Claude Code addon

[Qhilm]

I was trying to see if I could get the claude code addon to run.

I edited the /data/vscode/User/settings.json file in the section "claudeCode.environmentVariables":

{
  "claudeCode.environmentVariables": [
    {
      "name": "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY",
      "value": "sk-ant-api03-xxx"
    }
  ]
}

But upon starting, claude is complaining:

[error] Failed to load config cache: Error: Claude Code requires Node.js version 18 or higher to be installed.

Any solution to this or is the VS code addon really not meant to run addons like claude code on top?

[F1DNA]

It was working fine until this past week. Came to report the same now.

[jokerigno]

Same issue here.

[randybb]

until the above fix is added just manually add it to the addon/app config:

init_commands:
  - ln -sf /usr/local/lib/code-server/lib/node /usr/local/bin/node

[Qhilm]

Thanks @randybb, that removed the error for me.

I have a new issue causing Claude Code add-on to exit, although since I never had it running, maybe it's unrelated:

[ERROR] Error: Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/root/.claude/remote-settings.json'

[randybb]

no clue. don't have such file and it is just working fine

[Qhilm]

touch /root/.claude/remote-settings.json fixes it somehow.

Next issue is now that it again cannot find the API key, even though it's defined under in settings.json claudeCode.environmentVariables:

{
  # snip...
  "claudeCode.environmentVariables": [
    {
      "name": "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY",
      "value": "sk-ant-api03-xxxx"
    }
  ]
}

so close, so annoying.

[randybb]

Do you have it in /data/vscode/User/settings.json?
And it doesn't seems to be the api key (92 random characters)

[Qhilm]

Thanks for supporting me here.

Do you have it in /data/vscode/User/settings.json?

yes

it doesn't seems to be the api key (92 random characters)

It does have a lot more keys, I just was too lazy to type 92 times x to redact it.

[Qhilm]

I forgot to add the error message:

2026-02-23T18:55:54.813Z [ERROR] "Error: Error: Auth error: No API key available\n at Zk4 (file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:2173:35154)\n at uOY (file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:2173:35432)\n at Y (file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:110:19576)\n at e01 (file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:2173:36127)\n at HE8.doExport (file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:2173:36945)\n at HE8.export (file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:2173:36646)\n at file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:117:169644\n at mMA.with (file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:117:70405)\n at DU1.with (file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:117:70981)\n at file:///data/vscode/extensions/anthropic.claude-code-2.1.49-universal/resources/claude-code/cli.js:117:169584"

[randybb]

sure, I did not expect that you will paste your apikey :D but if your key starts with "sk-ant-api03-" then it is not right.

[Qhilm]

Well, I did that already twice, so you'd be excused for expecting me to do this =)

I checked on Anthropic Console, my API key start with "sk-ant-api03-". I even created a new one to test, same, it starts with "sk-ant-api03-".

[randybb]

well, then I have no clue. my api key was generated through the dialog in vs code (it opens something that was not able to return, but luckily the manual process via opening provided url was working).