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Claude Code can be launched using the GitHub Copilot proxy in several ways. The easiest method is using the provided launch script, which automatically handles proxy startup and configuration.

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Using the launch script

The recommended way to start Claude Code is with the launch.sh script: 
./scripts/launch.sh
This script:
  • Checks for authentication credentials
  • Starts the proxy (via Docker if available, otherwise as a background process)
  • Launches Claude Code with the correct environment variables
  • Handles proxy health checks and startup timeouts

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What the launch script does

1

Check authentication

The script verifies that ~/.claude-copilot-auth.json exists. If not, it prompts you to run authentication first:
node scripts/auth.mjs
2

Check for running proxy

It checks if a proxy is already running on the configured port by hitting the /health endpoint:
curl -s "http://localhost:$PORT/health"
3

Start proxy if needed

If no proxy is running, it attempts to start one using Docker first (with restart: always for persistence), falling back to a direct Node.js process if Docker is unavailable.
4

Launch Claude Code

Finally, it launches Claude Code with the required environment variables pointing to the local proxy.

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Manual launch methods

You can also launch Claude Code manually using different approaches depending on your setup.

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Environment variables

The following environment variables configure the launch process:
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COPILOT_PROXY_PORT
integer
default:"18080"
The port on which the proxy server runs. Must match between proxy and Claude Code.
COPILOT_PROXY_PORT=18081 ./scripts/launch.sh
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COPILOT_AUTH_FILE
string
default:"~/.claude-copilot-auth.json"
Path to the saved GitHub Copilot authentication token.
COPILOT_AUTH_FILE=~/custom-auth.json ./scripts/launch.sh
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ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL
string
required
Must be set to the proxy URL (e.g., http://localhost:18080) for Claude Code to connect to the proxy.
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ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
string
required
Must be set to copilot-proxy (or any non-empty value). The actual authentication uses the GitHub Copilot token.

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Launch scenarios

# 1. Authenticate with GitHub Copilot
node scripts/auth.mjs

# 2. Launch Claude Code
./scripts/launch.sh
The auth script opens a browser for GitHub device code authentication. Your token is saved for future use.
# Just run the launch script
./scripts/launch.sh
If you’re using Docker, the proxy may already be running from a previous session. The script detects this and skips proxy startup.
# Start proxy on custom port
COPILOT_PROXY_PORT=18081 docker compose up -d

# Launch Claude Code with matching port
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:18081 \
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=copilot-proxy \
claude
You can run multiple Claude Code instances by using different proxy ports:
# Terminal 1
COPILOT_PROXY_PORT=18080 node scripts/proxy.mjs &
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:18080 ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=copilot-proxy claude

# Terminal 2
COPILOT_PROXY_PORT=18081 node scripts/proxy.mjs &
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:18081 ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=copilot-proxy claude

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Health checks

The proxy provides a /health endpoint that returns the server status: 
curl http://localhost:18080/health

{
  "status": "ok",
  "provider": "github-copilot"
}
The launch script uses this endpoint to verify the proxy is running before starting Claude Code: 
# Wait for proxy to be ready (from launch.sh:30-36)
for i in $(seq 1 30); do
    if curl -s "http://localhost:$PORT/health" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
        break
    fi
    sleep 0.5
done

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Troubleshooting

If you see authentication errors:
✗ Not authenticated. Run authentication first:
  node scripts/auth.mjs
Your GitHub Copilot token may have expired. Re-run the auth script:
rm ~/.claude-copilot-auth.json
node scripts/auth.mjs
If the proxy port is already occupied:
# Find and kill the process using port 18080
lsof -ti:18080 | xargs kill -9

# Or use a different port
COPILOT_PROXY_PORT=18081 ./scripts/launch.sh
If the proxy fails to start in Docker, the launch script automatically falls back to Node.js:
✗ Docker proxy failed to start, falling back to node...
Check Docker status:
docker info
If Claude Code can’t connect to the proxy:
  1. Verify the proxy is running: 
    curl http://localhost:18080/health
  2. Check environment variables are set: 
    echo $ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL
echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
  3. Ensure the port matches: 
    # Both should use the same port
COPILOT_PROXY_PORT=18080
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:18080

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Next steps

Web search

Configure web search functionality

Model selection

Switch between available Claude models