Desktop Commander MCP Server

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

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What is the Desktop Commander MCP Server?

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

More MCP options

Compare MCP servers by category, or browse hosted MCP servers if you prefer an endpoint over a local process.

How to install the Desktop Commander 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.