error: unknown option '--output-format' using claude_agent_sdk

[gregmercer]

I'm trying to run the following...

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
Simple test to debug the claude_agent_sdk issue
"""

import asyncio
import sys

async def test_claude_sdk():
    """Test the claude_agent_sdk import and basic functionality"""
    try:
        print("Testing claude_agent_sdk import...")
        from claude_agent_sdk import query, ClaudeAgentOptions
        print("✅ Import successful")
        
        print("Testing basic query...")
        options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
            mcp_servers={},
            allowed_tools=[],
            permission_mode="bypassPermissions"
        )
        
        print("Creating query...")
        async for message in query(
            prompt="Hello, can you just say 'test successful'?",
            options=options
        ):
            print(f"Response: {message}")
            break
        
        print("✅ Test completed successfully")
        
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"❌ Error: {e}")
        import traceback
        traceback.print_exc()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(test_claude_sdk())

but getting back this error:

╰─$ uv run test_claude_sdk.py
Testing claude_agent_sdk import...
✅ Import successful
Testing basic query...
Creating query...
error: unknown option '--output-format'
Fatal error in message reader: Command failed with exit code 1 (exit code: 1)
Error output: Check stderr output for details
❌ Error: Command failed with exit code 1 (exit code: 1)
Error output: Check stderr output for details
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/gmercer/Desktop/ai/mcp-calculator/test_claude_sdk.py", line 24, in test_claude_sdk
    async for message in query(
  File "/Users/gmercer/Desktop/ai/mcp-calculator/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/claude_agent_sdk/query.py", line 123, in query
    async for message in client.process_query(
  File "/Users/gmercer/Desktop/ai/mcp-calculator/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/client.py", line 117, in process_query
    async for data in query.receive_messages():
  File "/Users/gmercer/Desktop/ai/mcp-calculator/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/query.py", line 500, in receive_messages
    raise Exception(message.get("error", "Unknown error"))
Exception: Command failed with exit code 1 (exit code: 1)
Error output: Check stderr output for details

[ashwin-ant]

What version of Claude Code do you have installed? Run claude -v. If possible try to be on the latest (2.0.1)

[gregmercer]

╰─$ claude --version
2.0.1 (Claude Code)

[gregmercer]

Debugging into this... I can see it gets to here

.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/transport/subprocess_cli.py

near line 248... the last line is what produces the "error: unknown option '--output-format'' message.

            # Setup stdin for streaming mode
            if self._is_streaming and self._process.stdin:
                self._stdin_stream = TextSendStream(self._process.stdin)
            elif not self._is_streaming and self._process.stdin:
                # String mode: close stdin immediately
                await self._process.stdin.aclose()

Maybe that help?

[gregmercer]

The cmd has this...

[gregmercer]

Reinstalling claude and claude-code using brew force, got me past this specific issue.

[SAIL-Fang]

I also had the problem "ClaudeAgentOptions.init() got an unexpected keyword argument 'output_format'"

>pip show claude-agent-sdk
Name: claude-agent-sdk
Version: 0.1.6

But after I pip install -U claude-agent-sdk update to 0.1.8 version, it works!