Claude Code
Last updated 2026-08-21
There are two ways to use Claude Code with Ocul-PM. Understand the split and everything else follows.
| In-app Claude Code (sidebar) | Terminal Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| How it runs | ACP (Agent Client Protocol) | The CLI as-is |
| Journaling | Automatic — built-in MCP tools attached to the session | AGENTS.md rules (automatic once the plugin is installed) |
/plugin /mcp /login | Not available (see below) | Available |
| Login | Reuses credentials from a one-time terminal login | Run claude and log in |
In-app Claude Code — records with no setup
The Claude Code screen in the sidebar runs the real claude inside the app. Two things are handled for you:
- ocul-pm's recording tools (MCP) are attached to every session — the agent can call
journal_writeand update the planner - the project's AGENTS.md rules tell it to record when work is done
So as long as you work in the app, there's nothing to install. You just wait out the few minutes on first launch while the adapter is installed (npm, pinned version).
The app has no login screen. On a machine that has never logged into Claude Code, run claude in a terminal first and log in — the app reuses those credentials. (You can open one right from the terminal button in the toolbar.)
Why don't /plugin and /mcp work in-app?
In-app Claude Code talks over a protocol called ACP. That protocol carries agent work — prompts, tool calls, approvals — but it cannot carry interactive commands the CLI draws on its own screen (TUI) like /plugin, /mcp, /login, /remote-control. Their UI exists only in a terminal.
So the app provides an escape hatch: the terminal button at the top right of the Claude Code screen opens a real claude in the same project. Run CLI-only commands there. (Type /remote-control and the app forwards you to the terminal automatically.)
Terminal Claude Code — install the plugin
If you mostly use Claude Code in a terminal, the situation is different. AGENTS.md rules alone will produce entries, but only as far as the model follows them — it can forget at the end of a long session. Installing the oculpm plugin attaches a hook bridge so recording becomes structural rather than a matter of rules.
Two lines inside claude in your terminal:
/plugin marketplace add bunhine0452/Ocul-PM
/plugin install oculpm@oculpmThese are also in the app under Settings → ocul-pm → Integration with copy buttons. The MCP snippet for Claude Desktop is copied from the same place.
Once installed you get:
- Hook bridge — official hooks wired so a record is left when a session ends
- 5 MCP tools —
journal_write·plan_status·plan_update·plan_create·project_init - 5 skills — workflow skills like
/oculpm:standupand/oculpm:next
Everything is configured globally under ~/.claude, so it works in every project. You can even use the plugin before the app — records pile up as .oculpm/ markdown, and the app reads them whenever you install it. More on the plugin page.
Summary — what do I need to install?
- In-app only → nothing. Just confirm you're logged in.
- Terminal too → the two lines above. Skip it and terminal sessions may go unrecorded.
- Claude Desktop as well → copy the MCP snippet from Settings → ocul-pm → Integration.