Gnome Desktop MCP Server

Desktop automation for GNOME Wayland via MCP. Take screenshots, manage windows, and inject keyboard/mouse input from AI assistants like Claude Code.

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Gnome Desktop MCP MCP server?

Desktop automation for GNOME Wayland via MCP. Take screenshots, manage windows, and inject keyboard/mouse input from AI assistants like Claude Code. Exposed over MCP by the gnome desktop mcp mcp server, that capability becomes something an assistant can invoke while it works, not something you go and do afterwards.

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • Screenshots — The Screenshots tool exposed by this server
  • Windows — The Windows tool exposed by this server
  • Input — The Input tool exposed by this server
  • Utility — The Utility tool exposed by this server

Configuration

  • GNOME Shell 45-49 (Wayland) - Python 3.12+

Adding it to your client

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at gnome-desktop-mcp on PyPI and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

When to reach for it

Among the developer tooling options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Gnome Desktop MCP's toolset — Screenshots, Windows, Input and 1 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by sbuysse; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

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

Caveats

  • 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.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the gnome desktop mcp mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
ScreenshotsThe Screenshots tool exposed by this server.
WindowsThe Windows tool exposed by this server.
InputThe Input tool exposed by this server.
UtilityThe Utility tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Gnome Desktop MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-automation": {
      "command": "gnome-desktop-mcp"
    }
  }
}

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

Configuration

  • GNOME Shell 45-49 (Wayland) - Python 3.12+

Example prompts to try

  • Use Gnome Desktop MCP to Screenshots.
  • Use Gnome Desktop MCP to Windows.
  • Use Gnome Desktop MCP to Input.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Gnome Desktop MCP to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 4 tools (Screenshots, Windows, Input, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Gnome Desktop MCP directly.