Claude Code Launcher
A macOS-only VS Code extension that opens your current project in a terminal and launches the Claude Code CLI with a single command.
Features
When triggered, the extension automatically:
- Opens your configured terminal application
- Navigates to the current workspace root directory
- Runs the
claude command
Supports three macOS terminals: Terminal.app, iTerm2, and Ghostty.
Installation
From VSIX
code --install-extension claude-code-launcher-0.0.1.vsix
From Source
git clone <repo-url>
cd vscode-extension-claude-code
npm install
npm run package
code --install-extension claude-code-launcher-0.0.1.vsix
Usage
Trigger the command via any of the following:
- Command Palette:
Cmd+Shift+P → search "Open in Terminal (Claude Code)"
- File Explorer: Right-click any file or folder → "Open in Terminal (Claude Code)"
Prerequisites
- macOS
- Claude Code CLI installed and available on your PATH
- At least one supported terminal application installed
Configuration
Set your preferred terminal in VS Code settings:
{
"claudeCodeLauncher.terminal": "Terminal"
}
| Value |
Description |
"Terminal" |
macOS built-in Terminal.app (default) |
"iTerm2" |
iTerm2 |
"Ghostty" |
Ghostty |
You can also search "Claude Code Launcher" in the VS Code Settings UI to configure this graphically.
Development
Requirements
Local Development
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile
# Watch mode (for development)
npm run watch
# Run tests
npm run test
# Package the extension
npm run package
Debugging
Press F5 in VS Code to launch the extension in debug mode. This opens a new VS Code window with the extension loaded.
Error Handling
| Scenario |
Message |
| No workspace folder open |
"No workspace folder open" |
| Terminal app not installed |
"<AppName> is not installed" |
| Terminal launch failure |
Specific error details |
Tech Stack
- TypeScript — strict mode
- VS Code Extension API
- AppleScript — Terminal.app / iTerm2 integration
- Jest + ts-jest — unit testing
License
MIT
