ITerm MCP Server

Enables AI assistants to interact with iTerm2 terminals through the Model Context Protocol.

Local serverstdio★ 15

What is the ITerm MCP Server?

Enables AI assistants to interact with iTerm2 terminals through the Model Context Protocol.

The short version

  • Create and manage iTerm2 terminal sessions
  • Execute commands in terminals
  • Read terminal output
  • List active terminals
  • Close terminals

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 5 tools. What each one is for:

  • open_terminal — Open a new terminal instance
  • execute_command — Execute a command in a specific terminal
  • read_output — Read the output from a specific terminal
  • close_terminal — Close a specific terminal
  • list_terminals — List all active terminals and their information

What it needs from you

  • Node.js >= 14.x - iTerm2 - macOS (since iTerm2 is macOS-only)

More MCP options

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

Maintainer setup documentation.

Recorded tools

Check the linked publisher documentation and your connected client's tool list. Names and availability can vary with the server version and account permissions.

ToolWhat it does
open_terminalOpen a new terminal instance
execute_commandExecute a command in a specific terminal
read_outputRead the output from a specific terminal
close_terminalClose a specific terminal
list_terminalsList all active terminals and their information

How to install the ITerm MCP Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "terminal": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "iterm_mcp_server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

From the project documentation. Replace placeholders and example paths before connecting.

Configuration

  • Node.js >= 14.x - iTerm2 - macOS (since iTerm2 is macOS-only)

Example prompts to try

  • “Use ITerm to open terminal.”
  • “Use ITerm to execute command.”
  • “Use ITerm to read output.”

Frequently asked questions

You need Node.js (>= 14.x), iTerm2, and macOS since iTerm2 is macOS-only.