windows-shell

Claude Windows Shell

Windows shell utilities and PowerShell integration for Claude Code - eliminate bash errors with proper path handling, output redirection, and Windows-specific command patterns.

Overview

This marketplace provides the windows-shell plugin that helps Claude Code work seamlessly on Windows by handling common pitfalls with paths, shell commands, and cross-platform compatibility.

Installation

1. Add the Marketplace

/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/nicoforclaude/claude-windows-shell

Or for local testing:

/plugin marketplace add C:\KolyaRepositories\nicoforclaude\claude-windows-shell

2. Install the Plugin

/plugin install windows-shell@claude-windows-shell

3. Verify Installation

/plugin list

You should see windows-shell in your installed plugins list.

Problem Solved

When running Claude Code on Windows, you may encounter errors like:

• FINDSTR: Cannot open [dirname] - Piping issues after directory changes
• cd: C:KolyaRepositories... No such file or directory - Unquoted backslash paths
• The term 'C:\...' is not recognized - PowerShell context loss
• /dev/null: No such file or directory - Unix-style device names

The windows-shell skill proactively prevents these errors by teaching Claude the correct Windows command patterns.

Features

windows-shell Plugin

Provides a proactive skill that activates when Claude Code:

• Executes shell commands (git, npm, docker, etc.)
• Scans repositories
• Performs file operations
• Runs slash commands like /commit, /startup

Key capabilities:

• ✅ Proper Windows path quoting ("C:\Path\To\Dir")
• ✅ Output redirection to nul instead of /dev/null
• ✅ Avoiding problematic pipe patterns after cd
• ✅ PowerShell vs Bash decision guidance
• ✅ Cross-platform path format recommendations

Usage Examples

Once installed, the skill activates automatically. Claude will:

Quote Windows Paths Correctly

# ✅ Correct - paths are quoted
cd "C:\KolyaRepositories\project" && git status

# ❌ Wrong - backslashes stripped
cd C:\KolyaRepositories\project && git status

Use Windows Output Redirection

# ✅ Correct - Windows nul device
npm install >nul 2>&1

# ❌ Wrong - Unix /dev/null
npm install >/dev/null 2>&1

Avoid Problematic Pipe Patterns

# ✅ Correct - direct command
cd "C:\KolyaRepositories\repo" && git status --short

# ❌ Wrong - findstr after cd fails
cd "C:\KolyaRepositories\repo" && git status --short | findstr /R "."

Choose PowerShell vs Bash Appropriately

The skill guides Claude to:

• Use Bash for: git, npm, standard Unix tools
• Use PowerShell for: Windows-specific tasks, .NET objects, registry operations

How It Works

The windows-shell skill is proactive - it activates automatically when Claude Code detects it's running on Windows and about to execute shell commands. No manual intervention needed!

The skill teaches Claude to:

1. Detect Windows path patterns
2. Quote paths with backslashes or spaces
3. Use nul for output redirection
4. Avoid pipe patterns that break on Windows
5. Prefer specialized tools (Read, Glob, Grep) over bash for file operations

Who Should Use This

• Windows users running Claude Code on Windows 10/11
• Git Bash users working with Windows paths
• WSL users who still need to interact with Windows filesystem
• Anyone experiencing shell command errors on Windows

Compatibility

• ✅ Windows 10/11
• ✅ Git Bash
• ✅ WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
• ✅ PowerShell 5.1+
• ✅ Claude Code 1.0+

Related Plugins

Consider pairing with:

• claude-smart-git - Enhanced git workflows with proper Windows path handling
• claude-nico-dev - Development workflow improvements

Contributing

Issues and suggestions welcome! Please report problems at: https://github.com/nicoforclaude/claude-windows-shell/issues

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

Author

NicoForClaude

Part of the NicoForClaude plugin collection for Claude Code.

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Stop fighting with Windows paths. Let Claude handle them correctly from the start.