Claude Chat Workspace

A self-hosted web interface for working with the Anthropic Claude API inside a Docker container.

Description

Claude Workspace is a minimalist, fully functional web interface for Claude that runs in a single Docker container without requiring any additional privileges. The interface provides chat with Claude, file uploads, and a built-in terminal in the browser.

Features

• Chat with Claude — full conversation support with history and multiple chats
• Claude tools — Claude can read/write files, browse directories, and run commands in /workspace
• File uploads — upload files directly from your computer into /workspace
• Built-in terminal — a full PTY terminal in the browser (xterm.js)
• Shared shell context — Claude’s commands are visible in the user’s terminal
• Bilingual interface — Russian and English
• Basic Auth — access protection with username and password
• Single container — does not require Docker Compose and does not require privileged mode

Container directories:

Path	Purpose
/workspace	Working directory: user files, scripts, project data
/data	Application service data: chat history (/data/chats/*.json)

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY	(required)	Anthropic API key
CLAUDE_MODEL	claude-opus-4-5	Claude model
BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME	admin	Login username
BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD	changeme	Login password
APP_HOST	0.0.0.0	Server address
APP_PORT	8000	Server port
DEFAULT_LOCALE	en	Default language (en or ru)
WORKSPACE_DIR	/workspace	Working directory
DATA_DIR	/data	Application data directory

How to Open the Interface

After starting the container, open this URL in your browser: http://localhost:8000

Your browser will ask for a username and password (HTTP Basic Auth). Enter the values of BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME and BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD.

Working with the Terminal

The terminal at the bottom of the page is a full PTY bash terminal in the browser:

• Default working directory: /workspace
• Supports colors, Tab completion, and command history (↑/↓)
• Resizes automatically and when dragging the divider
• Reconnects automatically if the connection is interrupted

Security Recommendations

1. Change the password — do not use changeme in production
2. Use HTTPS — put nginx/caddy in front as a reverse proxy with TLS
3. Restrict access — do not expose port 8000 directly to the internet
4. The API key never reaches the frontend — backend only
5. Isolation — the container does not require and does not use privileged mode

Troubleshooting

Terminal does not connect:

• Check logs: docker logs claude-workspace
• Make sure the WebSocket connection is not blocked by a proxy
• For nginx, add the Upgrade and Connection headers

Claude does not respond:

• Check ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
• Verify that the CLAUDE_MODEL exists and is available
• Open /health — it should return {"status":"ok"}

File upload error:

• Check access permissions for /workspace inside the container
• Make sure the volume is mounted with write permissions

PTY issues on some systems:

• Make sure the container is not started with --read-only
• Check that /dev/ptmx is available (standard for Docker)

Support team

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