How does Terminal UI DevTools compare to Chrome DevTools MCP?
What Chrome DevTools MCP is for the browser, tui-mcp is for the terminal. It provides the same kind of programmatic control but for terminal applications.
T
Terminal UI DevTools MCP Server
@nvms
Basic information
About Terminal UI DevTools MCP Server
What Chrome DevTools MCP is for the browser, tui-mcp is for the terminal. Launch any TUI app, take screenshots, send keystrokes, read text - works with any framework.
Terminal UI DevTools MCP Server config
Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.
{
"mcpServers": {
"tui-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"tui-mcp"
]
}
}
}Terminal UI DevTools MCP Server tools
13Spawn a TUI app in a managed pty
Terminate a session
List active sessions
Resize the terminal
Capture terminal as PNG
Capture terminal as plain text
Read a rectangular area of the buffer
Get cursor position
Send a keystroke or combo (`Enter`, `Ctrl+C`, `Up`, `q`)
Type a string of characters
Send mouse events
Wait for a regex pattern to appear
Wait until the terminal stops changing
Overview
What is Terminal UI DevTools?
Terminal UI DevTools (tui-mcp) is an MCP server that lets you launch any terminal application in a managed pseudo-terminal, take screenshots, read text, and send keystrokes. It works with any TUI framework or no framework at all—vim, htop, Bubbletea, Textual, Ink, Inquirer, Trend, ncurses, and more.
How to use Terminal UI DevTools?
Install and add it to Claude via the command:
claude mcp add --scope user tui-mcp -- npx tui-mcp
Once added, you can use the provided MCP tools to launch apps, interact with them, and capture output.
Key features of Terminal UI DevTools
- Launch any TUI app in a managed pty
- Capture terminal output as PNG or plain text
- Send keystrokes, text, and mouse events
- Wait for text patterns or terminal idle state
- Resize the terminal and read cursor position
- Works with any TUI framework or no framework
Use cases of Terminal UI DevTools
- Automating interactions with terminal-based editors like vim
- Testing TUI applications (Bubbletea, Textual, etc.)
- Taking screenshots of terminal dashboards (htop, trend)
- Simulating user input for terminal UI debugging
- Integrating terminal apps into agent workflows
Frequently asked questions
How do I install Terminal UI DevTools?
Run `claude mcp add --scope user tui-mcp -- npx tui-mcp` in your terminal.
What terminal emulator does it use internally?
It uses [xterm-headless](https://github.com/xtermjs/xterm.js) – the same terminal emulator that powers VS Code’s terminal, but without a DOM.
Does it work with any TUI framework?
Yes. It works with any TUI framework (Bubbletea, Textual, Ink, etc.) or no framework at all – vim, htop, ncurses, and more.
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