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Desktop Commander MCP

Desktop Commander (maintainer: wonderwhy-er)

stdio25 documented tools192

About Desktop Commander MCP

An independent local MCP server for filesystem operations, terminal sessions, process control, code editing, and structured document handling. The entry here is the local @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander package; the separate Desktop Commander Remote service is not merged into this implementation record.

What you can use it for

  • Explore and edit local code/files
  • Run terminal commands and manage persistent processes
  • Search local file contents
  • Read or modify supported Excel/PDF/DOCX files
Connection and setup
Hosting
Local
Transport
stdio
Endpoint
Local process; no hosted endpoint documented
Authentication
The local server documents no account or API credential requirement. It runs with the connected user's OS permissions. A separate Remote Device/hosted service uses OAuth and is not part of this local implementation record.

Requirements

  • Node.js 18+
  • MCP-compatible client
  • Operating-system permissions for files/processes the server can access

Setup steps

  1. For Claude Code, the maintainer documents: claude mcp add --scope user desktop-commander -- npx -y @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest. Omit --scope user for project scope.
  2. For Codex, the maintainer documents: codex mcp add desktop-commander -- npx -y @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest.
  3. For JSON clients use command npx and args [-y, @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest]. VS Code uses .vscode/mcp.json; Cursor supports global ~/.cursor/mcp.json or project .cursor/mcp.json; Gemini CLI uses ~/.gemini/settings.json.
  4. Restart/reload the client and start with a harmless directory listing. Restrict allowedDirectories where supported, and remember terminal execution can still access paths beyond filesystem allow-lists.
Tools 25

The current maintainer README lists these 25 tools for the local package. The separate hosted product has a distinct setup and may expose a different surface.

  • get_config
    01
  • set_config_value
    02
  • start_process
    03
  • interact_with_process
    04
  • read_process_output
    05
  • force_terminate
    06
  • list_sessions
    07
  • list_processes
    08
  • kill_process
    09
  • read_file
    10
  • read_multiple_files
    11
  • write_file
    12
  • write_pdf
    13
  • create_directory
    14
  • list_directory
    15
  • move_file
    16
  • start_search
    17
  • get_more_search_results
    18
  • stop_search
    19
  • list_searches
    20
  • get_file_info
    21
  • edit_block
    22
  • get_usage_stats
    23
  • get_recent_tool_calls
    24
  • give_feedback_to_desktop_commander
    25
Limitations and notes
  • This is privileged local automation, not a security sandbox; terminal commands can access files beyond allowedDirectories.
  • The connected AI client can read/write files and run commands with the user's permissions.
  • Docker isolation is documented, but file mounts are described as not yet available in the README.
  • A separate hosted Remote MCP/device-agent project exists; its OAuth and connection setup are deliberately not conflated with the local server.
Original sources
  • official tool reference

    Maintainer README documents 25 local tools. The hosted Desktop Commander product has separate setup and availability.

  • official documentation

    Maintainer README documents 25 local tools. The hosted Desktop Commander product has separate setup and availability.

Documentation checked 2026-10-28T12:35:00.000Z. Connection has not been runtime tested.

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