Desktop Commander MCP MCP Server

This is MCP server for Claude that gives it terminal control, file system search and diff file editing capabilities

Remote serverstreamable-httpPython

What is the Desktop Commander MCP MCP server?

Most file and storage access work still happens through a UI a human drives. Desktop Commander MCP MCP server moves it into the conversation instead. This is MCP server for Claude that gives it terminal control, file system search and diff file editing capabilities.

The short version

Work with code and text, run processes, and automate tasks, going far beyond other AI editors - while using host client subscriptions instead of API token costs.

  • Remote AI Control — - Use Desktop Commander from ChatGPT, Claude web, and other AI services via Remote MCP
  • File Preview UI — - Visual file previews in Claude Desktop with rendered markdown, inline images, expandable content, built-in markdown editor, and quick "Open in folder" access
  • Enhanced terminal commands with interactive process control —
  • Execute code in memory (Python, Node.js, R) without saving files —
  • Instant data analysis - just ask to analyze CSV/JSON/Excel files —
  • Native Excel file support — - Read, write, edit, and search Excel files (.xlsx, .xls, .xlsm) without external tools

Getting it running

Because this one is hosted, setup is mostly authentication — you point your client at the endpoint and approve access. Nothing runs on your machine, so there is no runtime to keep patched.

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 1 tool. What each one is for:

  • Security — The Security tool exposed by this server

Things to watch

  • Your data travels to the provider's service, so the usual questions apply about what you send and what they retain.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How it compares

Plenty of file and storage access servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Desktop Commander MCP's toolset — Security — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by wonderwhy-er; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
SecurityThe Security tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Desktop Commander MCP MCP server

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

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Example prompts to try

  • Use Desktop Commander MCP to Security.

Frequently asked questions

The server includes symlink traversal prevention, a command blocklist with bypass protection, and optional Docker isolation for full sandboxing. See SECURITY.md for details.