claude-channels-patch: Instructions file for Claude Code

CLAUDE.md

This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.

Project Overview

Binary patch for Claude Code that enables the --channels feature without requiring claude.ai OAuth authentication. Patches three gates: feature flag (tengu_harbor), OAuth check (accessToken), and channel allowlist.

Architecture

Python patch script (patch.py) that:

1. Auto-detects all installed Claude Code binaries (native .exe + npm versions)
2. Finds stable anchors — string literals and property names that don't change between builds (e.g., .marketplace))return{action:"skip",kind:"allowlist", tengu_harbor",!1)})
3. Searches backwards from anchors to locate the exact byte to change (always ! -> space or 1 -> 0)
4. Single-byte replacements — every edit changes exactly 1 byte, keeping binary size unchanged

The Claude Code binary is a Node.js SEA with two copies of the JS bundle, so every patch must be applied twice.

Key Design Constraints

• No minified name dependency: Variable names like SL, D, OaH change between builds. All anchors use only stable strings (return values, property names, string literals).
• Equal-length replacement: All patches are 1-byte changes. No shifting, no size change.
• Backup-first: Always patches from the .bak copy, never from an already-patched binary.
• Cross-platform: Pure Python 3.10+, ASCII-only output, handles Windows/Linux/macOS path differences.

Testing

# Test against a copy of the original binary
python3 patch.py --binary /path/to/claude_copy

Adding New Patches

When adding a patch, follow the existing pattern:

1. Pick a stable anchor (string literal, property name — never a minified identifier)
2. Use find_backwards() / find_all() to locate the target byte
3. Verify the byte before replacing
4. Expect 2x matches per anchor (or 4x if both plugin and server checks share the same anchor)