Kwin MCP vs Desktop Touch MCP
A side-by-side look at the Kwin MCP and Desktop Touch MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
K
Kwin MCPOS Automation · Local subprocess (stdio)MCP server for Linux desktop GUI automation on KDE Plasma 6 Wayland — 29 tools for virtual and live sessions59GoodAuth: no auth requiredVerdict: choose Kwin MCP for os automation work as a local process; choose Desktop Touch MCP for os automation as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
KChoose Kwin MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the OS Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
session_start, session_connect, session_stop.
Choose Desktop Touch MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the OS Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You have the keys it needs:
DESKTOP_TOUCH_MCP_HOME, GITHUB_TOKEN, GH_TOKEN, DESKTOP_TOUCH_MCP_ALLOW_UNVERIFIED. - You want tools like
desktop_discover, desktop_act, desktop_state.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | K Kwin MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | OS Automation | OS Automation |
| Quality signal | 59/100 · Good | 65/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | No auth required |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | DESKTOP_TOUCH_MCP_HOMEGITHUB_TOKENGH_TOKENDESKTOP_TOUCH_MCP_ALLOW_UNVERIFIED |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 71 | 22 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 29 | 23 |
| Full listing | View Kwin MCP | View Desktop Touch MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Kwin MCP tools 29
session_startStart an isolated virtual KWin Wayland session (one at a time) with its own `dbus-run-session` bus, `kwin_wayland --virtual` compositor, AT-SPI2 bus and EIS input. `screen_width`/`screen_height` must be positive integers. `enable_clipboard=true` serves the clipboard tools (off by default because `w…session_connectAttach to an already running KWin session: the real desktop or a KWin inside a container. Empty values default to `$DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS` and `$WAYLAND_DISPLAY` (a socket name is resolved under `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR`). Clipboard is always enabled. Actions affect real applications, and `window_close…session_stopEnd the current session. Virtual: terminate the whole session process group (`SIGTERM`, then `SIGKILL` for members that remain), KWin, launched apps and the bus. Live: detach, kill only apps launched through kwin-mcp, restore the accessibility switch. Releases all held input and reports it. Idempot…session_infoReport the current session (or `null`): its kind, Wayland socket, bus address, screen size, enabled backends (input, clipboard, accessibility), retention and artifacts directory, every app launched through kwin-mcp, and the held input. Works without a session.app_launchLaunch a program in the session, split with `shlex` (no shell), in its own process group, with stdin closed. `env` adds environment variables for this process. stdout and stderr go to a log file read with `app_log`. An empty command or unbalanced quotes is an error. A failed launch keeps the sessio…app_logReturn the tail of the captured stdout/stderr of an app launched with `app_launch` (`session_info` lists the PIDs). `last_n_lines=0` returns the whole log.screen_captureCapture the whole workspace, or a `region` rectangle of it, as a PNG via KWin ScreenShot2 (Spectacle fallback). Returns a `Frame`: the file path, the `kwin://screenshots/{name}` URI, the image size, `size_kb`, the image-to-logical `mapping` and `coverage`, plus the `Coordinate space` text line. `ma…element_queryReturn the AT-SPI2 elements matching `locator`, in pre-order, with role, name, description, states, rectangle (or the reason it is unavailable), actions, text content (capped at 200 characters), slider/scrollbar value, `app`, `window_id`, `child_count` and a `ref` to use as a target. `locator.match…element_actInvoke a named AT-SPI action (case-insensitive, e.g. `Press`, `Toggle`, `Activate`) on exactly one element without pointer coordinates: `element={ref}` from `element_query`, or `element={strict: Locator}` for a strict search with the same `match` modes (depth 64, fails closed on any unreadable node…window_listList KWin windows, dialogs, popups and shell surfaces included, with `id`, `app_id`, `caption`, `kind`, `active`, `frame` and `client` rectangles, `moveable`/`resizeable`/`closeable`, and `desktops`. `filter` is the same `WindowSelector` the mutators use, applied as an AND-ed filter: `{active: true…desktop_listList KWin virtual desktops in pager order (`id`, `name`) with the current one marked.window_focusRaise and activate exactly one window through KWin scripting (`workspace.activeWindow`). The result reports the window's observed state afterwards, or that it vanished.- +17 more on the listing page
Desktop Touch MCP tools 23
desktop_discoverObserve the desktop. Returns interactive entities with leases (UIA, CDP, Terminal, Visual SoM).desktop_actPerform actions (click, type, set a value, select) on entities via lease validation. Returns semantic diffs — plus an optional `roiCapture` (changed-region PNG + next-target preview) on visual-only targets.desktop_stateLightweight check of focus, active window, cursor, and Auto-Perception attention signal.screenshotMulti-mode capture: `detail='text'` (UIA/OCR), `diffMode` (P-frame), `dotByDot` (1:1), and `background`. Returns a cheap `screenshot://by-ref/{id}` link to the saved image instead of inlining pixels every time.screenshot_queryInspect and prune the on-disk screenshot cache behind the by-ref links: `screenshot_query` lists saved captures without re-reading pixels; `screenshot_gc` reclaims space by retention policy (dry-run by default).workspace_snapshotInstant session orientation: all window thumbnails + UI summaries in one call.server_statusDiagnostic check for native engine health and feature activation.keyboardSend keyboard input. Supports background input (WM_CHAR) and IME-safe clipboard bypass.mouse_clickPrecision coordinate-based interaction with homing and force-focus protection.scrollMulti-strategy: `raw` (notches), `to_element`, `smart` (virtual lists), and `capture` (stitch).click_elementLegacy UIA-based click by name/ID (fallback when entities are unavailable).browser_openIdempotent debug-mode launch and reliable navigation.- +11 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Kwin MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"kwin-mcp-2": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"kwin-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Desktop Touch MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"harusame64-desktop-touch-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@harusame64/desktop-touch-mcp"
],
"env": {
"DESKTOP_TOUCH_MCP_HOME": "YOUR_DESKTOP_TOUCH_MCP_HOME_HERE",
"GITHUB_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN_HERE",
"GH_TOKEN": "YOUR_GH_TOKEN_HERE",
"DESKTOP_TOUCH_MCP_ALLOW_UNVERIFIED": "YOUR_DESKTOP_TOUCH_MCP_ALLOW_UNVERIFIED_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Kwin MCP is categorized under OS Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Desktop Touch MCP belongs to OS Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Kwin MCP for os automation work and Desktop Touch MCP for os automation.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Kwin MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Desktop Touch MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add kwin-mcp-2 and harusame64-desktop-touch-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Kwin MCP has a quality signal of 59/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 71 GitHub stars. Desktop Touch MCP has 65/100 (Great) with 2 views, 0 installs and 22 GitHub stars.