CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE Environment Variable / Claude Code v2.1.212

New CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE environment variable for enabling a simplified mode.

Details

Activated by setting CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE=1 in the environment or by passing the --bare CLI flag; both paths go through cf(), which returns true for either.
When active, the following subsystems are disabled: CLAUDE.md reading, skills discovery, plugins, syntax-highlight language packs (hljsLanguages), hooks, MCP agent frontmatter, agent definitions, and LSP servers.
The following subsystems remain enabled in simple mode: workflows, themes, status line, file suggestions, auto-discovered MCP, Claude.ai MCP, output styles, and keybindings.
Authentication is narrowed to the minimum: OAuth (Claude.ai login) is bypassed entirely; only ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or an apiKeyHelper-sourced key is accepted. The normal managed-key and OAuth token paths return null.
Auto-memory (persistent write-after-turn memory) is unconditionally disabled regardless of other memory settings or the CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY env var.
Several background startup jobs are skipped: plugin hook setup and hot-reload, session file access hooks, release-notes prefetch, and memory extraction after turns.
In coordinator/multi-agent mode, worker tool guidance is abbreviated: workers are described as having access only to bash, computer-use, read/write tools, and connected MCP tools — the Skill and Workflow tools are omitted from the listing.
Forking is refused: /fork exits with "Cannot fork — this session was started with launch flags (safe or bare mode, a custom system prompt, a tool allowlist, or restricted settings) that the copy wouldn't inherit…"

Evidence

function cf() { return qt(process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE) || fsi("--bare"); } and the Ffg feature-disable map at ZT initialization (search for "CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE" and "Ffg")

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