Sidekick

Protects your unsaved Neovim work from Claude Code.

How it works:

• You're editing a file in Neovim with unsaved changes
• Claude Code tries to modify that file
• Sidekick blocks it — your work is safe
• Save when you're ready, Claude Code proceeds

Demo: Skip to 1:20 to see Sidekick block an edit

Installation

One-Line Install (Automatic Setup)

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NishantJoshi00/sidekick/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

This script will:

• ✓ Check dependencies (Rust, Python)
• ✓ Install Sidekick
• ✓ Configure Claude Code hooks
• ✓ Add shell alias automatically

Official Method

1. Install Sidekick

cargo install sidekick

Don't have Rust? Install it first:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

2. Configure Claude Code Integration

# In Claude Code
/plugin marketplace add NishantJoshi00/claude-plugins
/plugin install sidekick@nishant-plugins

The plugin automatically configures the necessary hooks for Claude Code integration.

3. Set up shell alias

Add this to your shell configuration (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.):

alias nvim='sidekick neovim'

Then reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc

That's it! Now nvim launches with Sidekick integration automatically.

cargo install sidekick

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

git clone https://github.com/NishantJoshi00/sidekick
cd sidekick
cargo install --path .

Manual Setup

Note: If you used the one-line installer above, you can skip this section!

1. Shell Alias (Recommended)

Add this to your shell configuration (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.):

alias nvim='sidekick neovim'

Now every time you run nvim, you'll automatically get the Claude Code integration without thinking about it.

2. Configure Claude Code Hooks

Add to your Claude Code configuration (~/.claude/settings.json or .claude/settings.json):

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "MultiEdit|Edit|Write",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "sidekick hook"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "MultiEdit|Edit|Write",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "sidekick hook"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

That's it! Now when Claude Code attempts to edit a file:

• Allowed: File not open in Neovim, or open in background buffer
• Allowed: File open but no unsaved changes
• Blocked: File is in current buffer with unsaved changes
• Auto-refresh: Neovim buffers are automatically reloaded after Claude Code modifies files

3. Visual Selection Context (Optional)

Want Claude Code to see what you've selected in Neovim? Add this hook:

{
  "hooks": {
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      {
        "matcher": "",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "sidekick hook"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Now when you submit a prompt to Claude Code, any visual selection in Neovim is automatically injected as context:

1. Select code in Neovim (visual mode)
2. Exit visual mode (the selection marks are preserved)
3. Submit your prompt to Claude Code
4. Claude sees your selection as additional context

No selection? Nothing happens — the hook is a no-op.

Usage

Just use Neovim like you always do:

nvim <file>

That's it. Seriously.

Because of the shell alias, nvim now launches with Sidekick integration automatically. You won't notice anything different—until Claude Code tries to overwrite your unsaved work, and Sidekick quietly blocks it. Work the way you want. Sidekick stays out of your way.

How It Works

1. Socket Path: Both the neovim launcher and hook handler compute the same socket path using blake3(cwd), ensuring they connect to the same Neovim instance

2. Hook Interception: When Claude Code calls Edit/Write tools, Sidekick intercepts the call via stdin/stdout JSON protocol

3. Buffer Check: Connects to Neovim via RPC to check if the target file:

   • Is the current buffer (visible to user)
   • Has unsaved changes (modified flag)

4. Decision: Returns Allow or Deny permission to Claude Code, with a message displayed in Neovim when blocked

Requirements

• Rust 2024 edition
• Neovim with RPC support
• Unix-like system (uses Unix sockets)

Example Workflow

# Terminal 1: Launch Neovim with integration
cd ~/my-project
sidekick neovim src/main.rs

# Make some edits in Neovim, don't save yet

# Terminal 2: Use Claude Code in the same directory
cd ~/my-project
claude "refactor main.rs to use async/await"

# Result: Claude Code is blocked from modifying main.rs
# You see a message in Neovim: "Claude Code blocked: File src/main.rs has unsaved changes"
# Save your changes, then Claude Code can proceed

Contributing

Issues and pull requests welcome!

Interested in extending Sidekick to other editors or AI tools? See PHILOSOPHY.md for the roadmap and vision.