claude CLI not available in VSCode integrated terminal (PTY)

Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened Jan 31, 2026 by JoernStoehler Closed Jan 31, 2026

Description

When using the Claude Code VSCode extension, the claude command is not available in the integrated terminal (PTY).

Expected Behavior

The claude CLI should be accessible from the VSCode integrated terminal, similar to how other VSCode extensions (like GitHub Copilot CLI) make their commands available.

Actual Behavior

$ which claude
claude not found

The extension runs its embedded runtime but does not add claude to the PATH or install the CLI.

Environment

  • VSCode Extension: Claude Code
  • Platform: Linux
  • Shell: bash/zsh in VSCode integrated terminal

Workaround

Manual installation via npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Suggestion

Consider either:

  1. Adding the extension's bundled CLI to PATH when the extension activates
  2. Prompting users to install the CLI separately
  3. Documenting this limitation clearly

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