Ownercode, by Dirty Work Software
Set up Claude Code yourself, or start from a kit?
You can set up Claude Code yourself. Anthropic's docs explain the parts: a CLAUDE.md file for rules, hooks that check commands, skills for repeated jobs, and plugins that bundle them. Codex has the same ideas, with AGENTS.md.
The question is not whether you can. It is how long each part takes to get right, and how you will know it works. Ownercode is one finished setup, free, for owners who would rather build their business software than their tools.
Free. Just your email. The code is public on GitHub.
What it takes
What a safe setup needs
| Part | What it does | Doing it yourself | In Ownercode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rules file | What it doesRules the AI reads at every start | Doing it yourselfWrite CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md, and grow it from mistakes | In OwnercodeAGENTS.md written for you; CLAUDE.md points to it, so both tools read it |
| Hooks | What it doesCheck each command before it runs | Doing it yourselfWrite and test each one yourself | In OwnercodeNine guards with 225 tests, and a self-check at every start |
| Never list | What it doesCommands the AI may never run | Doing it yourselfWrite the rules for each tool; each tool writes them differently | In OwnercodeWritten for Claude Code and Codex |
| Task system | What it doesWork that survives closing the laptop | Doing it yourselfInvent a format, and skills to run it | In Ownercodetasks/ with next task, new task, close task and handoff |
| Updates | What it doesFixes reach your project | Doing it yourselfTrack changes by hand | In OwnercodeThe plugin updates; sync never writes over your edits |
How do I set up Claude Code hooks for safety?
Write a small program that reads each command before it runs, and add it as a PreToolUse hook in your settings. In Claude Code, it blocks only when it exits with code 2 or answers "deny". Other errors let the command run. So test that each hook says no when it should, and yes when it should. Ownercode's nine guards come with 225 such tests.
What should go in CLAUDE.md?
The rules the AI must keep in every session: how to run the project, what done means, what it must never do, and each correction you had to make twice. Ownercode writes an AGENTS.md with those rules, and a one-line CLAUDE.md that points Claude Code to it.
Why not build a kit like this myself?
You can. The free kit is public, so you can read every file. Getting it right took 225 guard tests, 58 interview questions, and eight test builds from an empty folder, each followed by fixes. We spent that time so you can spend yours on your business.
When should I build my own setup?
When you are a developer and want every rule to be yours. When your project does not fit the kit's way of building a CRM. Or when you want to learn how the parts work by making them. You can also start from Ownercode and change it: the rules and task files it writes into your project are yours to edit.
The free kit
What you get, free
- A setup prompt. The AI installs the tools and walks you through the sign-ins.
- A start prompt. It asks about your business, then writes a plan and a task list before it builds.
- Project memory. A file the AI reads at every start, so it keeps your rules and decisions.
- A task system. One file per job. Close the laptop for a month; the next session picks up where you left off.
- Nine safety guards, tested at every start.
- Building recipes. Step-by-step skills the AI follows to build screens and to save and load your data.
- A plain design guide. Screens come out clean and simple.
- Updates. The kit updates itself in Codex, and in Claude Code once you turn on auto-update.
No trial, no time limit, no watermark. What you build lives in your folder and your own accounts.
What it costs to run. You need a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max) for Claude Code, or a ChatGPT plan that includes Codex. Your CRM runs on Cloudflare's free tier, so the hosting bill is usually zero.
Free
Get the free kit
Type your email. The setup steps show up right here, and a copy lands in your inbox.
You are in. Four steps from here.
- Make a new, empty folder with a short path, such as C:\Projects\my-crm. Open Claude Code or Codex in it.
- Pick Opus 5.5 or a newer Opus at High effort in Claude Code, or GPT-6 Astra at High in Codex.
- Paste the setup prompt below. The AI explains the guide, installs missing tools, and walks you through approvals and a restart.
- Reopen the same folder. Paste the start prompt and answer its questions. You make the business decisions.
Set up the free Ownercode kit in this tool. Do the technical work; stop before the business interview.
1. Read https://github.com/Dirty-Work-Software/ownercode/blob/main/GUIDE.md. Give me five short bullets from sections 1, 3, 3b and 4; skim 2 and 3a. Complete section 5 with me. Confirm a new, empty project folder with a short path; create one if needed without overwriting work. Show its full path.
2. Check Git first; install it if missing. Check and install missing Node.js LTS (at least 22.12), pnpm and GitHub CLI from official sources or a trusted package manager. Verify versions. Install Node before the plugin. Request administrator approval if needed.
3. Confirm Opus 5.5 or a newer Opus at High effort in Claude Code, or GPT-6 Astra at High in Codex. If you cannot set or verify this, guide me through the controls and wait for confirmation. Keep this model for planning and building.
4. Install only for this tool. Claude Code: run claude plugin marketplace add Dirty-Work-Software/ownercode, then claude plugin install ownercode@ownercode. Codex: run codex plugin marketplace add Dirty-Work-Software/ownercode, then codex plugin add ownercode@ownercode. Verify the install. Save the repository's START-HERE-PROMPT.md in my project; do not run it.
5. Check GitHub and Cloudflare sign-in; help me complete missing account and browser steps. I handle passwords, payment and consent. Public plugin installation needs no GitHub login. Defer an Anthropic API key until my app needs AI; never ask for secrets in chat.
6. If a sandbox, permission or approval check blocks you, show the command and error. Request the specific approval through the normal tool flow. Do not disable safeguards or treat approval as overriding a policy refusal. If still blocked, give exact commands for my operating system, starting in the full project path, and wait for results. Say "sandbox-only" only when verified.
7. Show command output and a done/waiting checklist. Guide my final controls: Claude Code: /plugin > Marketplaces > ownercode > Enable auto-update. Codex: /hooks > review and trust Ownercode hooks. Tell me to restart, reopen the same folder, and check for "Ownercode safety guards: on." in a fresh Codex session. Then tell me to paste the saved start prompt and answer its questions myself. Do not start the interview or build the app. Or type the lines yourself.
Claude Code. Type these two lines in Claude Code, one at a time:
/plugin marketplace add Dirty-Work-Software/ownercode
/plugin install ownercode@ownercode Then turn on updates, once: type /plugin, open Marketplaces, pick ownercode, choose Enable auto-update.
Codex. Run these two lines in a terminal:
codex plugin marketplace add Dirty-Work-Software/ownercode
codex plugin add ownercode@ownercode Then open Codex, type /hooks, and trust the Ownercode hooks. Codex runs no safety guard until you do this once. Codex updates the plugin by itself.
Check it: in a new Codex session, the first message must be Ownercode safety guards: on. If it is not, the guards are off. Type /hooks, trust the Ownercode hooks, and restart Codex.
A window asks you to sign in to Git or GitHub? Close it. Ownercode needs no account and no sign-in. Check the address and connection before you try again. Check the spelling: Dirty-Work-Software/ownercode.
We use your email only for the kit and news about it. We never sell it. Privacy
Questions
Questions
What does it cost?
The kit is free. Pro is $299, one time, plus VAT where it applies. You also need a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max) for Claude Code, or a ChatGPT plan that includes Codex. Hosting on Cloudflare's free tier is usually zero.
Claude Code or Codex?
Both work. On Windows, start with Claude Code: Codex on Windows needs full access to build this kind of app. In Codex, the guards start after you trust them once in /hooks.
Can I share or sell the kit?
Share the free kit with anyone. You cannot sell it, or a kit made from it. Pro is for you and every business you own.
What if Dirty Work Software stops?
Your app keeps working. It runs in your accounts, not ours. The kit you have keeps working too.
Read more
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