Claude Env (ccx or ccenv-cli)

Environment Orchestrator and Context Switcher for Claude Code CLI

Switch AI backends with a single command. Like nvm for Node.js, but for your Claude Code AI provider.

Why?

Every time you want to switch Claude Code from the official Anthropic API to OpenRouter, DeepSeek, or a local Ollama instance, you have to manually set environment variables. This tool eliminates that friction by letting you:

• Save provider configurations as profiles
• Switch between them with a single command
• Keep your API keys encrypted and secure
• Support multiple shells (bash, zsh, fish, PowerShell, cmd)

Zero server required - Unlike proxy-based solutions, ccx just manages environment variables.

Installation

npm install -g ccenv-cli

Quick Start

1. Create a profile

# Using a template
ccx create work --template openrouter --api-key sk-or-xxxxx

# Or use the interactive wizard
ccx setup

2. Run Claude with your profile

Easiest way (recommended):

ccx run work

This launches Claude Code directly with the profile's environment - no shell tricks needed!

Alternative: Activate in current shell

# Bash/Zsh
eval "$(ccx use work)"

# PowerShell
iex (ccx use work --shell powershell)

# Fish
ccx use work --shell fish | source

# Then run claude normally
claude

3. Switch back to official Anthropic

# Run with default settings
ccx run

# Or reset your shell environment
eval "$(ccx reset)"  # bash/zsh
iex (ccx reset --shell powershell)  # PowerShell

Web UI

Prefer a graphical interface? ccenv now includes a web-based UI for easy profile management!

Start the Web UI

# Build first (one-time setup)
npm run build

# Start web server
npm run web

# For development mode (auto-reload)
npm run web:dev

The web UI will be available at http://localhost:3000

Web UI Features

Prefer a graphical interface? ccenv now includes a web-based UI for easy profile management!

Start the Web UI

# Run the web server (development mode)
npm run web

# Or build and run
npm run build-web

The web UI will be available at http://localhost:3000

Web UI Features

• Dashboard: View all profiles and current active profile at a glance
• Create/Edit Profiles: Full form interface with template support
• One-Click Activation: Generate shell commands for any profile
• Export/Import: Share profiles with team members
• Multiple Shell Support: Generate commands for Bash, Zsh, Fish, PowerShell, and CMD

The web UI uses the same secure, encrypted storage as the CLI, so your API keys remain safe.

Commands

Command	Description
ccx run [profile]	Launch Claude with a profile directly
ccx setup	Interactive profile setup wizard
ccx create <name>	Create a new profile
ccx list	List all profiles
ccx show <name>	Show profile details
ccx edit <name>	Edit an existing profile
ccx delete <name>	Delete a profile
ccx use <name>	Activate a profile (outputs shell script)
ccx reset	Reset environment to default
ccx current	Show current profile status
ccx templates	List available provider templates
ccx export <name>	Export profile as JSON
ccx import <json>	Import profile from JSON

Available Templates

Template	Description	Default Model
official	Anthropic Official API	claude-sonnet-4-20250514
openrouter	OpenRouter multi-model	anthropic/claude-sonnet-4
openrouter-minimax	MiniMax via OpenRouter	minimax/minimax-m1-80k
openrouter-deepseek	DeepSeek via OpenRouter	deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3-0324
deepseek	DeepSeek Direct API	deepseek-chat
gemini	Google Gemini	gemini-2.5-flash
ollama	Local Ollama	qwen2.5-coder:latest
lmstudio	Local LM Studio	local-model
groq	Groq fast inference	llama-3.3-70b-versatile
together	Together AI	Meta-Llama-3.1-70B
custom	Custom endpoint	(your choice)

Examples

Create profiles for different use cases

# High-stakes work with official Claude
ccx create pro --template official

# Budget-friendly coding with DeepSeek
ccx create budget --template openrouter-deepseek --api-key sk-or-xxxxx

# Local offline mode
ccx create local --template ollama

# Custom provider
ccx create myproxy --base-url http://localhost:8080/v1 --api-key my-key --model gpt-4

Shell integration (add to .bashrc/.zshrc)

# Function to switch profiles easily
ccx-switch() {
  eval "$(ccx use $1)"
  echo "Switched to profile: $1"
}

# Aliases
alias cc-pro='ccx-switch pro'
alias cc-budget='ccx-switch budget'
alias cc-local='ccx-switch local'
alias cc-reset='eval "$(ccx reset)"'

PowerShell integration (add to $PROFILE)

function Switch-Claude {
  param([string]$Profile)
  Invoke-Expression (ccx use $Profile --shell powershell)
  Write-Host "Switched to profile: $Profile"
}

Set-Alias cc-switch Switch-Claude

How It Works

1. Profiles are stored in ~/.config/claude-env/config.json (cross-platform via conf)
2. API keys are encrypted using AES-256 with a machine-specific key
3. ccx use outputs shell-specific export commands for eval
4. Environment variables set:
   • ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL - The API endpoint
   • ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN - Your API key
   • ANTHROPIC_MODEL - The model to use
   • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY - Unset when using proxies (important!)
   • CCX_ACTIVE_PROFILE - Tracks the active profile

Security

• API keys are encrypted at rest using AES-256-CBC
• Encryption key is derived from machine-specific info (hostname + username)
• Keys are never logged or exposed in plain text
• Export command excludes API keys by default

Comparison with claude-code-router

Feature	ccx	claude-code-router
Architecture	Env vars only	Local proxy server
Background process	No	Yes
Profile switching	Instant	Requires restart
Request routing	N/A	Yes (background/think/etc)
Custom transformers	N/A	Yes
Complexity	Low	High

Use ccx if: You want simple, fast profile switching without running a server.

Use claude-code-router if: You need advanced request routing or custom transformers.

Troubleshooting

"Profile not taking effect" (when using ccx use)

Make sure you're using eval or iex:

# Wrong
ccx use work

# Right
eval "$(ccx use work)"

Or just use ccx run instead - it handles everything for you:

ccx run work

"Shell not detected correctly"

Specify the shell explicitly:

ccx use work --shell zsh

"Config file location"

ccx config-path

License

MIT