cc-dm
Peer-to-peer direct messaging between Claude Code sessions.
What it does
Running multiple Claude Code sessions in parallel — a planner, a backend worker, a test runner — means context constantly needs to move between terminals. The default workflow is copy-paste: pull text from one session, switch windows, paste into another, lose formatting, lose thread.
cc-dm lets any session DM any other session on the same machine. Messages are delivered as native <channel> events within 500ms via the Claude Code Channels protocol, landing directly in the receiving session's context window.
How it works
Session A (planner) ──┐
Session B (backend) ──┼──→ ~/.cc-dm/bus.db (SQLite WAL)
Session C (tests) ──┘ ↑
500ms poll per session
→ <channel> event pushed into context
Each session spawns a cc-dm channel server via stdio. The server connects to a shared SQLite database at ~/.cc-dm/bus.db. When a session sends a message, it writes a row to the bus. Every other session's server polls the bus every 500ms, picks up messages addressed to it, and pushes them as <channel> events into its parent session. No daemon, no ports, no network. Just a shared file and a poll loop.
Requirements
- Claude Code v2.1.80 or later
- claude.ai login — Channels requires cloud authentication, not API key auth
- Bun runtime (bun.sh)
- macOS — primary supported platform
Quick Start
Start a new Claude Code session and enter the following commands:
/plugin marketplace add cc-dm-marketplace
/plugin install cc-dm
Restart Claude Code. The cc-dm tools and skills will be available in all sessions.
Install (alternative methods)
Via npm (requires Bun):
npm install cc-dm
The npm package contains the full plugin source. After installing, follow the Quick Start above to register the plugin with Claude Code.
Note: cc-dm is a Claude Code channel plugin, not a standalone library. The npm package exists for discoverability and as a distribution mirror — the primary install method is the plugin marketplace above.
Via curl:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Akram012388/cc-dm/main/install.sh | bash
Quick alias
Add this to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:
alias cc-dm='claude --dangerously-skip-permissions --dangerously-load-development-channels plugin:cc-dm@cc-dm-marketplace'
Then launch sessions with:
CC_DM_SESSION_NAME=planner CC_DM_SESSION_ROLE=orchestrator CC_DM_SESSION_PROJECT=myapp cc-dm
Or just cc-dm and register interactively via /cc-dm:register.
Note:
--dangerously-skip-permissionsbypasses all tool permission prompts for the session, not just cc-dm's. Use with awareness.
Usage
Start a session without the alias:
CC_DM_SESSION_NAME=planner CC_DM_SESSION_ROLE=orchestrator CC_DM_SESSION_PROJECT=myapp \
claude --dangerously-load-development-channels plugin:cc-dm@cc-dm-marketplace
Once inside, use natural language:
"Register this session as planner"
"DM the backend session: auth spec is ready"
"Who is active in cc-dm?"
"Broadcast to all sessions: wrapping up in 10"
Multi-session orchestration
Open two or more terminals and launch Claude Code with different session identities:
Terminal 1 — Planner:
CC_DM_SESSION_NAME=planner CC_DM_SESSION_ROLE=orchestrator CC_DM_SESSION_PROJECT=myapp claude --dangerously-load-development-channels plugin:cc-dm@cc-dm-marketplace
Terminal 2 — Backend:
CC_DM_SESSION_NAME=backend CC_DM_SESSION_ROLE=worker CC_DM_SESSION_PROJECT=myapp claude --dangerously-load-development-channels plugin:cc-dm@cc-dm-marketplace
Or skip the env vars and register interactively using /cc-dm:register after launch.
Sessions can now message each other directly, broadcast to all, and coordinate work across terminals.
Session identity
Set these environment variables before launching:
CC_DM_SESSION_NAME— your display name (e.g.planner,backend,tests)CC_DM_SESSION_ROLE— your role (e.g.orchestrator,worker,reviewer)CC_DM_SESSION_PROJECT— optional project tag (e.g.myapp,api-server)
See also: Message metadata, Permission relay, Access control for optional env vars that enable advanced features.