Fix Claude Code CLI detection for npm-local installs by one-kash · Pull Request #1978 · github/spec-kit

one-kash · 2026-03-26T01:42:02Z

Summary

Fixes specify check reporting "Claude Code CLI (not found)" for users with npm-local installs (the default Claude Code install method, common with nvm)
Adds CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH (~/.claude/local/node_modules/.bin/claude) as a second well-known detection path alongside the existing migrate-installer path
Adds 8 unit tests covering all Claude CLI install methods (migrate-installer, npm-local, PATH) and non-Claude tools

Root Cause

check_tool("claude") only checks:

~/.claude/local/claude (migrate-installer path)
shutil.which("claude") (system PATH)

For npm-local installs, the binary is at ~/.claude/local/node_modules/.bin/claude — neither of the above paths match, so detection fails even though Claude is installed and working.

Test plan

New test: detected via migrate-installer path (~/.claude/local/claude)
New test: detected via npm-local path (~/.claude/local/node_modules/.bin/claude)
New test: detected via system PATH
New test: correctly reports not found when genuinely missing
New test: StepTracker updated correctly for npm-local detection
New test: non-Claude tools unaffected (git, kiro-cli fallback)
Full test suite passes (847/847)

Fixes #550

`specify check` reports "Claude Code CLI (not found)" for users who installed Claude Code via npm-local (the default installer path, common with nvm). The binary lives at ~/.claude/local/node_modules/.bin/claude which was not checked. Add CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH as a second well-known location alongside the existing migrate-installer path. Fixes github#550

Copilot

Pull request overview

Fixes specify check incorrectly reporting Claude Code as missing when installed via npm-local by adding an additional well-known local binary path and covering the behavior with targeted tests.

Changes:

Add CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH (~/.claude/local/node_modules/.bin/claude) and treat it as a valid Claude local install location in check_tool("claude").
Update Claude-specific detection logic comments to reflect multiple local install methods.
Add unit tests covering Claude detection via migrate-installer path, npm-local path, PATH, and tracker updates; plus regression checks for other tools.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

File	Description
`src/specify_cli/__init__.py`	Adds npm-local Claude binary path constant and checks it in `check_tool` before falling back to PATH.
`tests/test_check_tool.py`	New tests validating Claude detection across install methods and ensuring non-Claude tools are unaffected.

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Copilot · 2026-03-26T10:01:21Z

tests/test_check_tool.py

+import pytest
+


pytest is imported but not used in this test module (the tmp_path fixture doesn't require an explicit import). Consider removing the unused import to keep the tests clean.

Suggested change

import pytest

Copilot · 2026-03-26T10:01:21Z

tests/test_check_tool.py

+        fake_missing = Path("/nonexistent/claude")
+
+        with patch("specify_cli.CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH", fake_missing), \
+             patch("specify_cli.CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH", fake_missing), \
+             patch("shutil.which", return_value="/usr/local/bin/claude"):
+            assert check_tool("claude") is True
+
+    def test_not_found_when_nowhere(self):
+        """Should return False when claude is genuinely not installed."""
+        fake_missing = Path("/nonexistent/claude")
+
+        with patch("specify_cli.CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH", fake_missing), \
+             patch("specify_cli.CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH", fake_missing), \
+             patch("shutil.which", return_value=None):


These tests use a hard-coded absolute path (/nonexistent/claude) to represent a missing file. Prefer constructing a non-existent path under tmp_path (without creating it) so the tests are fully hermetic and don't depend on assumptions about the host filesystem.

Copilot · 2026-03-26T10:01:22Z

src/specify_cli/__init__.py

+        if (CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.exists() and CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.is_file()) or \
+           (CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.exists() and CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.is_file()):


The Claude local-path check does two filesystem stats per path (exists() then is_file()). Path.is_file() already returns False when the path doesn't exist, so the exists() calls are redundant. Consider simplifying to reduce repeated I/O and improve readability (and avoid the backslash continuation by using parentheses or any(...)).

Suggested change

if (CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.exists() and CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.is_file()) or \

(CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.exists() and CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.is_file()):

if CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.is_file() or CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.is_file():

mnriem

Please address Copilot feedback. If not applicable, please explain why

one-kash · 2026-03-26T12:57:35Z

You brought the big guns, I like it!

I might have to call my buddy Claude too ;)

- Remove unused pytest import from test_check_tool.py - Use tmp_path instead of hardcoded /nonexistent/claude for hermetic tests - Simplify redundant exists() + is_file() to just is_file() AI-assisted: Changes applied with Claude Code.

one-kash requested a review from mnriem as a code owner March 26, 2026 01:42

mnriem requested a review from Copilot March 26, 2026 09:58

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of mnriem March 26, 2026 09:58 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Mar 26, 2026

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mnriem requested changes Mar 26, 2026

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Address Copilot review feedback

3ac7f2a

- Remove unused pytest import from test_check_tool.py - Use tmp_path instead of hardcoded /nonexistent/claude for hermetic tests - Simplify redundant exists() + is_file() to just is_file() AI-assisted: Changes applied with Claude Code.

one-kash requested a review from mnriem March 26, 2026 23:19

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Fix Claude Code CLI detection for npm-local installs#1978

Fix Claude Code CLI detection for npm-local installs#1978
one-kash wants to merge 2 commits intogithub:mainfrom
one-kash:fix/claude-npm-local-detection

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		if (CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.exists() and CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.is_file()) or \
		(CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.exists() and CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.is_file()):

	if (CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.exists() and CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.is_file()) or \
	(CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.exists() and CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.is_file()):
	if CLAUDE_LOCAL_PATH.is_file() or CLAUDE_NPM_LOCAL_PATH.is_file():

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one-kash commented Mar 26, 2026

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