Claude Desktop Commander MCP Server

Overview

The Claude Desktop Commander MCP Server is a powerful tool that enables the Claude Desktop app to execute terminal commands, manage processes, and perform filesystem operations. Built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), it extends the capabilities of the MCP Filesystem Server to provide advanced search, replace, and file editing functionalities.

Features

• Terminal Command Execution: Run commands with output streaming, timeout, and background execution support.
• Process Management: List and kill processes, manage long-running command sessions.
• Filesystem Operations: Read/write files, create/list directories, move files, search files, and get file metadata.
• Code Editing: Perform surgical text replacements or full file rewrites using a search/replace block format.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Claude Desktop App: Download and install from claude.ai/download.
• npm: Ensure you have npm installed by following the npm installation guide.

Installation Options

Option 1: Install via Smithery

npx -y @smithery/cli install @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander --client claude

Option 2: Install via npx

npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander setup

Restart Claude if running.

Option 3: Manual Configuration

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-commander": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude if running.

Option 4: Local Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/ClaudeComputerCommander.git
cd ClaudeComputerCommander
npm run setup

Restart Claude if running.

Usage

Terminal Tools

• execute_command: Run commands with configurable timeout.
• read_output: Get output from long-running commands.
• force_terminate: Stop running command sessions.
• list_sessions: View active command sessions.
• list_processes: View system processes.
• kill_process: Terminate processes by PID.
• block_command/unblock_command: Manage command blacklist.

Filesystem Tools

• read_file/write_file: File operations.
• create_directory/list_directory: Directory management.
• move_file: Move/rename files.
• search_files: Pattern-based file search.
• get_file_info: File metadata.

Edit Tools

• edit_block: Apply surgical text replacements (best for changes <20% of file size).
• write_file: Complete file rewrites (best for large changes >20% or when edit_block fails).

Search/Replace Block Format

filepath.ext
<<<<<<< SEARCH
existing code to replace
=======
new code to insert
>>>>>>> REPLACE

Handling Long-Running Commands

1. execute_command returns after timeout with initial output.
2. Command continues in the background.
3. Use read_output with PID to get new output.
4. Use force_terminate to stop if needed.

Model Context Protocol Integration

This project extends the MCP Filesystem Server to enable:
- Local server support in Claude Desktop.
- Full system command execution.
- Process management.
- File operations.
- Code editing with search/replace blocks.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here’s how you can help:
- Report Bugs: Open an issue at ClaudeComputerCommander Issues.
- Request Features: Submit a feature request in the issues section.
- Contribute Code: Fork the repository, create a branch, and submit a pull request.
- Discuss: Start a discussion in the GitHub Discussions tab.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Resources

• GitHub Repository
• YouTube Live Demo