Bash Tools

Claude Code provides powerful integration with command-line tools through the Bash tool, allowing you to execute shell commands and work with various CLI utilities.

Basic Bash Tool Usage

Simple Commands

Claude can execute basic shell commands:

Run `ls -la` to see all files in the current directory

Claude executes:

ls -la

Complex Commands

Check git status and show recent commits

Claude executes:

git status
git log --oneline -5

Common Development Workflows

1. Package Management

npm/yarn/pnpm Operations

Install new dependencies and update package.json

Claude executes:

npm install lodash @types/lodash
npm update

Version Management

Check current Node.js and npm versions

Claude executes:

node --version
npm --version

2. Git Operations

Repository Status

Show current branch, status, and recent changes

Claude executes:

git branch
git status
git diff --stat

Branch Management

Create a new feature branch and switch to it

Claude executes:

git checkout -b feature/new-dashboard
git push -u origin feature/new-dashboard

3. Build and Test Commands

Running Tests

Run unit tests and generate coverage report

Claude executes:

npm test
npm run test:coverage

Build Operations

Build the project and check for errors

Claude executes:

npm run build
npm run type-check

Advanced Bash Integration

1. Piped Commands

Find all TypeScript files and search for specific function

Claude executes:

find . -name "*.ts" -type f | xargs grep -l "useEffect"

2. Environment Management

Set environment variables and run development server

Claude executes:

export NODE_ENV=development
export DEBUG=true
npm run dev

3. File Operations

Create directory structure and initialize files

Claude executes:

mkdir -p src/components/Dashboard/{components,hooks,utils}
touch src/components/Dashboard/index.ts
touch src/components/Dashboard/Dashboard.tsx

Tool Integration Examples

Docker Operations

Build and run Docker container for the application

Claude executes:

docker build -t my-app .
docker run -p 3000:3000 my-app

Database Management

Run database migrations and seed data

Claude executes:

npx prisma migrate dev
npx prisma db seed

Linting and Formatting

Fix code formatting and linting issues

Claude executes:

npm run lint -- --fix
npm run format

Best Practices

1. Command Validation

Claude validates commands before execution:

• Checks for potentially dangerous operations
• Confirms file paths exist
• Validates command syntax

2. Error Handling

When commands fail, Claude:

• Analyzes error output
• Suggests alternative approaches
• Provides troubleshooting steps

3. Path Management

Absolute vs Relative Paths

# Claude prefers absolute paths when possible
cd /full/path/to/project
npm install
 
# Rather than relative navigation
cd ../../../project && npm install

Security Considerations

Allowed Operations

• File system navigation and inspection
• Package management operations
• Git repository management
• Build and test commands
• Development server operations

Restricted Operations

• System-level modifications
• User account management
• Network configuration changes
• Destructive operations without confirmation

Configuration Options

Tool Permissions

Configure allowed Bash commands in your Claude Code settings:

{
  "allowedTools": [
    "Bash(npm:*)",
    "Bash(git:*)",
    "Bash(docker:*)",
    "Bash(ls:*)",
    "Bash(cd:*)"
  ]
}

Command Timeouts

Set timeout limits for long-running commands:

{
  "bashTimeout": 300000,
  "buildTimeout": 600000
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Command Not Found

• Verify tool is installed
• Check PATH environment variable
• Use absolute path to executable

Permission Denied

• Check file permissions
• Verify write access to directory
• Consider using sudo (if allowed)

Command Timeouts

• Increase timeout settings
• Break down into smaller commands
• Use background processes for long operations

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