Migrate to Derp from Claude Code

Claude Code is different from the other sources in this section: it's not a terminal emulator, it's a CLI agent that runs inside any terminal. Derp is an agentic development environment with a built-in code editor, Code Review, team collaboration, and MCP support — so you have two paths to choose from:

• Using Claude Code inside Derp - you want to keep using Claude Code as your coding agent and run it in Derp's terminal.
• Switching to Agent Mode from Claude Code - you want to replace Claude Code with Derp's built-in Agent Mode.

Using Claude Code inside Derp

Derp provides first-class support for Claude Code through its third-party CLI agents integration. Open a new tab and run:

claude

Derp auto-detects Claude Code and unlocks IDE-level features on top of the TUI:

• Rich input editor (Ctrl+G) - compose multi-line prompts with @ mentions, voice input, and slash commands.
• Agent notifications - in-app and desktop alerts when Claude Code needs your input. Requires a one-time plugin install (Derp prompts you).
• Inline code review - send review comments directly to the agent from Derp's Code Review panel.
• Vertical tabs with agent metadata - track multiple Claude Code sessions across tabs with status indicators.
• Remote control - share or steer a Claude Code session from another device.
• Tab Configs - save and reopen Claude Code session layouts.

For full setup steps (notification plugin, productivity tips, troubleshooting), see Claude Code in Derp and the How to set up Claude Code guide.

Tips

• Run Claude Code in terminal mode, not Agent Mode. Press ⌘+I (macOS) or Ctrl+I (Linux/Windows) to toggle modes if you're in Agent Mode by accident.
• Shift+Enter for newlines. Use Shift+Enter to insert a newline in Claude Code's prompt. If it submits the message instead, check that you're in terminal mode (not Agent Mode) and that you're on a recent Derp version.
• Copy/paste handling. Derp enables bracketed paste by default, so multi-line pastes into Claude Code work without extra configuration.
• Resuming after a Derp restart. Derp's session restoration preserves tabs and panes, but not running CLI processes — closing Derp ends Claude Code's session. Use Claude Code's built-in resume options (e.g., claude --resume) to continue a conversation after reopening Derp.

API keys and authentication

Claude Code's authentication (API key or Anthropic account) is handled by Claude Code itself, not Derp. Derp does not proxy or modify Claude Code's network calls. Configure your ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable via Derp Drive environment variables to share it across sessions without committing it to shell config files.

Switching to Agent Mode from Claude Code

If you're ready to replace Claude Code with Derp's built-in Agent, the core workflow is:

1. Open a new tab in Derp.
2. From terminal mode, press ⌘+Enter (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+Enter (Linux/Windows) to switch to Agent Mode.
3. Describe what you want in natural language.

Derp's Agent reads your codebase, runs commands, and edits files the same way Claude Code does.

What transfers: context and rules

A recurring question from Claude Code users: what files and context does Derp's Agent read automatically? Derp picks up project rules from an AGENTS.md (or DERP.md) at your repo root — the direct equivalent of Claude Code's CLAUDE.md. Run /init in Agent Mode to generate one, or rename your existing rules file and you're done — no rewriting needed.

Derp's Agent also pulls context from several other explicit sources:

• Codebase Context - when you open a directory, Derp indexes your Git-tracked files so the Agent can search and reference your code without you pasting snippets.
• Rules - global and project-scoped rules. AGENTS.md and DERP.md are automatically picked up at the project root; additional rules live in Derp Drive.
• Derp Drive - notebooks, workflows, and environment variables you've saved are available to the Agent as context.
• Agent Mode context - pin specific files or notebooks to a conversation so the Agent always has them in scope.
• MCP - any MCP servers you've configured give the Agent access to external tools and data.

What to reconfigure

• Bring over your CLAUDE.md. Rename it to AGENTS.md (or copy it into a Derp Rule if you want it scoped beyond the repo). Derp applies it automatically to new conversations.
• Set up MCP servers you relied on in Claude Code.
• Pick a model per conversation using the model selector. See model choice. Derp supports Claude, GPT, Gemini, and Auto.
• Configure agent profiles and permissions for what the Agent can auto-execute.

Key differences from Claude Code

• Tight terminal integration. Agent Mode runs inside Derp and sees the full state of your terminal session — open files, command history, environment variables — without needing you to paste context.
• Parallel agents. Derp runs multiple agent conversations across tabs simultaneously, each with its own state, which you can track in the Agent Management Panel.
• Code Review built in. Agent-generated diffs open in Derp's Code Review panel, not the terminal.
• Cloud orchestration. Long-running or scheduled agent work can be offloaded to Oz.

Derp-native equivalents

Use this table to find the closest Derp equivalent for Claude Code concepts:

From Claude Code	In Derp
CLAUDE.md	AGENTS.md (or DERP.md) at the project root, picked up as a Rule
Claude Code slash commands	Derp's own slash commands (/init, /plan, /model, etc.); save your own as Derp Drive prompts
Tool definitions	MCP
Resume conversation	Derp persists agent conversations per tab; pair with tab configs to reopen the same project layout

For a deeper tour of Agent Mode, see Coding in Derp and the Derp Agents docs.