Desktop Commander MCP

Search, update, manage files and run terminal commands with AI

Work with code and text, run processes, and automate tasks, going far beyond other AI editors - without API token costs.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Installation
• Usage
• Docker Support
• Handling Long-Running Commands
• Work in Progress and TODOs
• Sponsors and Supporters
• Website
• Media
• Testimonials
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Contributing
• License

All of your AI development tools in one place. Desktop Commander puts all dev tools in one chat. Execute long-running terminal commands on your computer and manage processes through Model Context Protocol (MCP). Built on top of MCP Filesystem Server to provide additional search and replace file editing capabilities.

Features

• 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 files
• Interact with running processes (SSH, databases, development servers)
• Execute terminal commands with output streaming
• Command timeout and background execution support
• Process management (list and kill processes)
• Session management for long-running commands
• Server configuration management:
  • Get/set configuration values
  • Update multiple settings at once
  • Dynamic configuration changes without server restart
• Full filesystem operations:
  • Read/write files
  • Create/list directories
  • Move files/directories
  • Search files
  • Get file metadata
  • Negative offset file reading: Read from end of files using negative offset values (like Unix tail)
• Code editing capabilities:
  • Surgical text replacements for small changes
  • Full file rewrites for major changes
  • Multiple file support
  • Pattern-based replacements
  • vscode-ripgrep based recursive code or text search in folders
• Comprehensive audit logging:
  • All tool calls are automatically logged
  • Log rotation with 10MB size limit
  • Detailed timestamps and arguments

Installation

First, ensure you've downloaded and installed the Claude Desktop app and you have npm installed.

📋 Update & Uninstall Information: Before choosing an installation option, note that only Options 1 and 3 have automatic updates. Options 2, 4, and 5 require manual updates. See the sections below for update and uninstall instructions for each option.

Option 1: Install through npx ⭐ Auto-Updates

Just run this in terminal:

npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup

For debugging mode (allows Node.js inspector connection):

npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup --debug

Restart Claude if running.

✅ Auto-Updates: Yes - automatically updates when you restart Claude
🔄 Manual Update: Run the setup command again
🗑️ Uninstall: Run npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup --uninstall

Option 2: Using bash script installer (macOS) ⭐ Auto-Updates

For macOS users, you can use our automated bash installer which will check your Node.js version, install it if needed, and automatically configure Desktop Commander:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP/refs/heads/main/install.sh | bash

This script handles all dependencies and configuration automatically for a seamless setup experience.

✅ Auto-Updates: Yes - requires manual updates
🔄 Manual Update: Re-run the bash installer command above
🗑️ Uninstall: Remove the MCP server entry from your Claude config file and delete the cloned repository if it exists

Option 3: Installing via Smithery ⭐ Auto-Updates

To install Desktop Commander for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

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

✅ Auto-Updates: Yes - automatically updates when you restart Claude
🔄 Manual Update: Re-run the Smithery install command
🗑️ Uninstall: npx -y @smithery/cli uninstall @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander --client claude

Option 4: Add to claude_desktop_config manually ❌ Manual Updates

Add this entry to your claude_desktop_config.json:

• On Mac: ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• On Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• On Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

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

Restart Claude if running.

❌ Auto-Updates: No - uses npx but config might not update automatically
🔄 Manual Update: Usually automatic via npx, but if issues occur, update your config file or re-add the entry
🗑️ Uninstall: Remove the "desktop-commander" entry from your claude_desktop_config.json file

Option 5: Checkout locally ❌ Manual Updates

1. Clone and build:

git clone https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP.git
cd DesktopCommanderMCP
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

❌ Auto-Updates: No - requires manual git updates
🔄 Manual Update: cd DesktopCommanderMCP && git pull && npm run setup
🗑️ Uninstall: Remove the cloned directory and remove MCP server entry from Claude config

Updating & Uninstalling Desktop Commander

Automatic Updates (Options 1 & 3 only)

Options 1 (npx) and 3 (Smithery) automatically update to the latest version whenever you restart Claude. No manual intervention needed.

Manual Updates (Options 2, 4 & 5)

• Option 2 (bash installer): Re-run the curl command
• Option 4 (manual config): Usually automatic via npx, but re-add config entry if issues occur
• Option 5 (local checkout): cd DesktopCommanderMCP && git pull && npm run setup

Uninstalling Desktop Commander

• Option 1: npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup --uninstall
• Option 2: Remove MCP server entry from Claude config and delete any cloned repositories
• Option 3: npx -y @smithery/cli uninstall @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander --client claude
• Option 4: Remove the "desktop-commander" entry from your claude_desktop_config.json file
• Option 5: Delete the cloned directory and remove MCP server entry from Claude config

After uninstalling, restart Claude Desktop to complete the removal.

Usage

The server provides a comprehensive set of tools organized into several categories:

Available Tools

Category	Tool	Description
Configuration	get_config	Get the complete server configuration as JSON (includes blockedCommands, defaultShell, allowedDirectories, fileReadLineLimit, fileWriteLineLimit, telemetryEnabled)
	set_config_value	Set a specific configuration value by key. Available settings: • blockedCommands: Array of shell commands that cannot be executed • defaultShell: Shell to use for commands (e.g., bash, zsh, powershell) • allowedDirectories: Array of filesystem paths the server can access for file operations (⚠️ terminal commands can still access files outside these directories) • fileReadLineLimit: Maximum lines to read at once (default: 1000) • fileWriteLineLimit: Maximum lines to write at once (default: 50) • telemetryEnabled: Enable/disable telemetry (boolean)
Terminal	start_process	Start programs with smart detection of when they're ready for input
	interact_with_process	Send commands to running programs and get responses
	read_process_output	Read output from running processes
	force_terminate	Force terminate a running terminal session
	list_sessions	List all active terminal sessions
	list_processes	List all running processes with detailed information
	kill_process	Terminate a running process by PID
Filesystem	read_file	Read contents from local filesystem or URLs with line-based pagination (supports positive/negative offset and length parameters)
	read_multiple_files	Read multiple files simultaneously
	write_file	Write file contents with options for rewrite or append mode (uses configurable line limits)
	create_directory	Create a new directory or ensure it exists
	list_directory	Get detailed listing of files and directories
	move_file	Move or rename files and directories
	search_files	Find files by name using case-insensitive substring matching
	search_code	Search for text/code patterns within file contents using ripgrep
	get_file_info	Retrieve detailed metadata about a file or directory
Text Editing	edit_block	Apply targeted text replacements with enhanced prompting for smaller edits (includes character-level diff feedback)
Analytics	get_usage_stats	Get usage statistics for your own insight
	give_feedback_to_desktop_commander	Open feedback form in browser to provide feedback to Desktop Commander Team

Quick Examples

Data Analysis:

"Analyze sales.csv and show top customers" → Claude runs Python code in memory

Remote Access:

"SSH to my server and check disk space" → Claude maintains SSH session

Development:

"Start Node.js and test this API" → Claude runs interactive Node session

Tool Usage Examples

Search/Replace Block Format:

filepath.ext
<<<<<<< SEARCH
content to find
=======
new content
>>>>>>> REPLACE

Example:

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

Enhanced Edit Block Features

The edit_block tool includes several enhancements for better reliability:

1. Improved Prompting: Tool descriptions now emphasize making multiple small, focused edits rather than one large change
2. Fuzzy Search Fallback: When exact matches fail, it performs fuzzy search and provides detailed feedback
3. Character-level Diffs: Shows exactly what's different using {-removed-}{+added+} format
4. Multiple Occurrence Support: Can replace multiple instances with expected_replacements parameter
5. Comprehensive Logging: All fuzzy searches are logged for analysis and debugging

When a search fails, you'll see detailed information about the closest match found, including similarity percentage, execution time, and character differences. All these details are automatically logged for later analysis using the fuzzy search log tools.

Docker Support

🐳 Isolated Environment Usage

Desktop Commander can be run in Docker containers for complete isolation from your host system, providing zero risk to your computer. This is perfect for testing, development, or when you want complete sandboxing.

Installation Instructions

1. Install Docker for Windows/Mac

   • Download and install Docker Desktop from docker.com

2. Get Desktop Commander Docker Configuration

   • Visit: https://hub.docker.com/mcp/server/desktop-commander/manual
   • Option A: Use the provided terminal command for automated setup
   • Option B: Click "Standalone" to get the config JSON and add it manually to your Claude Desktop config

3. Mount Your Machine Folders (Coming Soon)

   • Instructions on how to mount your local directories into the Docker container will be provided soon
   • This will allow you to work with your files while maintaining complete isolation

Benefits of Docker Usage

• Complete isolation from your host system
• Consistent environment across different machines
• Easy cleanup - just remove the container when done
• Perfect for testing new features or configurations

URL Support

• read_file can now fetch content from both local files and URLs
• Example: read_file with isUrl: true parameter to read from web resources
• Handles both text and image content from remote sources
• Images (local or from URLs) are displayed visually in Claude's interface, not as text
• Claude can see and analyze the actual image content
• Default 30-second timeout for URL requests

Fuzzy Search Log Analysis (npm scripts)

The fuzzy search logging system includes convenient npm scripts for analyzing logs outside of the MCP environment:

# View recent fuzzy search logs
npm run logs:view -- --count 20

# Analyze patterns and performance
npm run logs:analyze -- --threshold 0.8

# Export logs to CSV or JSON
npm run logs:export -- --format json --output analysis.json

# Clear all logs (with confirmation)
npm run logs:clear

For detailed documentation on these scripts, see scripts/README.md.

Fuzzy Search Logs

Desktop Commander includes comprehensive logging for fuzzy search operations in the edit_block tool. When an exact match isn't found, the system performs a fuzzy search and logs detailed information for analysis.

What Gets Logged

Every fuzzy search operation logs:

• Search and found text: The text you're looking for vs. what was found
• Similarity score: How close the match is (0-100%)
• Execution time: How long the search took
• Character differences: Detailed diff showing exactly what's different
• File metadata: Extension, search/found text lengths
• Character codes: Specific character codes causing differences

Log Location

Logs are automatically saved to:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.claude-server-commander-logs/fuzzy-search.log
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.claude-server-commander-logs\fuzzy-search.log

What You'll Learn

The fuzzy search logs help you understand:

1. Why exact matches fail: Common issues like whitespace differences, line endings, or character encoding
2. Performance patterns: How search complexity affects execution time
3. File type issues: Which file extensions commonly have matching problems
4. Character encoding problems: Specific character codes that cause diffs

Audit Logging

Desktop Commander now includes comprehensive logging for all tool calls:

What Gets Logged

• Every tool call is logged with timestamp, tool name, and arguments (sanitized for privacy)
• Logs are rotated automatically when they reach 10MB in size

Log Location

Logs are saved to:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.claude-server-commander/claude_tool_call.log
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.claude-server-commander\claude_tool_call.log

This audit trail helps with debugging, security monitoring, and understanding how Claude is interacting with your system.

Handling Long-Running Commands

For commands that may take a while:

Configuration Management

⚠️ Important Security Warnings

1. Always change configuration in a separate chat window from where you're doing your actual work. Claude may sometimes attempt to modify configuration settings (like allowedDirectories) if it encounters filesystem access restrictions.

2. The allowedDirectories setting currently only restricts filesystem operations, not terminal commands. Terminal commands can still access files outside allowed directories. Full terminal sandboxing is on the roadmap.

Configuration Tools

You can manage server configuration using the provided tools:

// Get the entire config
get_config({})

// Set a specific config value
set_config_value({ "key": "defaultShell", "value": "/bin/zsh" })

// Set multiple config values using separate calls
set_config_value({ "key": "defaultShell", "value": "/bin/bash" })
set_config_value({ "key": "allowedDirectories", "value": ["/Users/username/projects"] })

The configuration is saved to config.json in the server's working directory and persists between server restarts.

Understanding fileWriteLineLimit

The fileWriteLineLimit setting controls how many lines can be written in a single write_file operation (default: 50 lines). This limit exists for several important reasons:

Why the limit exists:

• AIs are wasteful with tokens: Instead of doing two small edits in a file, AIs may decide to rewrite the whole thing. We're trying to force AIs to do things in smaller changes as it saves time and tokens
• Claude UX message limits: There are limits within one message and hitting "Continue" does not really work. What we're trying here is to make AI work in smaller chunks so when you hit that limit, multiple chunks have succeeded and that work is not lost - it just needs to restart from the last chunk

Setting the limit:

// You can set it to thousands if you want
set_config_value({ "key": "fileWriteLineLimit", "value": 1000 })

// Or keep it smaller to force more efficient behavior
set_config_value({ "key": "fileWriteLineLimit", "value": 25 })

Maximum value: You can set it to thousands if you want - there's no technical restriction.

Best practices:

• Keep the default (50) to encourage efficient AI behavior and avoid token waste
• The system automatically suggests chunking when limits are exceeded
• Smaller chunks mean less work lost when Claude hits message limits

Best Practices

1. Create a dedicated chat for configuration changes: Make all your config changes in one chat, then start a new chat for your actual work.

2. Be careful with empty allowedDirectories: Setting this to an empty array ([]) grants access to your entire filesystem for file operations.

3. Use specific paths: Instead of using broad paths like /, specify exact directories you want to access.

4. Always verify configuration after changes: Use get_config({}) to confirm your changes were applied correctly.

Using Different Shells

You can specify which shell to use for command execution:

// Using default shell (bash or system default)
execute_command({ "command": "echo $SHELL" })

// Using zsh specifically
execute_command({ "command": "echo $SHELL", "shell": "/bin/zsh" })

// Using bash specifically
execute_command({ "command": "echo $SHELL", "shell": "/bin/bash" })

This allows you to use shell-specific features or maintain consistent environments across commands.

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

Debugging

If you need to debug the server, you can install it in debug mode:

# Using npx
npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup --debug

# Or if installed locally
npm run setup:debug

This will:

1. Configure Claude to use a separate "desktop-commander" server
2. Enable Node.js inspector protocol with --inspect-brk=9229 flag
3. Pause execution at the start until a debugger connects
4. Enable additional debugging environment variables

To connect a debugger:

• In Chrome, visit chrome://inspect and look for the Node.js instance
• In VS Code, use the "Attach to Node Process" debug configuration
• Other IDEs/tools may have similar "attach" options for Node.js debugging

Important debugging notes:

• The server will pause on startup until a debugger connects (due to the --inspect-brk flag)
• If you don't see activity during debugging, ensure you're connected to the correct Node.js process
• Multiple Node processes may be running; connect to the one on port 9229
• The debug server is identified as "desktop-commander-debug" in Claude's MCP server list

Troubleshooting:

• If Claude times out while trying to use the debug server, your debugger might not be properly connected
• When properly connected, the process will continue execution after hitting the first breakpoint
• You can add additional breakpoints in your IDE once connected

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

DONE

• 20-05-2025 v0.1.40 Release - Added audit logging for all tool calls, improved line-based file operations, enhanced edit_block with better prompting for smaller edits, added explicit telemetry opt-out prompting
• 05-05-2025 Fuzzy Search Logging - Added comprehensive logging system for fuzzy search operations with detailed analysis tools, character-level diffs, and performance metrics to help debug edit_block failures
• 29-04-2025 Telemetry Opt Out through configuration - There is now setting to disable telemetry in config, ask in chat
• 23-04-2025 Enhanced edit functionality - Improved format, added fuzzy search and multi-occurrence replacements, should fail less and use edit block more often
• 16-04-2025 Better configurations - Improved settings for allowed paths, commands and shell environments
• 14-04-2025 Windows environment fixes - Resolved issues specific to Windows platforms
• 14-04-2025 Linux improvements - Enhanced compatibility with various Linux distributions
• 12-04-2025 Better allowed directories and blocked commands - Improved security and path validation for file read/write and terminal command restrictions. Terminal still can access files ignoring allowed directories.
• 11-04-2025 Shell configuration - Added ability to configure preferred shell for command execution
• 07-04-2025 Added URL support - read_file command can now fetch content from URLs
• 28-03-2025 Fixed "Watching /" JSON error - Implemented custom stdio transport to handle non-JSON messages and prevent server crashes
• 25-03-2025 Better code search (merged) - Enhanced code exploration with context-aware results

Work in Progress/TODOs/Roadmap

The following features are currently being explored:

• Support for WSL - Windows Subsystem for Linux integration
• Support for SSH - Remote server command execution
• Better file support for formats like CSV/PDF
• Terminal sandboxing for Mac/Linux/Windows for better security
• File reading modes - For example, allow reading HTML as plain text or markdown
• Interactive shell support - ssh, node/python repl
• Improve large file reading and writing

❤️ Support Desktop Commander

Supporters Hall of Fame

Generous supporters are featured here. Thank you for helping make this project possible!

Why your support matters

Your support allows us to:

• Continue active development and maintenance
• Add new features and integrations
• Improve compatibility across platforms
• Provide better documentation and examples
• Build a stronger community around the project

Website

Visit our official website at https://desktopcommander.app/ for the latest information, documentation, and updates.

Media

Learn more about this project through these resources:

Article

Claude with MCPs replaced Cursor & Windsurf. How did that happen? - A detailed exploration of how Claude with Model Context Protocol capabilities is changing developer workflows.

Video

Claude Desktop Commander Video Tutorial - Watch how to set up and use the Commander effectively.

Publication at AnalyticsIndiaMag

This Developer Ditched Windsurf, Cursor Using Claude with MCPs

Community

Join our Discord server to get help, share feedback, and connect with other users.

Testimonials

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly3bed99Dy8&lc=UgyyBt6_ShdDX_rIOad4AaABAg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly3bed99Dy8&lc=UgztdHvDMqTb9jiqnf54AaABAg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly3bed99Dy8&lc=UgyQFTmYLJ4VBwIlmql4AaABAg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly3bed99Dy8&lc=Ugy4-exy166_Ma7TH-h4AaABAg

https://medium.com/@pharmx/you-sir-are-my-hero-62cff5836a3e

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/DesktopCommanderMCP/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!

If you find this tool valuable for your workflow, please consider supporting the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some common questions. For a more comprehensive FAQ, see our detailed FAQ document.

What is Desktop Commander?

It's an MCP tool that enables Claude Desktop to access your file system and terminal, turning Claude into a versatile assistant for coding, automation, codebase exploration, and more.

How is this different from Cursor/Windsurf?

Unlike IDE-focused tools, Claude Desktop Commander provides a solution-centric approach that works with your entire OS, not just within a coding environment. Claude reads files in full rather than chunking them, can work across multiple projects simultaneously, and executes changes in one go rather than requiring constant review.

Do I need to pay for API credits?

No. This tool works with Claude Desktop's standard Pro subscription ($20/month), not with API calls, so you won't incur additional costs beyond the subscription fee.

Does Desktop Commander automatically update?

Yes, when installed through npx or Smithery, Desktop Commander automatically updates to the latest version when you restart Claude. No manual update process is needed.

What are the most common use cases?

• Exploring and understanding complex codebases
• Generating diagrams and documentation
• Automating tasks across your system
• Working with multiple projects simultaneously
• Making surgical code changes with precise control

I'm having trouble installing or using the tool. Where can I get help?

Join our Discord server for community support, check the GitHub issues for known problems, or review the full FAQ for troubleshooting tips. You can also visit our website FAQ section for a more user-friendly experience. If you encounter a new issue, please consider opening a GitHub issue with details about your problem.

Data Collection & Privacy

Desktop Commander collects limited anonymous telemetry data to help improve the tool. No personal information, file contents, file paths, or command arguments are collected.

Usage Analytics (Local Only)

• Local usage statistics are always collected and stored locally on your machine for functionality and the get_usage_stats tool
• Use the get_usage_stats tool to view your personal usage patterns, success rates, and performance metrics
• This data is NOT sent anywhere - it remains on your computer for your personal insights

Feedback System

• Use the give_feedback_to_desktop_commander tool to provide feedback about Desktop Commander
• Opens a browser-based feedback form to send suggestions and feedback to the development team
• Only basic usage statistics (tool call count, days using, platform) are pre-filled to provide context but you can remove them

External Telemetry Opt-Out

External telemetry (sent to analytics services) is enabled by default but can be disabled:

1. Open the chat and simply ask: "Disable telemetry"
2. The chatbot will update your settings automatically.

Note: This only disables external telemetry. Local usage analytics remain active for tool functionality but is not share externally

For complete details about data collection, please see our Privacy Policy.

Verifications

License

MIT