. The claw-code crate on crates.io is a deprecated stub that places claw-code-deprecated.exe — not claw. Running it only prints "claw-code has been renamed to agent-code". Do not use cargo install claw-code. Either build from source (this repo) or install the upstream binary:

cargo install agent-code   # upstream binary — installs 'agent.exe' (Windows) / 'agent' (Unix), NOT 'agent-code'

This repo (ultraworkers/claw-code) is build-from-source only — follow the steps below.

# 1. Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/ultraworkers/claw-code
cd claw-code/rust
cargo build --workspace

2. Set your API key (Anthropic API key — not a Claude subscription)

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

3. Verify everything is wired correctly

./target/debug/ace doctor

4. Run a prompt

./target/debug/ace prompt "say hello"

> [!NOTE]
> **Windows (PowerShell):** the binary is `claw.exe`, not `claw`. Use `.\target\debug\claw.exe` or run `cargo run -- prompt "say hello"` to skip the path lookup.

### Windows setup

**PowerShell is a supported Windows path.** Use whichever shell works for you. The common onboarding issues on Windows are:

1. **Install Rust first** — download from <https://rustup.rs/> and run the installer. Close and reopen your terminal when it finishes.
2. **Verify Rust is on PATH:**
   ```powershell
   cargo --version

If this fails, reopen your terminal or run the PATH setup from the Rust installer output, then retry. 3. Clone and build (works in PowerShell, Git Bash, or WSL):

git clone https://github.com/ultraworkers/claw-code
cd claw-code/rust
cargo build --workspace

4. Run (PowerShell — note .exe and backslash):

   $env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "sk-ant-..."
   .\target\debug\claw.exe prompt "say hello"

Git Bash / WSL are optional alternatives, not requirements. If you prefer bash-style paths (/c/Users/you/... instead of C:\Users\you\...), Git Bash (ships with Git for Windows) works well. In Git Bash, the MINGW64 prompt is expected and normal — not a broken install.

Note

Auth: claw requires an API key (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, etc.) — Claude subscription login is not a supported auth path.

Run the workspace test suite:

cd rust
cargo test --workspace

Documentation map

• USAGE.md — quick commands, auth, sessions, config, parity harness
• rust/README.md — crate map, CLI surface, features, workspace layout
• PARITY.md — parity status for the Rust port
• rust/MOCK_PARITY_HARNESS.md — deterministic mock-service harness details
• ROADMAP.md — active roadmap and open cleanup work
• PHILOSOPHY.md — why the project exists and how it is operated

Ownership / affiliation disclaimer

• This repository does not claim ownership of the original Claude Code source material.
• This repository is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or maintained by Anthropic.