Complete Guide: Setting Up Claude Code with GLM-4.6 on GitHub Codespaces

Resources:

1. >> Download the blog post as a markdown-file this keeps codeblocks intact and is much easier to read in something like vscode. just rename the .txt to .md and you are good to go

2. >> Your z.ai Invitation ( yes ofc its my affiliate link )

3. >> Blog post about: Same setup - but on a local server or vps
   
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INTRODUCTION

In the fast-paced world of software development, integrating AI-assisted coding tools can significantly boost productivity. This comprehensive guide details how to configure Anthropic's Claude Code—a powerful command-line interface (CLI) coding assistant—with Zhipu AI's GLM-4.6 model within GitHub Codespaces.

GLM-4.6, released in September 2025, offers a 200K token context window, 30% token efficiency over its predecessors, and performance rivaling Claude Sonnet 4 in coding tasks. Paired with GitHub Codespaces, a cloud-hosted Visual Studio Code (VS Code) environment, this setup enables seamless, device-agnostic development with zero local setup.

This beginner-friendly guide, achievable in 10-15 minutes, leverages GitHub's free tier (120 core-hours/month) and GLM-4.6's cost-effective API ($0.001-$0.003 per 1K tokens). Our team has validated all steps against the latest Anthropic, Zhipu AI, and GitHub documentation as of October 2025, ensuring accuracy and relevance.

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WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM THIS SETUP

✓ Cloud-Based VS Code Environment: Full-featured editor in your browser with auto-cloned repositories and persistent storage.

✓ Pre-Configured Claude Code: CLI assistant for code generation, debugging, and Git integration, powered by GLM-4.6.

✓ Cost-Effective AI: GLM-4.6 reduces costs by up to 70% compared to Anthropic's API while matching performance.

✓ Device Flexibility: Code from any browser-enabled device.

✓ No Local Dependencies: Fully cloud-based, with automatic setup for new Codespaces.

✓ Free Tier Viability: 120 core-hours (60 hours on 2-core machines) monthly, ideal for personal projects.

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PREREQUISITES

GitHub Account

• Free tier suffices

• Sign up at github.com

Zhipu AI (Z.AI) API Key

• Register at z.ai

• Navigate to Dashboard → API Keys

• Create a key (starts with sk_...)

• Opt for the $3/month GLM Coding Plan for higher limits

Internet Connection

• Required for cloud-based Codespaces and API calls

Note: No container or CLI experience needed.

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UNDERSTANDING GITHUB CODESPACES

GitHub Codespaces provides isolated Ubuntu Linux containers with VS Code, pre-installed tools (Node.js, Git), and your repo cloned automatically.

KEY FEATURES

• Scalable Compute: 2-core (free) to 32-core machines

• Persistence: Work saves across sessions; auto-timeout conserves quotas

• Collaboration: Share via links for pair programming

FREE TIER DETAILS (OCTOBER 2025)

Core-Hours: 120/month

• 60 hours on 2-core machines

• Scales inversely (e.g., 30 hours on 4-core)

Storage: 15 GB/month

• Excess at $0.07/GB

Idle Timeout: 30 minutes default

• Adjustable to 10 minutes

Example: 2 hours daily on 2-core = 4 core-hours/day. Over 20 days, 80 core-hours fits within limits.

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STEP-BY-STEP SETUP

STEP 1: CREATE OR SELECT A REPOSITORY

Codespaces require a GitHub repo.

Option A: New Repo

1. Visit github.com/new

2. Name your repo (e.g., claude-glm-codespace)

3. Initialize with a README.md (public/private)

Option B: Existing Repo

• Use any current project

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STEP 2: SECURELY STORE YOUR Z.AI API KEY

Never hardcode keys. Use GitHub Secrets:

1. Go to github.com/settings/codespaces

2. Under "Codespaces secrets," click "New secret"

3. Set:

• Name: ZAI_API_KEY

• Value: Your sk_... key

• Repository access: "All repositories" or specific ones

4. Click "Add secret"

---

STEP 3: CONFIGURE THE DEV CONTAINER

The .devcontainer folder automates setup.

DIRECTORY STRUCTURE

your-repo/

└── .devcontainer/

├── devcontainer.json

└── setup-claude.sh

---

CREATE devcontainer.json

Create a file at: .devcontainer/devcontainer.json

Copy this configuration:

{

"name": "Claude Code with GLM-4.6",

"image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/javascript-node:20",

"features": {

"ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/common-utils:2": {

"installZsh": true,

"installOhMyZsh": true,

"upgradePackages": true

}

},

"postCreateCommand": "bash .devcontainer/setup-claude.sh",

"containerEnv": {

"ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://api.z.ai/api/anthropic",

"ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "${localEnv:ZAI_API_KEY}",

"API_TIMEOUT_MS": "3000000",

"ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL": "glm-4.6",

"ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL": "glm-4.6",

"ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL": "glm-4.5-air",

"ENABLE_THINKING": "true",

"ENABLE_STREAMING": "true",

"ANTHROPIC_SAFE_MODE": "false"

},

"customizations": {

"vscode": {

"extensions": [

"anthropic.claude-code"

],

"settings": {

"terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux": "bash",

"editor.formatOnSave": true

}

}

},

"remoteUser": "node"

}

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CREATE setup-claude.sh

Create a file at: .devcontainer/setup-claude.sh

Copy this script:

#!/bin/bash

echo "🚀 Setting up Claude Code with GLM-4.6..."

# Install Claude Code globally

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Create Claude settings directory

mkdir -p ~/.claude

# Create settings.json with environment variables

cat > ~/.claude/settings.json <<EOF

{

"env": {

"ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "${ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL}",

"ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "${ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN}",

"API_TIMEOUT_MS": "${API_TIMEOUT_MS}",

"ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL": "${ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL}",

"ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL": "${ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL}",

"ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL": "${ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL}",

"ENABLE_THINKING": "${ENABLE_THINKING}",

"ENABLE_STREAMING": "${ENABLE_STREAMING}",

"ANTHROPIC_SAFE_MODE": "${ANTHROPIC_SAFE_MODE}"

}

}

EOF

echo "✅ Claude Code setup complete!"

echo "📝 Run 'claude --version' to verify installation"

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Node.js 20 base image supports npm for Claude Code

• Environment variables route to Z.AI's Anthropic-compatible endpoint

• ENABLE_THINKING shows GLM-4.6's reasoning

• ENABLE_STREAMING enables real-time output

---

STEP 4: COMMIT AND PUSH

Run these commands:

git add .devcontainer/

git commit -m "Add Claude Code dev container with GLM-4.6"

git push

Or use GitHub's web editor.

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STEP 5: LAUNCH YOUR CODESPACE

Method 1: From Repo

1. Click "Code" button

2. Select "Codespaces" tab

3. Click "Create codespace on main"

Method 2: From Dashboard

1. Visit github.com/codespaces

2. Click "New codespace"

3. Select repo/branch

4. Choose 2-core machine

5. Click "Create"

Setup takes 1-3 minutes: container spins up, repo clones, script runs, VS Code opens.

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STEP 6: VERIFY SETUP

In VS Code terminal (Ctrl + `):

1. Check Node.js:

node --version

Expected output: v20.x.x

2. Check Claude Code:

claude --version

Expected output: 2.0.x+

3. Verify Settings:

cat ~/.claude/settings.json

Confirm GLM-4.6 configuration is present

4. Test Claude:

claude

/status

/ask What model are you using?

/code Write a Python function that prints "Hello from GLM-4.6 in Codespaces!"

/exit

Success confirms GLM-4.6 integration.

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USING CLAUDE CODE IN YOUR WORKFLOW

Run claude anytime. GLM-4.6's 200K context excels in large repos.

KEY COMMANDS

/help - List all commands

Example: claude /help

/status - Check configuration

Example: claude /status

/ask <query> - General Q&A

Example: claude /ask Explain async/await

/code <task> - Generate code

Example: claude /code REST API in Express

/fix - Debug file

Example: claude /fix

/test - Generate tests

Example: claude /test

/review - Code review

Example: claude /review

/explain - Simplify code

Example: claude /explain file.py

/exit - Quit Claude

Example: claude /exit

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EXAMPLE WORKFLOW

claude

/code Create a React TODO app with local storage

/review

/test

/exit

git add .

git commit -m "Add TODO app via GLM-4.6"

git push

GLM-4.6 uses 15% fewer tokens than GLM-4.5, excelling in 74/100 Claude Code scenarios.

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CONFIGURATION DEEP DIVE

DEVCONTAINER.JSON PROPERTIES

• name: Codespace label

• image: Node.js 20 base

• features: Adds zsh, Oh My Zsh, updates

• postCreateCommand: Runs setup-claude.sh

• containerEnv: Sets GLM-4.6 vars

• customizations.vscode: Installs Claude extension

• remoteUser: Non-root node user

---

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL

• Value: https://api.z.ai/api/anthropic

• Role: Routes to Z.AI

ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN

• Value: ${localEnv:ZAI_API_KEY}

• Role: Secure key

API_TIMEOUT_MS

• Value: 3000000

• Role: 50-min timeout

ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL

• Value: glm-4.6

• Role: Complex tasks

ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL

• Value: glm-4.6

• Role: Balanced tasks

ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL

• Value: glm-4.5-air

• Role: Lightweight tasks

ENABLE_THINKING

• Value: true

• Role: Shows reasoning

ENABLE_STREAMING

• Value: true

• Role: Real-time output

ANTHROPIC_SAFE_MODE

• Value: false

• Role: Bypasses filters

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MANAGING CODESPACES

DASHBOARD

Visit github.com/codespaces to:

• View active/stopped spaces

• Monitor storage

• Check compute usage

COMMANDS

Start:

• Dashboard → ... → "Open in browser/VS Code"

Stop:

• Inside Codespace: "Codespaces" → Stop

• Or dashboard → ... → Stop

Delete:

• Dashboard → ... → Delete

• Push changes first!

OPTIMIZATION TIPS

• Set 10-min timeout: github.com/settings/codespaces

• Monitor: github.com/settings/billing

• Multi-project: Run one space at a time (e.g., 2 hours/project = 10 core-hours/day)

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ADVANCED CONFIGURATIONS

PROJECT-SPECIFIC SETUP

For Python projects, modify devcontainer.json:

{

"name": "Python Project",

"image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/python:3.12",

"postCreateCommand": "bash .devcontainer/setup-claude.sh && pip install -r requirements.txt",

"containerEnv": {

"ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL": "glm-4.6"

}

}

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MULTIPLE PROFILES

Create multiple configurations:

.devcontainer/

├── devcontainer.json # Node.js

├── python/

│ └── devcontainer.json

└── nodejs/

└── devcontainer.json

Choose profile on creation.

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TROUBLESHOOTING

ISSUE: Codespace Won't Start

Cause: Storage limit

Solution:

• Delete old spaces

• Check githubstatus.com

ISSUE: Claude Not Found

Cause: Install failure

Solution:

• npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

• claude --version

ISSUE: Auth Error

Cause: Invalid key

Solution:

• Regenerate at z.ai

• Rebuild: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Codespaces: Rebuild Container"

ISSUE: Settings Ignored

Cause: Cache

Solution:

• Rebuild container

ISSUE: Quota Exceeded

Cause: Overuse

Solution:

• Monitor billing

• Use 2-core

• Stop idle spaces

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BEST PRACTICES

✓ Stop Spaces: Use UI, not just browser close

✓ Commit Often: git push to save work

✓ Monitor Quotas: Check billing monthly

✓ Pre-Builds (Pro): Enable for faster startups

✓ VS Code Sync: Extensions/settings sync automatically

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CODESPACES VS. LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

SETUP

• Codespaces: Instant

• Local: 15-60 min

HARDWARE

• Codespaces: 2-32 cores

• Local: Your device

COST

• Codespaces: Free (120 core-hours)

• Local: Free (electricity)

ACCESS

• Codespaces: Browser-anywhere

• Local: Device-specific

STORAGE

• Codespaces: 15 GB

• Local: Unlimited

UPDATES

• Codespaces: Auto

• Local: Manual

COLLABORATION

• Codespaces: Link-sharing

• Local: Screen-sharing

OFFLINE

• Codespaces: Internet required

• Local: Supported

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PRICING (OCTOBER 2025)

GLM-4.6 COSTS

Input: $0.001/1K tokens

Output: $0.003/1K tokens

Example: 100 daily requests (500 in + 1K out) = ~$0.35/day ($10/month)

Coding Plan: $3/month for light use

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CODESPACES COSTS

Free Tier:

• 120 core-hours

• 15 GB storage

Paid Tier:

• $0.18/hour (2-core)

• $0.07/GB storage

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NEXT STEPS

→ Explore: claude /help

→ Try: /code Build a Next.js CRUD app

→ Customize: Add extensions to devcontainer.json

→ Share: Repo ensures teammates get identical setups

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RESOURCES

DOCUMENTATION

• GitHub Codespaces: docs.github.com/en/codespaces

• Dev Containers: containers.dev

• Claude Code: docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code

• GLM-4.6: Check Z.AI documentation

Z.AI RESOURCES

• API Docs: z.ai/docs

• Claude Integration: z.ai/claude

• Pricing: z.ai/pricing

COMMUNITY

• GitHub Discussions

• Claude Developers Discord

• r/ClaudeAI

• r/github

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FAQS

Q: Multi-Account Support?

A: Yes, each account has separate quotas.

Q: Private Repos?

A: Supported on free tier.

Q: Offline Use?

A: No, requires internet.

Q: Exceeding Free Tier?

A: Pauses; add payment for $0.18/hour.

Q: Desktop VS Code?

A: Yes, via "GitHub Codespaces" extension.

Q: Update Claude?

A: npm update -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Q: Security?

A: Encrypted data; secure keys; isolated containers.

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CONCLUSION

This setup delivers a robust, AI-driven cloud IDE with Claude Code and GLM-4.6—accessible, affordable, and scalable. Start with the free tier and elevate your coding workflow.

Happy coding! 🚀

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