Claude Code Relay Setup Before Friday’s Release

The release-team test: one endpoint, three laptops

A release team needs Claude Code working across a Windows laptop, a Mac and a Linux workstation before Friday’s cutoff. The useful question is not whether each terminal accepts an environment variable. It is whether Claude Code reaches the intended relay, authenticates successfully and completes an ordinary development task without exposing credentials.

The following is a reproducible field-test walkthrough, not a report of measurements taken on those machines. Its acceptance criteria are deliberately modest: launch successfully, complete one small request and confirm usage in the relay dashboard. That is enough to validate configuration without inventing performance claims.

The endpoint and credentials to prepare

Install Claude Code using its current official instructions for your operating system, then confirm that the claude command runs. On Windows, follow any shell prerequisites specified by your installed release. A custom endpoint does not replace the CLI installation.

Prepare a RelayVano API key and check its dashboard for the exact model identifier and Claude Code configuration requirements. RelayVano’s API base is https://api.relayvano.com. Claude Code needs an Anthropic-compatible interface; OpenAI compatibility alone does not establish that a relay will work with it.

The examples below use ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN for the relay credential. Confirm that this matches RelayVano’s current instructions. Avoid simultaneously configuring a different ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or leaving conflicting authentication settings in place.

Windows PowerShell: isolate the first session

Open a fresh PowerShell window. Set the endpoint and token for that session, then launch Claude Code from the same window:

• $env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = 'https://api.relayvano.com'
• $env:ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN = 'YOUR_RELAYVANO_API_KEY'
• claude

Replace the placeholder locally. Session-scoped variables are useful for the first test because closing PowerShell removes them from that session’s environment. They do not rewrite every terminal or application on the laptop.

If Claude Code was already running, exit and relaunch it. A running process does not automatically receive environment changes made afterward. For persistent configuration, use your organization’s approved environment or secret-management workflow, then open a new terminal before retesting.

macOS and Linux: export before launching

In a typical zsh or bash session, use the same endpoint and credential with shell export syntax:

• export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL='https://api.relayvano.com'
• export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN='YOUR_RELAYVANO_API_KEY'
• claude

Start with these temporary exports rather than immediately editing shell startup files. Once the test passes, persist the settings using your shell’s appropriate configuration or an approved credential-loading mechanism. Keep secrets out of repositories, shared dotfiles and screenshots. Typing credentials directly into a terminal may also leave them in shell history.

Use the supplied base URL unchanged initially. Do not append /v1 or a messages path by guesswork; follow the relay’s current Claude Code instructions if they specify a different path.

The smoke test: request, usage and failure signals

Create an empty scratch directory and launch Claude Code there. Ask it to describe a simple function without reading a real project. Select a model using the exact relay-supported identifier rather than assuming a display name is a valid API identifier.

• Confirm that the response completes and that the relay dashboard records the corresponding usage. Reporting may not be instantaneous.
• For authentication errors, verify the key, account balance and credential-variable requirements. Do not print the token into diagnostic logs.
• For endpoint errors, compare the configured base with current documentation before changing paths.
• For model errors, check the relay’s supported identifier and account access.
• For connection failures, check proxy and certificate settings. Do not disable TLS verification.

A completed smoke test establishes basic routing and authentication, not compatibility with every Claude Code feature. Test project access and tool permissions separately before using sensitive code.

The release-day recommendation: keep configuration reversible

I recommend RelayVano for developers who want pay-as-you-go relay access and can verify the required model and client behavior with this small acceptance test. Sign up for RelayVano, run the session-only setup on your operating system, and persist it only after a completed request appears in your usage records. Keep a documented rollback to your previous configuration before Friday’s release.