Skip to content

Start here

Start here when you need the fastest coherent mental model of the extracted Claude Code runtime. This chapter answers three questions before sending readers into deep source-anchored pages:

What is the extracted artifact?
What major runtime capabilities does it contain?
Which path should I follow for a specific investigation?

The primary readable artifact is claude-code-pkg/src/entrypoints/cli.js. It is a bundled/minified production file, so this wiki uses stable semantic aliases in prose and keeps minified names only as searchable anchors for this exact build.

Source-anchor policy

This page is an orientation document. Concrete anchors live in the linked pages.

Semantic alias	Minified anchor	Scope
Start page	N/A — navigation page	Establishes the first reading path and the wiki’s conceptual map.
Glossary and aliases	See `glossary-and-aliases.md`	Defines recurring semantic aliases, minified-symbol search handles, and terminology.
Bundle identity	See `what-is-cli-js.md`	Explains package, Bun graph, `cli.js`, bytecode, and native-module boundaries.
Runtime capability map	See `main-feature-map.md`	Maps the major systems implemented by the extracted runtime.
System architecture	See `system-architecture.md`	Synthesizes module boundaries, data/control flows, integration seams, and runtime state relationships.
Communication protocols	See `runtime-communication-protocols.md`	Distinguishes in-process calls from MCP JSON-RPC, task/agent tools, bridge frames, Remote Control, and provider streaming.

First reading path

Step	Read	Why
1	`cli.js` overview	Defines what the artifact is and what it is not.
2	Glossary and aliases	Defines the semantic aliases and minified-anchor terms used throughout the wiki.
3	Main feature map	Shows how CLI modes, context, tools, sessions, remote control, agents, and ops connect.
4	System architecture	Explains module boundaries, data/control flows, integration seams, and runtime state relationships.
5	Runtime communication protocols	Explains which boundaries use function calls, JSON-RPC, JSON envelopes, WebSocket/SSE, or HTTP streaming.
6	CLI main paths	Explains bootstrap, argv routing, headless mode, interactive mode, resume, MCP, and subcommands.
7	Session resume and transcripts	Shows how durable JSONL sessions, resume/continue, fork, rewind, and transcript roots fit into the runtime.

Choose your route

Question	Go to
What do the wiki’s semantic aliases and minified anchors mean?	Glossary and aliases
How does the binary/package start and select a mode?	Runtime lifecycle
What becomes model-visible context?	Context and model loop
How are context compaction, checkpoints, and rewind managed?	Context, memory, compaction, checkpoints, and rewind
How are models selected and usage/quota/billing handled?	Model selection, calls, usage, quota, and billing
Which tools, integrations, and permission boundaries exist?	Tools, integrations, and security
Where do sessions, transcripts, resume, and remote control live?	Sessions, persistence, and remote
Which operational contracts cover logs, telemetry, updates, diagnostics, and native media modules?	Hosted agent ops
How are agents, subagents, tasks, and automation surfaced?	Agents and automation

Internals map

flowchart TD
    Start[Start here] --> Runtime[Runtime lifecycle]
    Runtime --> Loop[Context and model loop]
    Loop --> Tools[Tools, integrations, and security]
    Runtime --> Sessions[Sessions, persistence, and remote]
    Sessions --> Hosted[Hosted agent ops]
    Loop --> Agents[Agents and automation]

    click Start "./" "Open Start here"
    click Runtime "../01-runtime-lifecycle/" "Open Runtime lifecycle"
    click Loop "../02-context-model-loop/" "Open Context and model loop"
    click Tools "../03-tools-integrations-security/" "Open Tools, integrations, and security"
    click Sessions "../04-sessions-persistence-remote/" "Open Sessions, persistence, and remote"
    click Hosted "../05-hosted-agent-ops/" "Open Hosted agent ops"
    click Agents "../06-agents-automation/" "Open Agents and automation"

Reading strategy

Use section README pages as narrative guides.
Use implementation pages when you need exact strings, byte offsets, env vars, command flags, or call paths.
Treat the JavaScriptCore .jsc dump as low-level corroboration, not recovered source.
For cli.js, prefer exact strings plus byte offsets over minified symbol names alone.

Created and maintained by Yingting Huang.