Claude Desktop Commander MCP MCP Server

MCP server stack for Claude that gives it terminal control

Local serverstdio

What is the Claude Desktop Commander MCP MCP server?

If you already use Claude Desktop Commander MCP, the claude desktop commander mcp mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. MCP server stack for Claude that gives it terminal control.

What the server does

Short version. Two key things. Terminal commands and diff based file editing.

  • Execute terminal commands with output streaming
  • Command timeout and background execution support
  • Process management (list and kill processes)
  • Session management for long-running commands
  • Full filesystem operations:
  • Read/write files

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • 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
  • move_file — Move/rename files
  • search_files — Pattern-based file search
  • get_file_info — File metadata
  • 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)

Installation

The server ships on npm as @smithery/cli, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

Where it fits

This sits in the file and storage access group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Claude Desktop Commander MCP's toolset — execute_command, read_output, force_terminate and 8 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by StrawHatAI; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against Claude Desktop Commander MCP's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Worth knowing first

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 11 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Claude Desktop Commander MCP.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
execute_commandRun commands with configurable timeout
read_outputGet output from long-running commands
force_terminateStop running command sessions
list_sessionsView active command sessions
list_processesView system processes
kill_processTerminate processes by PID
move_fileMove/rename files
search_filesPattern-based file search
get_file_infoFile metadata
edit_blockApply surgical text replacements (best for changes <20% of file size)
write_fileComplete file rewrites (best for large changes >20% or when edit_block fails)

How to install the Claude Desktop Commander MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "claude-dev-tools": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@smithery/cli"]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Example prompts to try

  • Use Claude Desktop Commander MCP to execute command.
  • Use Claude Desktop Commander MCP to read output.
  • Use Claude Desktop Commander MCP to force terminate.

Frequently asked questions

You can install via Smithery, the `npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander setup` command, manually editing `claude_desktop_config.json`, or by cloning the repository and running `npm run setup`. The setup command installs dependencies, builds the server, and configures Claude's desktop app.