What is Claude Desktop Commander MCP?
Claude Desktop Commander MCP is a server that enables the Claude Desktop app to execute long-running terminal commands, manage processes, and perform diff-based file editing on your local computer. It extends the MCP Filesystem Server to combine system command execution with file operations. It is designed for users of the Claude Desktop application who need to interact with their local system programmatically.
How to use Claude Desktop Commander MCP?
Install via Smithery (npx -y @smithery/cli install @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander --client claude), run the built-in setup command (npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander setup), add the server manually to claude_desktop_config.json, or clone the repository and run npm run setup. After installation, restart Claude Desktop. The server exposes tools in three categories: Terminal (e.g., execute_command, read_output, list_sessions), Filesystem (e.g., read_file, write_file, search_files), and Edit (e.g., edit_block for surgical text replacements).
Key features of Claude Desktop Commander MCP
- 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, move, search, metadata
- Surgical text replacements for small code changes
- Full file rewrites for major changes
- Pattern-based file search and replacements
Use cases of Claude Desktop Commander MCP
- Run long-running builds or scripts while Claude returns control immediately
- Edit code files using search/replace blocks for precise changes
- Manage system processes (list, kill, monitor) from within Claude
- Perform file operations (read, write, move, search) through conversational AI
- Automate development workflows by combining terminal commands and file editing
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