One env var gives Claude Code separate config profiles
A developer posted on Hacker News about running multiple independent Claude Code setups side by side. CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR points at ~/.claude by default; create a different directory, launch claude with the variable set to it, and you get a clean instance with its own skills, plugins, and MCP connections. He wraps each one in an alias in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc.
His own setup runs an experimental build loaded with community plugins (caveman, i-have-adhd, context-mode) alongside a separate build tied to a different account.
For managing and sharing these profiles he points to his own tool, Claude Playbooks: a single static binary with no dependencies, MIT licensed, source on GitHub.
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