MiSTerClaw
@catallo
MCP remote control for MiSTer-FPGA. Launch games, search ROMs, take screenshots, auto-discover 70+ systems, manage Tailscale VPN. Written in Go, zero dependencies.
Overview
What is MiSTerClaw?
MiSTerClaw is the first MCP server for MiSTer-FPGA, enabling any AI agent (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, etc.) to control a MiSTer over the network. It uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard and includes a CLI client for non-MCP systems.
How to use MiSTerClaw?
Configure the misterclaw-mcp binary in your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop or Cursor) by adding a JSON entry specifying the binary path and --host argument pointing to your MiSTer. For systems without MCP, use the misterclaw-send CLI client with commands such as search, launch, systems, or screenshot.
Key features of MiSTerClaw
- Launch games by search or file path
- Search ROM library across all systems
- Take screenshots (returns PNG)
- List all systems with ROM counts
- View system info (hostname, IP, temp, RAM, disks, uptime)
- Manage Tailscale VPN for secure remote access
Use cases of MiSTerClaw
- Ask your AI agent to launch a specific game from your ROM library
- Search for available games by name or system
- Monitor system status and take screenshots remotely
- Set up Tailscale VPN for encrypted access from anywhere
- List all installed systems and their ROM counts
FAQ from MiSTerClaw
What tools does MiSTerClaw expose to AI agents?
It provides eight MCP tools: mister_status, mister_launch, mister_search, mister_systems, mister_screenshot, mister_info, mister_tailscale, and mister_shell.
What are the security considerations?
Do not expose port 9900 to the internet — the ClawExec protocol has no authentication or encryption. Use Tailscale VPN for secure remote access, or keep it on your local network only.
What binaries are included and where do they run?
Three binaries: misterclaw (server, runs on MiSTer ARM7), misterclaw-send (CLI client, runs anywhere), and misterclaw-mcp (MCP server, runs on your machine to bridge agents to MiSTer).
How does MiSTerClaw discover systems?
It auto-detects all systems by scanning ROM folders, installed cores, and MGL files at startup. No manual configuration is needed, and results are cached in memory.
What protocol does MiSTerClaw use for communication?
The MCP server and CLI client communicate with the MiSTer over the ClawExec protocol, which is newline-delimited JSON over TCP on port 9900.
