Timeout During File Edit Operation

Claude Code Bug Report: Timeout During File Edit Operation

Summary

Claude Code crashed with a timeout error while performing an edit operation on a file when an external IDE (Cursor) was simultaneously accessing the same file.

Environment

• Claude Code Version: CLI installed via npm
• Node.js Version: v22.16.0
• Platform: Linux 5.15.0-140-generic
• Date: 2025-07-14

Error Details

Error: Timeout waiting after 1000ms
    at Uq2 (file:///home/bhamon/.nvm/versions/node/v22.16.0/lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1383:14523)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)
    at async iR6 (file:///home/bhamon/.nvm/versions/node/v22.16.0/lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1969:12396)
    at async J (file:///home/bhamon/.nvm/versions/node/v22.16.0/lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1969:11106)

Node.js v22.16.0

Steps Leading to Crash

1. Claude Code was performing multiple edit operations on a C++ header file
2. The Edit tool was invoked to update a function definition
3. During the edit operation, Cursor IDE opened a dialog: "Opened changes in Cursor ⧉"
4. The dialog prompted: "Do you want to make this edit to token_tree.hpp?"
5. Before user could respond, Claude Code crashed with timeout error

Context

• The session had been running for over an hour with multiple successful edits
• The crash occurred at line 491 of the output log
• Total session statistics at crash:
• Duration: 1h 5m 36.0s (wall time)
• Total code changes: 237 lines added, 186 lines removed
• Multiple files had been successfully modified prior to crash

Expected Behavior

The edit operation should either:

1. Complete successfully regardless of external IDE interactions
2. Wait longer for file system operations when IDEs are accessing files
3. Retry the operation if a timeout occurs
4. Provide a more graceful error recovery mechanism

Actual Behavior

Claude Code crashed completely, terminating the session and losing context.

Suggested Fixes

1. Increase timeout threshold: 1000ms may be too short for file operations when external tools are involved
2. Add retry logic: Implement automatic retry for timeout errors
3. Better IDE integration: Detect when external IDEs are accessing files and adjust timeouts accordingly
4. Graceful degradation: Instead of crashing, fall back to a manual confirmation mode
5. State preservation: Save session state periodically to allow recovery after crashes

Impact

• Loss of session context and progress
• User must manually track what was completed before crash
• Potential for incomplete code modifications if crash occurs mid-edit

Additional Notes

• The crash appears to be specifically related to the interaction between Claude Code's file editing capabilities and external IDE file watchers/handlers
• This may be more common when using IDEs with aggressive file watching (like Cursor, VS Code, etc.)
• The 1000ms timeout seems particularly aggressive for file system operations that may involve OS-level file locking