---
slug: "claude-desktop-commander-mcp-claude-dev-tools"
source_type: "readme"
source_url: "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/StrawHatAI/claude-dev-tools@main/README.md"
repo: "https://github.com/StrawHatAI/claude-dev-tools"
source_file: "README.md"
branch: "main"
---
# Claude Desktop Commander MCP

[![npm downloads](https://img.shields.io/npm/dw/@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander)
[![smithery badge](https://smithery.ai/badge/@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander)](https://smithery.ai/server/@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander)
[![Verified on MseeP](https://mseep.ai/badge.svg)](https://mseep.ai/app/d95e8592-4114-4957-b0ef-289c5460ab31)

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

<a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/zempur9oh4">
  <img width="380" height="200" src="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/zempur9oh4/badge" alt="Claude Desktop Commander MCP server" />
</a>

This is server that allows Claude desktop app to execute long-running terminal commands on your computer and manage processes through Model Context Protocol (MCP) + Built on top of [MCP Filesystem Server](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/filesystem) to provide additional search and replace file editing capabilities .

## Features

- 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
  - Create/list directories
  - Move files/directories
  - Search files
  - Get file metadata
  - Code editing capabilities:
  - Surgical text replacements for small changes
  - Full file rewrites for major changes
  - Multiple file support
  - Pattern-based replacements

## Installation
First, ensure you've downloaded and installed the [Claude Desktop app](https://claude.ai/download) and you have [npm installed](https://docs.npmjs.com/downloading-and-installing-node-js-and-npm).

### Option 1: Installing via Smithery

To install Desktop Commander for Claude Desktop automatically via [Smithery](https://smithery.ai/server/@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander):

```bash
npx -y @smithery/cli install @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander --client claude
```

### Option 2: Install trough npx
Just run this in terminal
```
npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander setup
```
Restart Claude if running

### Option 3: Add to claude_desktop_config by hand
Add this entry to your claude_desktop_config.json (on Mac, found at ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):
```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-commander": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```
Restart Claude if running

### Option 4: Checkout locally
1. Clone and build:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/ClaudeComputerCommander.git
cd ClaudeComputerCommander
npm run setup
```
Restart Claude if running

The setup command will:
- Install dependencies
- Build the server
- Configure Claude's desktop app
- Add MCP servers to Claude's config if needed

## Usage

The server provides these tool categories:

### Terminal Tools
- `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
- `block_command`/`unblock_command`: Manage command blacklist

### Filesystem Tools
- `read_file`/`write_file`: File operations
- `create_directory`/`list_directory`: Directory management  
- `move_file`: Move/rename files
- `search_files`: Pattern-based file search
- `get_file_info`: File metadata

### Edit Tools
- `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)

Search/Replace Block Format:
```
filepath.ext
<<<<<<< SEARCH
existing code to replace
=======
new code to insert
>>>>>>> REPLACE
```

Example:
```
src/main.js
<<<<<<< SEARCH
console.log("old message");
=======
console.log("new message");
>>>>>>> REPLACE
```

## Handling Long-Running Commands

For commands that may take a while:

1. `execute_command` returns after timeout with initial output
2. Command continues in background
3. Use `read_output` with PID to get new output
4. Use `force_terminate` to stop if needed

## Model Context Protocol Integration

This project extends the MCP Filesystem Server to enable:
- Local server support in Claude Desktop
- Full system command execution
- Process management
- File operations
- Code editing with search/replace blocks

Created as part of exploring Claude MCPs: https://youtube.com/live/TlbjFDbl5Us

## Contributing

If you find this project useful, please consider giving it a ⭐ star on GitHub! This helps others discover the project and encourages further development.

We welcome contributions from the community! Whether you've found a bug, have a feature request, or want to contribute code, here's how you can help:

- **Found a bug?** Open an issue at [github.com/wonderwhy-er/ClaudeComputerCommander/issues](https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/ClaudeComputerCommander/issues)
- **Have a feature idea?** Submit a feature request in the issues section
- **Want to contribute code?** Fork the repository, create a branch, and submit a pull request
- **Questions or discussions?** Start a discussion in the GitHub Discussions tab

All contributions, big or small, are greatly appreciated!

## License

MIT