How to Install Understand Anything: Multi-Platform Installation Guide for Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code

You can install Understand Anything across Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code using the repository's install.sh script, which configures platform-specific symlinks and plugin manifests for each environment.

Understand Anything is an open-source code intelligence tool from Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything that provides unified LLM-driven code understanding across multiple development environments. The repository includes a unified installer that handles platform-specific configurations for Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code (via Codex), allowing you to use the same /understand slash commands across all three editors.

Installing on Claude Code

For Claude Code, the installation process creates symlinks in your home directory that point to the plugin's skills and agents directories.

Run the installer with the claude argument:

git clone https://github.com/Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything.git
cd Understand-Anything
./install.sh claude

This script creates symlinks under ~/.agents/skills/ that reference the plugin's skills/ and agents/ directories located in the repository. The installer reads the manifest from .claude-plugin/plugin.json to determine the correct configuration.

After installation, launch Claude Code and execute any of the slash commands such as /understand or /understand-dashboard. The skill runs inside your active Claude session without requiring additional API keys.

Installing on Cursor

Cursor requires no manual installation steps. The IDE automatically discovers the plugin when you open the repository.

Clone the repository and open it in Cursor:

git clone https://github.com/Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything.git
cd Understand-Anything

Cursor automatically detects the presence of .cursor-plugin/plugin.json and loads the plugin immediately. Unlike Claude Code, this platform does not require running install.sh or creating symlinks, as the IDE reads the descriptor directly from the repository root.

Once opened, you can start a new Claude Code session from the side-panel to access LLM-driven analysis with the same /understand-* commands available in other environments.

Installing on VS Code (Codex)

For VS Code, the plugin integrates via the Codex extension and requires running the installer to create the expected directory layout.

Execute the installer with the codex argument:

git clone https://github.com/Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything.git
cd Understand-Anything
./install.sh codex

This command creates the folder layout expected by the Codex extension, typically under ~/.codex/plugins/, and generates a .codex-plugin/plugin.json file that mirrors the Claude manifest but uses the codex namespace.

After running the script, install the Codex extension in VS Code if you haven't already, then open the repository. The extension reads the generated manifest and enables the same /understand slash commands available in Claude Code and Cursor.

How the Installation Script Works

The root-level install.sh script contains platform-selection logic that detects or accepts a target environment argument and creates the appropriate symlinks or configuration files.

Key behaviors include:

• Argument handling: Run ./install.sh without arguments to receive an interactive prompt, or specify claude, cursor, or codex to force a specific platform.
• Symlink creation: For Claude Code, the script creates symlinks under ~/.agents/skills/ pointing to the local skills/ and agents/ directories.
• Codex preparation: For VS Code, the script generates a .codex-plugin/plugin.json file in the appropriate user directory.
• Update capability: Running ./install.sh --update pulls the latest repository changes and refreshes all symlinks and plugin descriptors.

Source file references:

• install.sh – Contains the platform-selection logic and symlink creation routines.
• .claude-plugin/plugin.json – The Claude Code manifest used when ./install.sh claude executes.
• .cursor-plugin/plugin.json – The Cursor manifest that enables automatic discovery without installation.
• .codex-plugin/plugin.json – Generated by the installer for VS Code compatibility.

Updating Your Installation

To update the plugin across any platform, run the update flag from the repository root:

./install.sh --update

This command pulls the latest changes from the remote repository and refreshes the symlinks for Claude Code and the plugin descriptors for VS Code. Cursor installations require no manual update, as the IDE always reads the descriptor from the current checkout.

Summary

• Clone once: Use git clone https://github.com/Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything.git to obtain the repository containing all platform manifests.
• Claude Code: Run ./install.sh claude to create symlinks under ~/.agents/skills/ and enable /understand commands.
• Cursor: Simply open the repository; auto-discovery via .cursor-plugin/plugin.json requires no installation script.
• VS Code: Run ./install.sh codex to generate the Codex-compatible plugin layout in ~/.codex/plugins/.
• Unified commands: All three platforms expose identical /understand and /understand-dashboard slash commands after setup.
• Maintenance: Use ./install.sh --update to refresh Claude Code and VS Code installations; Cursor updates automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Cursor require running the install.sh script?

No. Cursor automatically discovers the plugin by reading .cursor-plugin/plugin.json when you open the repository. Unlike Claude Code and VS Code, Cursor does not require symlink creation or manual manifest generation, making it the simplest platform to configure.

Where does the installer place Claude Code configuration files?

The install.sh script creates symlinks under ~/.agents/skills/ that point to the skills/ and agents/ directories within your local clone of the repository. This allows Claude Code to locate the plugin assets while keeping the actual files in your git-managed directory.

Can I use the same repository clone for multiple IDEs simultaneously?

Yes. You can run ./install.sh claude and ./install.sh codex from the same repository clone without conflicts. The script configures each platform independently, allowing you to use Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code interchangeably with the same underlying plugin code.

What is the difference between the .cursor-plugin and .claude-plugin directories?

The .cursor-plugin directory contains plugin.json, which Cursor reads automatically for zero-configuration setup. The .claude-plugin directory contains a similar manifest that install.sh uses to create symlinks in your home directory, as Claude Code requires files to be present in specific agent paths rather than reading directly from the repository.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}