Containerized Claude Code with MCP

Sandboxed Claude Code environment with MCP server support.

Prerequisites

Docker & Docker Compose

You need Docker installed and running on your machine:

Mac/Windows: Docker Desktop
Linux: Docker Engine + Docker Compose

Verify installation:

docker --version
docker-compose --version

Anthropic API Key

You need an API key from Anthropic Console (not a Claude subscription):

Go to Anthropic Console
Sign up or log in
Navigate to API Keys
Click "Create Key"
Copy your key (starts with sk-ant-...)

Note: This uses pay-as-you-go API billing, not your Claude.ai subscription. Make sure to monitor usage in the console to avoid unexpected charges.

WARNING: Never share or check in your API key. Treat it like a password.

BIGGER WARNING: This setup bypasses all permissions for Claude inside the container. Do not run this on a production machine or with sensitive data. Use at your own risk.

EVEN BIGGER WARNING: Set a limit on your API key in the Anthropic Console to prevent runaway costs. For example, set a daily limit of $5 or 1000 tokens.

Setup

Set your Anthropic API key in .zshrc (or .bashrc):

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Reload your shell:

source ~/.zshrc

Add alias to .zshrc:

alias cdev='docker-compose down && docker-compose build && docker-compose up -d && docker-compose exec claude-code bash'

Clone this repo and run:

cdev

Inside container:

c  # Starts Claude Code

Say "Yes" to API key prompt (one time per rebuild)

Features

✅ Isolated sandbox (only accesses ./workspace directory)
✅ MCP server example (echo tool)
✅ Permissions bypassed via --dangerously-skip-permissions
✅ Non-root user for security
✅ One-command rebuild and exec

Testing MCP

Inside Claude Code:

/mcp                           # View MCP servers
Use the echo tool to say hi!   # Test the echo tool

Adding More MCP Servers

Edit the mcpServers section in Dockerfile's .claude.json creation.

MCP Servers