Why CLI?
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Why CLI?

The power of Claude Code as a terminal tool

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Visibility

Information Density

A terminal displays far more lines than any chat UI. You see the full context at once.

100+ Lines Visible

Modern terminals show 50-100+ lines. Web chat UIs? Maybe 20 before scrolling.

Full Code Blocks

See entire functions, diffs, and outputs without truncation or "expand" buttons.

Monospace Clarity

Code aligned perfectly. No proportional fonts mangling your indentation.

Scrollback History

Thousands of lines of history. Search with Ctrl+Shift+F. Never lose context.

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Multiplicity

Parallel Agents

With terminals like Hyper, iTerm2, or Warp, run multiple Claude Code instances simultaneously.

Tab 1: Frontend
Tab 2: Backend
Tab 3: Settings
Tab 4: Tests
Tab 5: Algo
Tab 6: Docs
$ claude
Working on: Dashboard component refactor...
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SSH

Remote Development

SSH into a powerful remote machine and run Claude Code there. Your laptop stays cool.

Your Setup

local $ ssh spark
spark $ claude
# Claude runs on Spark's 64GB RAM
# Your MacBook Air barely notices

Benefits

  • Offload compute to beefy servers
  • Save battery on your laptop
  • Access from anywhere, even mobile
  • Faster builds on powerful hardware
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Speed

Keyboard-First

No mouse required. Vim-like efficiency for power users who live in the terminal.

Instant Commands

Type faster than you can click. Tab completion. History search with Ctrl+R.

Muscle Memory

Same keybindings you've used for years. No learning new UI paradigms.

No Friction

No loading spinners, no JavaScript bundles, no "please wait" modals.

Accessible

Screen readers work flawlessly. High contrast themes. Zoom that actually works.

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Flow

Zero Context Switching

Stay where the code lives. No browser tabs, no app switching.

Web UI Workflow

  • Open browser
  • Navigate to chat.ai.com
  • Wait for page load
  • Ask question
  • Copy code
  • Switch to editor
  • Paste code
  • Switch back to verify

CLI Workflow

  • Ask question in terminal
  • Claude edits files directly
  • That's it.

Git, npm, docker, tests: all in the same window. One environment, one focus.

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tmux

Session Persistence

Use tmux or screen to keep sessions alive. Disconnect and reconnect anytime.

# Start persistent session
$ tmux new -s claude-work

# Run Claude Code
$ claude

# Detach: Ctrl+B, then D
# Your session keeps running

# Later, from any machine:
$ ssh myserver
$ tmux attach -t claude-work
# You're back exactly where you left

Never Lose Work

  • WiFi dies? Session survives
  • Laptop sleeps? Reconnect later
  • Switch devices? Same session
  • Long task running? Check back tomorrow
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Automation

Scriptable & Composable

Integrate Claude Code into scripts, pipelines, and workflows. Unix philosophy at its finest.

# Pipe input to Claude
$ cat error.log | claude "explain this"

# Use in shell scripts
$ claude -p "fix lint errors" --auto

# Chain with other tools
$ git diff | claude "review this"

Automation Examples

  • Git hooks: Auto-review before commit
  • CI/CD: Generate changelogs
  • Cron jobs: Scheduled code analysis
  • Make/Just: Integrate in build tasks
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Universal

Works Anywhere

If it has a terminal, Claude Code runs there. Zero dependencies on desktop environments.

Linux Servers

Headless VMs, cloud instances, Raspberry Pi

WSL

Windows Subsystem for Linux, native feel

Docker

Containerized dev environments

Codespaces

GitHub's cloud dev environments

Mobile

Termux on Android, iSH on iOS

Air-gapped

Secure networks with no GUI allowed

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The CLI Advantage

Claude Code as a CLI isn't a limitation. It's a superpower.

See more with information density
Do more with parallel agents
Go anywhere with SSH and tmux
Automate everything with Unix composability

The terminal is the most powerful interface ever built. Claude Code meets you there.

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