Simple Text Statusline - Statuslines

Features

• Zero dependencies - pure bash implementation
• No color codes or special characters
• Works on any terminal including basic TTY
• Extremely fast execution (<5ms)
• Compatible with screen readers
• No jq or external tools required
• Perfect for SSH sessions or slow connections
• UTF-8 safe character encoding for international terminals

Use Cases

• SSH sessions over slow or unreliable connections
• Legacy terminals without color support
• Screen reader accessibility requirements
• Embedded systems or resource-constrained environments
• Debugging when color codes cause issues
• CI/CD pipelines requiring minimal statusline overhead

Requirements

• Claude Code CLI installed and configured
• Bash shell available (bash 3.0+ sufficient for basic operations)
• grep command (standard POSIX utility, usually pre-installed)
• cut command (standard POSIX utility, usually pre-installed)
• sed command (standard POSIX utility, usually pre-installed, for home directory shortening)
• Terminal with basic text output support (works on any terminal including TTY, no color support required)

Configuration

{
  "statusLine": {
    "type": "command",
    "command": "$CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/statuslines/simple-text-statusline.sh",
    "refreshInterval": 300
  }
}

Examples

Simple Text Statusline with awk (More Robust)

Enhanced version using awk for more robust JSON parsing while maintaining zero external dependencies

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Simple Text Statusline with awk (More Robust)
# Plain text only - uses awk for better JSON parsing

# Read JSON from stdin
read -r input

# Extract values using awk (usually pre-installed, more robust than grep/cut)
model=$(echo "$input" | awk -F'"' '/"model"/{for(i=1;i<=NF;i++){if($i=="id" || $i=="display_name"){print $(i+2);exit}}}' 2>/dev/null || echo "")

# Try alternative paths
if [ -z "$model" ]; then
  model=$(echo "$input" | awk -F'"' '/"model"/{print $4;exit}' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
fi

# Extract directory using awk
dir=$(echo "$input" | awk -F'"' '/"current_dir"/{print $4;exit}' 2>/dev/null || echo "")

if [ -z "$dir" ]; then
  dir=$(echo "$input" | awk -F'"' '/"path"/{print $4;exit}' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
fi

# Shorten home directory to ~
if [ -n "$HOME" ] && [ -n "$dir" ]; then
  dir=$(echo "$dir" | sed "s|^$HOME|~|" 2>/dev/null || echo "$dir")
fi

# Extract tokens using awk
tokens=$(echo "$input" | awk -F'[:,\}]' '/"total_lines_added"/{print $2;exit}' 2>/dev/null | tr -d ' ' || echo "")

if [ -z "$tokens" ]; then
  tokens=$(echo "$input" | awk -F'[:,\}]' '/"totalTokens"/{print $2;exit}' 2>/dev/null | tr -d ' ' || echo "")
fi

# Default values if extraction fails
model=${model:-unknown}
dir=${dir:-~}
tokens=${tokens:-0}

# Remove 'claude-' prefix from model name if present
model=$(echo "$model" | sed 's/^claude-//' 2>/dev/null || echo "$model")

# Build simple plain text status
echo "[Model: $model] [Dir: $dir] [Tokens: $tokens]"

Simple Text Statusline Minimal Version

Absolute minimal version with only model name for ultra-lightweight usage

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Simple Text Statusline Minimal Version
# Absolute minimal - only model name

read -r input

# Extract model using simplest method
model=$(echo "$input" | grep -o '"model":"[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f4 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")

# Remove 'claude-' prefix if present
model=$(echo "$model" | sed 's/^claude-//' 2>/dev/null || echo "$model")

# Output minimal status
echo "[$model]"

Simple Text Statusline Installation Example

Complete setup script with dependency verification (minimal dependencies required)

#!/bin/bash
# Installation script for Simple Text Statusline

# Check for grep (required for JSON parsing)
if ! command -v grep &> /dev/null; then
    echo "Error: grep command not found - this is a standard POSIX utility"
    echo "Install coreutils: Linux (sudo apt-get install coreutils or sudo yum install coreutils)"
    exit 1
else
    echo "grep command available"
fi

# Check for cut (required for JSON parsing)
if ! command -v cut &> /dev/null; then
    echo "Error: cut command not found - this is a standard POSIX utility"
    echo "Install coreutils: Linux (sudo apt-get install coreutils or sudo yum install coreutils)"
    exit 1
else
    echo "cut command available"
fi

# Check for sed (required for home directory shortening)
if ! command -v sed &> /dev/null; then
    echo "Error: sed command not found - this is a standard POSIX utility"
    echo "Install coreutils: Linux (sudo apt-get install coreutils or sudo yum install coreutils)"
    exit 1
else
    echo "sed command available"
fi

# Check for awk (optional, for enhanced version)
if ! command -v awk &> /dev/null; then
    echo "Warning: awk command not found - enhanced version will not work"
    echo "Install awk: Linux (sudo apt-get install gawk or sudo yum install gawk)"
    echo "Note: Basic version works without awk"
else
    echo "awk command available (optional, for enhanced version)"
fi

# Test grep for JSON parsing
if echo '{"model":"test"}' | grep -o '"model":"[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f4 | grep -q 'test'; then
    echo "grep/cut JSON parsing working: $(echo '{"model":"test"}' | grep -o '"model":"[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f4)"
else
    echo "Warning: grep/cut JSON parsing test failed"
fi

# Test sed for home directory replacement
if [ -n "$HOME" ]; then
    test_dir="$HOME/projects/test"
    shortened=$(echo "$test_dir" | sed "s|^$HOME|~|")
    if [ "$shortened" = "~/projects/test" ]; then
        echo "sed home directory replacement working: $shortened"
    else
        echo "Warning: sed home directory replacement test failed"
    fi
else
    echo "Warning: HOME environment variable not set"
fi

# Test awk for JSON parsing (if available)
if command -v awk &> /dev/null; then
    test_model=$(echo '{"model":{"id":"test"}}' | awk -F'"' '/"model"/{print $4;exit}' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
    if [ -n "$test_model" ]; then
        echo "awk JSON parsing working: $test_model"
    else
        echo "Warning: awk JSON parsing test failed (this is expected for complex JSON)"
    fi
fi

# Create statuslines directory
mkdir -p .claude/statuslines

cat > .claude/statuslines/simple-text-statusline.sh << 'SCRIPT_EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env bash

# Simple Text Statusline for Claude Code
# Plain text only - maximum compatibility

read -r input

model=$(echo "$input" | grep -o '"model":"[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f4 2>/dev/null || echo "")

if [ -z "$model" ]; then
  model=$(echo "$input" | grep -o '"id":"[^"]*"' | head -1 | cut -d'"' -f4 2>/dev/null || echo "")
fi

if echo "$input" | grep -q '"workspace"'; then
  dir=$(echo "$input" | grep -o '"current_dir":"[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f4 2>/dev/null || echo "")
else
  dir=$(echo "$input" | grep -o '"path":"[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f4 2>/dev/null || echo "")
fi

if [ -n "$HOME" ] && [ -n "$dir" ]; then
  dir=$(echo "$dir" | sed "s|^$HOME|~|" 2>/dev/null || echo "$dir")
fi

if echo "$input" | grep -q '"cost"'; then
  tokens=$(echo "$input" | grep -o '"total_lines_added":[0-9]*' | cut -d':' -f2 2>/dev/null || echo "")
  if [ -z "$tokens" ]; then
    tokens=$(echo "$input" | grep -o '"totalTokens":[0-9]*' | cut -d':' -f2 2>/dev/null || echo "")
  fi
else
  tokens=$(echo "$input" | grep -o '"totalTokens":[0-9]*' | cut -d':' -f2 2>/dev/null || echo "")
fi

model=${model:-unknown}
dir=${dir:-~}
tokens=${tokens:-0}

model=$(echo "$model" | sed 's/^claude-//' 2>/dev/null || echo "$model")

echo "[Model: $model] [Dir: $dir] [Tokens: $tokens]"
SCRIPT_EOF

chmod +x .claude/statuslines/simple-text-statusline.sh

# Add to settings.json
if [ ! -f .claude/settings.json ]; then
    echo '{"statusLine":{"type":"command","command":"$CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/statuslines/simple-text-statusline.sh","refreshInterval":300}}' > .claude/settings.json
else
    jq '.statusLine = {"type":"command","command":"$CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/statuslines/simple-text-statusline.sh","refreshInterval":300}' .claude/settings.json > .claude/settings.json.tmp 2>/dev/null
    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
        mv .claude/settings.json.tmp .claude/settings.json
    else
        echo "Warning: jq not available - manually update .claude/settings.json"
        rm -f .claude/settings.json.tmp
    fi
fi

echo "Simple Text Statusline installed successfully!"
echo "Note: This statusline uses only standard POSIX utilities (grep, cut, sed)"
echo "Note: No jq or external tools required - maximum compatibility"
echo "Test: echo '{\"model\":\"test\"}' | .claude/statuslines/simple-text-statusline.sh"

Troubleshooting

Values showing as empty or 'unknown'

JSON parsing relies on specific format. Ensure Claude Code is outputting standard JSON. Test with: echo '$input' to see raw JSON. Check JSON structure: echo '$input' | grep -o '"model":"[^"]*"' (should return model field). Verify grep pattern: grep uses regex - ensure JSON format matches expected pattern. Try alternative extraction: model=$(echo '$input' | awk -F'"' '/"model"/{print $4;exit}') for more robust parsing. Check if JSON is minified: Minified JSON may break grep patterns - use awk instead.

Home directory not shortened to ~

Check that $HOME environment variable is set correctly: echo $HOME (should return home directory path). If using sudo, HOME may not be preserved: Use sudo -H to set HOME or sudo -E to preserve variables. Test sed replacement: echo '$HOME/projects/test' | sed "s|^$HOME|~|" (should return ~/projects/test). Verify HOME is not empty: if [ -z "$HOME" ]; then echo "HOME not set"; fi. Add HOME to env_keep in /etc/sudoers for persistent fix: echo 'Defaults env_keep += "HOME"' | sudo tee -a /etc/sudoers.d/home-preserve.

grep or cut command not found

These are standard POSIX utilities. Install coreutils package: Linux (sudo apt-get install coreutils or sudo yum install coreutils), macOS (pre-installed). Verify installation: command -v grep (should return path like /usr/bin/grep). Test commands: echo 'test' | grep 'test' (should return 'test'), echo 'a:b:c' | cut -d':' -f2 (should return 'b'). If on embedded system, ensure busybox is installed: busybox provides minimal grep/cut/sed implementations. Check PATH: echo $PATH (should include /usr/bin, /bin).

JSON parsing breaks when Claude Code changes output format

grep/cut parsing is fragile. Switch to jq-based statusline or use awk: awk 'BEGIN { FS="""; RS="," }; { if ($2 == "model") {print $4} }' for robust parsing. Use awk for better JSON handling: model=$(echo '$input' | awk -F'"' '/"model"/{print $4;exit}'). Consider using jq if available: model=$(echo '$input' | jq -r '.model.id // .model.display_name // "unknown"') for most robust parsing. Test with sample JSON: echo '{"model":"test"}' | grep -o '"model":"[^"]*"' (should work). Update grep patterns if JSON structure changes.

HOME not preserved when running script with sudo

Use sudo -H to set HOME or sudo -E to preserve variables. Add HOME to env_keep in /etc/sudoers for persistent fix: echo 'Defaults env_keep += "HOME"' | sudo tee -a /etc/sudoers.d/home-preserve. Test: sudo -H bash script.sh (should preserve HOME). Check current HOME: echo $HOME (should show home directory). Verify sudo preserves: sudo -E env | grep HOME (should show HOME variable). Alternative: Hardcode home directory path in script if HOME is unreliable, but this reduces portability.

Model name includes 'claude-' prefix when it shouldn't

Script removes 'claude-' prefix: model=$(echo '$model' | sed 's/^claude-//'). Verify sed works: echo 'claude-opus-4-1' | sed 's/^claude-//' (should return 'opus-4-1'). Check if sed is available: command -v sed (should return path). Test pattern: sed 's/^claude-//' should remove leading 'claude-' from model name. If prefix still appears, check extraction: echo '$input' | grep -o '"model":"[^"]*"' (may extract full model ID). Update sed pattern if needed: sed 's/^claude-//' or sed 's/claude-//'.

Directory path shows full path instead of shortened ~

Check HOME variable: echo $HOME (should be set). Verify sed replacement: echo '$HOME/projects/test' | sed "s|^$HOME|~|" (should return /projects/test). Test with actual path: test_path="$HOME/projects/test"; echo "$test_path" | sed "s|^$HOME||". Check if path starts with HOME: if [["$dir" == "$HOME"*]]; then echo "Path starts with HOME"; fi. Verify sed pattern: sed uses | as delimiter to avoid conflicts with / in paths. If still not working, check that dir variable contains full path: echo "$dir" (should show full path).

Tokens always showing as 0

Check JSON structure: echo '$input' | grep -o '"total_lines_added":[0-9]*' (should return token field). Try alternative field: echo '$input' | grep -o '"totalTokens":[0-9]'. Verify extraction: tokens=$(echo '$input' | grep -o '"total_lines_added":[0-9]' | cut -d':' -f2) (should return number). Check if cost object exists: echo '$input' | grep -q '"cost"' (should return true). Test with sample: echo '{"total_lines_added":1234}' | grep -o '"total_lines_added":[0-9]*' | cut -d':' -f2 (should return 1234). If still 0, JSON structure may have changed - update grep pattern.

• Source repositorygithub.com 2026-07-13T15:19:32-07:00
• Documentationcode.claude.com