How to Install and Configure Claude Code with ZCF for Seamless AI Coding

Background

Claude Code is a limited command‑line AI Code Agent with rich Agent/MCP/Hooks features. Official Claude APIs often get blocked for Chinese IPs, so a persistent solution using a proxy while preserving Claude’s native model is required.

Installation Steps

Install Node.js (Node 22.x+ LTS). Verify the installation with node -v, npm -v, and npx -v.

Install ZCF , a zero‑configuration tool for Claude Code & Codex. Run npx zcf, accept the prompts, and choose Simplified Chinese.

Configure Claude Code Router (CCR) – select OpenRouter, enter the API key, choose a default model such as anthropic/claude‑sonnet‑4.5, and enable required MCP services (Context7, Spec, Playwright, etc.).

Full Installation (Method 1)

Run the ZCF wizard to install Claude Code, CCR, and optional CCometixLine, then save and restart CCR. The configuration is stored in ~/.claude-code-router/config.json (or C:\Users\heiye\.claude-code-router\config.json on Windows).

Partial Configuration (Method 2)

If Claude Code and CCR are already installed, choose the R option in the ZCF menu to edit the CCR configuration directly, or modify the config.json file manually and restart the service.

Error Handling

Most errors arise from an incorrect api_key. Edit the config.json file, update the key, and restart CCR using zcf or ccr restart. If problems persist, verify your network proxy or VPN settings.

Quick Usage

Start Claude Code with ccr code. Use built‑in agents, list installed tools, and run workflows such as planner or spec. For VSCode integration, add the following environment variables to settings.json:

"claude-code.environmentVariables": [
  {"name": "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL", "value": "http://127.0.0.1:3456"},
  {"name": "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", "value": "sk‑zcf‑x‑ccr"},
  {"name": "DISABLE_TELEMETRY", "value": "1"},
  {"name": "DISABLE_ERROR_REPORTING", "value": "1"},
  {"name": "CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC", "value": "1"},
  {"name": "MCP_TIMEOUT", "value": "60000"}
]

After saving, the VSCode extension works without additional prompts.