CLAUDE_CODE_ALTGR_AS_TEXT Environment Variable / Claude Code v2.1.179

What

New env var for Windows users on keyboards with an AltGr key. AltGr is used on many European and international layouts to produce characters like @, €, [, ], etc. — but it's also interpreted as Ctrl+Alt in Windows, which can interfere with Claude Code shortcuts.

Usage

# Force AltGr combinations to always be treated as text (recommended for most EU users)
CLAUDE_CODE_ALTGR_AS_TEXT=true claude

# Disable AltGr text mode entirely
CLAUDE_CODE_ALTGR_AS_TEXT=false claude

# Auto-detect (default): enabled if WT_SESSION is set (Windows Terminal)

Details

true/1 forces "force" mode — AltGr combos always produce text
false/0 forces "off" mode — AltGr combos pass through as Ctrl+Alt key events
Omitted: "auto" mode, enabled when WT_SESSION is present (Windows Terminal)
Only applies to printable character ranges (codepoints 32–126 and 160–55295)

Evidence

New env var handler (search for "CLAUDE_CODE_ALTGR_AS_TEXT")

Strings lifted out of the shipped bundle, so the claim above can be checked against them.