code
How to use the New Account to fix the old one

A new user account starts with a fresh “PATH” and no aliases. Logging into it will confirm if the issue is global or just in your files.

Gizin Inc.Gizin Inc. +1
  1. Log into the New User Account: Go to your Mac’s login screen and enter the new account.
  2. Open Terminal: Run a simple command like ls.
    • If ls works: The “Stepfun” ghost is definitely in a hidden startup file in your original user account (likely .zprofile or .zshenv).
    • If ls still fails: The broken script is in a global system folder like /usr/local/bin.
  3. Run a Deep Search: In the new account, you can safely run a search across the entire machine to find the text “stepfun” without the terminal crashing:
    bash
    grep -r "stepfun" /Users/YOUR_OLD_USERNAME -l 2>/dev/null
    Use code with caution.

    (Replace YOUR_OLD_USERNAME with the name of your original broken account folder.)

    GitHubGitHub +1
One last “Bypass” to try first
If you want one final attempt in your original account without the dquote error, try this exact command to bypass all aliases and validation checks:
bash
\env CLAUDE_SKIP_VERSION_CHECK=1 \ls
Use code with caution.
  • The backslash \ forces the Mac to use the real system tool instead of the broken alias.
  • The CLAUDE_SKIP_VERSION_CHECK=1 flag can sometimes force the binary to ignore internal model validation errors.
    GitHubGitHub +1
If you log into the new user account and run ls, does the “Stepfun” error finally disappear?
The grep command is likely working, but it can be very slow when searching through an entire user profile. If it hasn’t returned any text or a new prompt line, it is still quietly scanning thousands of files for the word “stepfun”.

Super User +1
Since the terminal environment was previously “locked,” here is how to verify the search and force it to show you the “smoking gun” quickly.
1. How to tell if it’s working
  • Check for a flashing cursor: If you see a solid or blinking block with no text prompt (like yourname%), the computer is busy.
  • Use the “Inspector”: In your Mac’s top menu bar, go to Shell > Show Inspector. It will show “grep” in the list of Running Processes if it’s still active.
  • Kill it and refine: If it has been more than 5 minutes, press Ctrl + C to stop it. We can then target the most likely “hiding spots” instead of the whole computer.
    YouTube +1
2. Search only the “Likely Suspects”
Instead of searching your entire user folder, run these targeted searches from the new user account (replace YOUR_OLD_USERNAME with your actual old username):
bash
# Search only hidden config files (fastest)
grep -r "stepfun" /Users/YOUR_OLD_USERNAME/.* -l 2>/dev/null

# Search for the OpenRouter "Router" config specifically
ls -a /Users/YOUR_OLD_USERNAME/.claude-code-router
Use code with caution.
3. The most likely “Hiding Spots” for Stepfun
If you used a “free model” setup, the “stepfun” text is almost certainly in one of these specific files:

YouTube +2
  • ~/.claude/settings.json: The main configuration file for Claude Code.
  • ~/.claude.json: Stores your session and project-specific states.
  • ~/.claude-code-router/config.json: Used if you installed the OpenRouter “wrapper” script.
  • ~/.opencode.json: A common file for the community “OpenCode” tool.
    Claude +1
4. Why the Terminal is “Ignoring” You
If the grep command finishes and returns a new prompt with no text, it means it found zero matches for “stepfun” in those files. If that happens, the error isn’t coming from a file—it’s likely coming from a Shell Alias that is only active when you are logged into your old account.

Apple Discussions
Pro-Tip: If the search finds a file in the old user’s folder, don’t try to edit it. Just delete it from the new account using the Trash or rm.
Once you press Ctrl + C to stop the long search, did the “Inspector” show that grep was actually running?