capture and return claude print output instead of writing directly to stdout

src/cli.ts

@@ -132,9 +132,13 @@ program
 
     if (opts.print) {
       spin.text = "Running prompt…"
-      await vm.claude(worktreeAbs, { prompt, print: opts.print })
+      const output = await vm.claude(worktreeAbs, { prompt, print: opts.print })
-      process.stdout.write("\n")
+      if (output) {
-      spin.succeed("Prompt complete")
+        spin.stop()
+        process.stdout.write(output + "\n")
+      } else {
+        spin.succeed("Done")
+      }
     } else {
       await vm.claude(worktreeAbs, { prompt, print: opts.print })
     }
@@ -192,9 +196,13 @@ program
 
     if (opts.print) {
       spin.text = "Running prompt…"
-      await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print })
+      const output = await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print })
-      process.stdout.write("\n")
+      if (output) {
-      spin.succeed("Prompt complete")
+        spin.stop()
+        process.stdout.write(output + "\n")
+      } else {
+        spin.succeed("Done")
+      }
     } else {
       spin.succeed("Session ready")
       await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print })

src/spinner.ts

@@ -18,5 +18,9 @@ export function spinner(text: string) {
       clearInterval(id)
       process.stderr.write(`\r\x1b[2K✖ ${msg}\n`)
     },
+    stop() {
+      clearInterval(id)
+      process.stderr.write(`\r\x1b[2K`)
+    },
   }
 }

src/vm.ts

@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export async function status(): Promise<"running" | "stopped" | "missing"> {
 }
 
 /** Launch claude in the container at the given workdir. */
-export async function claude(workdir: string, opts?: { prompt?: string; print?: string }): Promise<void> {
+export async function claude(workdir: string, opts?: { prompt?: string; print?: string }): Promise<string | void> {
   const cwd = containerPath(workdir)
   const systemPrompt = [
     "You are running inside a sandlot container (Apple Container, ubuntu:24.04).",
@@ -119,6 +119,14 @@ export async function claude(workdir: string, opts?: { prompt?: string; print?:
   const args = ["container", "exec", "-it", "--user", USER, "--workdir", cwd, CONTAINER_NAME, CLAUDE_BIN, "--dangerously-skip-permissions", "--model", "claude-opus-4-6", "--append-system-prompt", systemPrompt]
   if (opts?.print) args.push("-p", opts.print)
   else if (opts?.prompt) args.push(opts.prompt)
+
+  if (opts?.print) {
+    const proc = Bun.spawn(args, { stdin: "inherit", stdout: "pipe", stderr: "inherit" })
+    const output = await new Response(proc.stdout).text()
+    await proc.exited
+    return output
+  }
+
   const proc = Bun.spawn(args, { stdin: "inherit", stdout: "inherit", stderr: "inherit" })
   await proc.exited
 }