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zsh:1: command not found: claude - Claude Code

Quick fix

Upgrade cc-switch to v3.16.4 or newer, fixing PATH not loading when the terminal launches, or switch to the system default terminal for now.

Symptom

Section titled “Symptom”
Error output
zsh:1: command not found: claude

Cause

Section titled “Cause”

As a GUI application, cc-switch inherits the system's trimmed PATH at launch (the macOS launchd environment, for instance). On Linux, older launch scripts used `--norc --noprofile`, skipping `.bashrc`; in the Alacritty terminal on macOS, the launch command omitted the `-l` (login) argument so `~/.zprofile` was never loaded. Both lose your custom PATH (`~/.local/bin`) and leave the `claude` command unfound.

Launch logic also differs across terminals. The Ghostty terminal, for example, also has a problem where command arguments are not quoted correctly, so `--resume` is treated as a shell positional argument rather than an argument to `claude`.

Fix

Section titled “Fix”

  1. Upgrade cc-switch to v3.16.4 or newer. That version fixed the forced `--norc --noprofile` on Linux, running through an interactive shell (`bash -ic`) instead and probing the default shell so environment variables load normally.

  2. For third-party terminals on macOS such as Alacritty or Ghostty, if it persists after upgrading, switch the preferred terminal in cc-switch settings to the macOS default (Terminal.app) or Kitty for now.

Affected Versions

Section titled “Affected Versions”
ToolClaude Code
Version<= 3.16.3
PlatformsLinuxmacOS

Source Issues

Section titled “Source Issues”

This page is distilled from 3 real issues

FAQ

Section titled “FAQ”
Why does switching to the Mac default terminal let me resume sessions normally?
The macOS default terminal (Terminal.app) launcher is configured with the login shell argument correctly in cc-switch, so it loads PATH from `~/.zprofile` and similar files. The older Alacritty and Ghostty launch logic is defective.
Why does the Alacritty terminal window close immediately after opening?
Alacritty launches in `-e` mode, so when the `claude` command is not found and returns exit code 127, the terminal closes with it. Adding `-l` to load PATH resolves it.
Section titled “Related problems”
No such file or directory (os error 2)Change the model_catalog_json absolute path in config.toml to the relative cc-switch-model-catalog.json, or upgrade cc-switch.2 issues mergedcc-switch white screen / black screen / crash / no window on launchWork out whether it is corrupt window state, a WebView2/OS compatibility problem, or security software. Handle per symptom; use the CLI build if needed.14 issues mergedError running remote compact task - CodexUpgrade cc-switch to v3.12.0 or newer, which added forwarding for the Codex `/responses/compact` route in the local proxy, fixing the 404 or 502.3 issues merged

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