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Installation

Install AI-DLC in your Claude Code project

Installation

AI-DLC is distributed as a Claude Code plugin. This guide covers installation methods and prerequisites.

Prerequisites

Claude Code

AI-DLC requires Claude Code, Anthropic's AI-powered development environment. Ensure you have Claude Code installed and configured.

AI-DLC uses Han CLI for state management (han keep commands). While the plugin works without it, you'll get the best experience with Han installed.

Install Han via curl (recommended):

curl -fsSL https://han.guru/install.sh | bash

Or via Homebrew:

brew install thebushidocollective/tap/han

Verify installation:

han --version

Installation Methods

If you have Han installed, use the plugin manager:

han plugin install thebushidocollective/ai-dlc

This installs the plugin and configures it in your Claude Code settings.

Method 2: Direct in Claude Code

Install directly from within a Claude Code session:

/install-github-plugin thebushidocollective/ai-dlc

Method 3: Manual Configuration

Add the plugin to your Claude Code settings file manually.

User-level installation (~/.claude/settings.json):

{
  "plugins": [
    "github:thebushidocollective/ai-dlc"
  ]
}

Project-level installation (.claude/settings.json in your project):

{
  "plugins": [
    "github:thebushidocollective/ai-dlc"
  ]
}

Verification

After installation, verify the plugin is working:

  1. Start a new Claude Code session in your project
  2. Type /elaborate - you should see the elaboration command activate
  3. Type /construct - this should ask about your current intent

If commands aren't recognized, restart your Claude Code session.

AI-DLC works best with backpressure plugins that provide quality gates:

TypeScript Projects

han plugin install jutsu-typescript
han plugin install jutsu-biome

Python Projects

han plugin install jutsu-python
han plugin install jutsu-ruff

Go Projects

han plugin install jutsu-go

These plugins provide:

  • Type checking that blocks on errors
  • Linting that maintains code quality
  • Formatting that keeps code consistent

Project Setup

Create the AI-DLC Directory

AI-DLC stores its artifacts in .ai-dlc/ at your project root:

your-project/
  .ai-dlc/
    add-oauth-login/         # Intent directory
      INTENT.md              # Intent definition
      unit-01-setup.md       # Unit files
      unit-02-callback.md
  src/
  tests/
  ...

The directory is created automatically when you run /elaborate for the first time.

Git Configuration

Add AI-DLC artifacts to version control:

# AI-DLC artifacts should be committed
git add .ai-dlc/

The .ai-dlc/ directory contains:

  • Intent definitions
  • Unit specifications
  • Progress tracking

These are valuable documentation that should be preserved.

Gitignore (Optional)

If you prefer not to commit AI-DLC artifacts:

# .gitignore
.ai-dlc/

However, committing is recommended - it provides:

  • Work history and context
  • Team collaboration
  • Recovery from context resets

Troubleshooting

Commands Not Recognized

Symptom: /elaborate or /construct don't activate

Solutions:

  1. Restart Claude Code session
  2. Verify plugin is in settings.json
  3. Check for typos in plugin path

Han Commands Fail

Symptom: han keep commands return errors

Solutions:

  1. Verify Han is installed: han --version
  2. Ensure Han is in PATH
  3. Reinstall: curl -fsSL https://han.guru/install.sh | bash

Plugin Conflicts

Symptom: Unexpected behavior or command conflicts

Solutions:

  1. Check for duplicate plugins in settings
  2. Ensure compatible plugin versions
  3. Disable conflicting plugins temporarily

Next Steps