GitHub - sumchattering/claude-config: Claude config

claude-config

Dotfiles for the AI age. A framework for managing Claude Code configurations, MCP servers, and custom slash commands across all your projects.

Managing Claude Code across multiple repos and machines gets messy fast—scattered .mcp.json files, duplicated commands, credentials everywhere. I wanted one place to version, share, and bootstrap my AI setup the same way we do dotfiles. This repo is that layer.

Why?

Just like traditional dotfiles let you sync your shell configuration across machines, claude-config lets you:

• Centralize your Claude Code settings, commands, and MCP server configurations
• Version control your AI assistant setup
• Bootstrap new machines or projects with a single command
• Share commands across multiple repositories or keep them project-specific

Quick Start

# Clone to ~/claude-config (use your fork, or the original if you haven't forked)
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/claude-config.git ~/claude-config
# Or if you haven't forked:
git clone https://github.com/sumchattering/claude-config.git ~/claude-config

# Edit bootstrap-config.json with your own projects and preferences
# (Update repository paths to match your local setup)

# Copy example credentials and configure them
cp ~/claude-config/*-credentials.json.example ~/claude-config/*-credentials.json
# Edit the credential files with your actual tokens

# Run bootstrap
~/claude-config/bootstrap.sh

Structure

~/claude-config/
├── bootstrap.sh                  # Setup script - run this to apply your config
├── bootstrap-config.json         # Define which commands/MCPs go where
├── settings.json                 # Claude Code permissions and settings
├── ccstatusline-settings.json    # Status line widget configuration
├── commands/                     # Your slash commands (markdown files)
│   ├── review-uncommitted.md     # Example: code review command
│   └── your-command.md           # Add your own!
├── *-credentials.json            # MCP credentials (gitignored)
└── *-credentials.json.example    # Template credential files (safe to commit)

Configuration

bootstrap-config.json

This is the heart of the configuration. It defines:

1. MCP Servers - Which MCP servers to install and where
2. Commands - Which slash commands to make available globally or per-repository

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "iterm2": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["github:sumchattering/iterm2-mcp-server"],
      "global": true
    },
    "slack": {
      "command": "slack-mcp-server",
      "args": [],
      "install": "npm install -g @anthropic-ai/slack-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "SLACK_TOKEN_FILE": "$HOME/.slack-mcp-tokens.json"
      },
      "repositories": [
        "$HOME/projects/my-app",
        "$HOME/projects/another-app"
      ]
    },
    "jira": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-jira-stdio"],
      "envFile": "$HOME/.jira-mcp-credentials.json",
      "repositories": ["$HOME/projects/my-app"]
    }
  },
  "commands": {
    "global": [
      "review-uncommitted.md"
    ],
    "repositories": {
      "$HOME/projects/my-app": [
        "deploy.md",
        "post-pr-to-slack.md"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Adding Commands

Commands are markdown files in the commands/ directory. They become available as /command-name in Claude Code.

<!-- commands/my-command.md -->
# My Command

Instructions for Claude when this command is invoked...

• Global commands: Listed under commands.global - available in all projects
• Repository commands: Listed under commands.repositories - only available in specific repos

Adding MCP Servers

MCP servers are configured in the mcpServers section:

• command: The executable to run
• args: Command line arguments
• install: Install command if package is missing (bootstrap will prompt before running)
• env: Environment variables (supports $HOME expansion)
• envFile: Path to a JSON file containing environment variables
• global: If true, installs to ~/.claude.json (available in all projects)
• repositories: Which repositories should have this MCP server (for non-global servers)

Note: For npx commands, installation is handled automatically on first run. The install field is only needed for direct commands like slack-mcp-server.

Settings

The settings.json file contains Claude Code permissions and settings that get merged into your global ~/.claude/settings.json.

Status Line

This config includes ccstatusline, a customizable Powerline-style status line for Claude Code.

It displays:

• Model name - Current Claude model in use
• Context length - Token usage indicator
• Working directory - Current directory path
• Git branch - Active branch name

The bootstrap script:

1. Installs ccstatusline globally via npm (if not already installed)
2. Symlinks the config from ccstatusline-settings.json to ~/.config/ccstatusline/settings.json

Customizing the status line:

Edit ccstatusline-settings.json directly (changes apply automatically via symlink), or run the interactive TUI:

Requirements: A terminal with a Powerline-compatible font for proper arrow rendering.

How Bootstrap Works

When you run ~/claude-config/bootstrap.sh, it:

1. Installs ccstatusline - Installs the status line tool globally via npm (if not present)
2. Symlinks status line config - Links ccstatusline-settings.json to ~/.config/ccstatusline/settings.json
3. Merges settings - Combines your settings.json with the global Claude settings
4. Creates credential symlinks - Links credential files to expected locations
5. Symlinks commands - Links commands to ~/.claude/commands/ (global) or repo/.claude/commands/ (per-repo)
6. Configures MCP servers - Creates/updates .mcp.json in each repository
7. Updates .gitignore - Adds .claude/ and .mcp.json to repositories' gitignores

Credentials

Credential files are gitignored by default. Use the .example files as templates:

# Copy and edit credential files
cp slack-credentials.json.example slack-credentials.json
cp jira-credentials.json.example jira-credentials.json

# Edit with your actual credentials
# Then re-run bootstrap
~/claude-config/bootstrap.sh

Syncing Across Machines

Since this is a git repository, sync your configuration across machines:

# On a new machine (use your fork, or the original if you haven't forked)
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/claude-config.git ~/claude-config
# Or if you haven't forked:
git clone https://github.com/sumchattering/claude-config.git ~/claude-config

# Set up credentials (these aren't synced)
cp ~/claude-config/*-credentials.json.example ~/claude-config/*-credentials.json
# Edit credentials...

# Bootstrap
~/claude-config/bootstrap.sh

Requirements

• Claude Code CLI installed
• jq for JSON parsing (brew install jq on macOS)
• Any MCP servers you want to use (e.g., npm install -g slack-mcp-server)

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.