Claude Code 2.1.302 changes subagent defaults and adds idle-compaction control
Updated Claude Code
Summary
The October 16 release adds an idle-compaction toggle, expands fork-subagent defaults and fixes cloud routine retries that could repeat work.
- Tool
- Claude Code
- Category
- Coding agents
- Date
- Pricing
- Not stated in the sources we cited.
Anthropic published Claude Code v2.1.302 on October 16, 2026. This is an update to the existing coding agent, not a new model launch.
Controls and agent behavior
The configuration screen now exposes an idle-compaction switch. A new environment variable, CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_MODEL, selects the client-side auto-mode classifier; it does not select the server-side classifier or replace the main coding model.
Fork subagents are now enabled by default in print-mode CLI sessions, the Agent SDK, desktop and VS Code. The release also changes where child agents run: the main conversation's subagents run in the background in desktop and VS Code, while a subagent's own calls run in the foreground by default across the listed integrations. These are orchestration defaults, not evidence of better coding quality.
Fixes that matter for unattended work
The notes identify a cloud-routine bug where a partially failed scheduled run could restart from the beginning much later and repeat actions. This release fixes that retry behavior and corrects misleading completion states for interrupted runs.
Other fixes cover MCP servers missing optional response metadata, resumed cloud-session usage totals and Windows writes on FAT32/exFAT drives. These are vendor-reported fixes; Agent Radar has not reproduced or benchmarked them.
Access
The official overview says most surfaces require a Claude subscription or Anthropic Console account, with third-party-provider support on selected integrations. A public release-notes repository does not establish an open-source license or free inference.
See the Claude Code hub for earlier releases and alternatives.
Alternatives
| Tool | License | Pricing note |
|---|---|---|
Claude CodeThis launchClaude Code is an agentic coding tool that runs in your terminal and works on your codebase. | — | Not stated |
ClineApache-2.0 coding agent published as an SDK, IDE extension, or CLI assistant in the cline/cline repository. | Apache-2.0 | The repository license is Apache-2.0. Model access is separate. |
AiderApache-2.0 terminal pair programmer. The project describes Aider as AI pair programming in your terminal. | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 software. Model access is separate. |
OpenCodeOpen-source coding agent from the anomalyco/opencode repository, MIT-licensed, with a terminal client and a site at opencode.ai. | MIT | The client is MIT-licensed. Model access is separate; this page does not quote a hosted plan. |
More from Claude Code
Claude Code 2.1.295 adds hook blocking and gateway controls
Claude CodeClaude Code v2.1.295, released October 8, 2026, adds fail-closed hooks, OSC 7501 status support and new Claude apps gateway upstream controls.
Category: Coding agents
Pricing: Not stated
Questions
What is Claude Code?
The repository describes it as an agentic coding tool that lives in your terminal, understands your codebase, and handles routine tasks and git workflows through natural language commands.
Is Claude Code open source?
Not stated in the cited sources. The GitHub API does not report a recognized license for the repository.
Does Claude Code support MCP?
The docs overview lists connecting your tools with MCP, and the v2.1.295 release notes include MCP fixes.
Filed on Agent Radar. Claims in this note are limited to the sources above.