Shell Use

Let agents use the shell like a human.

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Client Config & Setup

Choose your client or environment

Target File:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shell-use": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "shell-use"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste the JSON block into your client's configuration file under mcpServers, then restart the application.

Documentation Overview

shell-use

Let agents use the shell like a human.

Features

Interact with any CLI application (vim, htop, gdb, etc.)
Send special keys (Ctrl+C, Enter, arrow keys, etc.)
Dockerized for easy deployment

Available Tools

Tool	Description
`list_sessions()`	Returns allowed session names
`capture(session, scroll_back?)`	Captures terminal screen text
`send_keys(session, keys)`	Sends key input (e.g., `Enter`, `C-c`)
`send_text(session, text, enter?)`	Sends literal text (`enter=True` to press Enter)
`scroll(session, direction, amount?)`	Scrolls through history
`exit_scroll_mode(session)`	Exits copy-mode

Setup

1. Build the Docker image

Terminal

docker build -t shell-use:latest .

2. Create a tmux session

bash

tmux new-session -s dev

2.1. Get the tmux socket path

bash

SOCK="$(tmux display-message -p -F '#{socket_path}')"
[ -S "$SOCK" ] || { echo "tmux socket not found: $SOCK"; exit 1; }

3. Configure your MCP client

Claude Code:

Terminal

claude mcp add shell-use \
  -- docker run -i --rm \
  -v "$SOCK":/tmux/tmux.sock \
  -e SHELL_USE_SOCKET=/tmux/tmux.sock \
  -e SHELL_USE_SESSIONS=dev \
  shell-use:latest

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shell-use": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run", "-i", "--rm",
        "-v", "/tmp/tmux-1000/default:/tmux/tmux.sock",
        "-e", "SHELL_USE_SOCKET=/tmux/tmux.sock",
        "-e", "SHELL_USE_SESSIONS=dev",
        "shell-use:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace /tmp/tmux-1000/default with the path from tmux display-message -p -F '#{socket_path}'.

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Required
`SHELL_USE_SESSIONS`	Comma-separated list of allowed session names	Yes
`SHELL_USE_SOCKET`	Path to tmux socket (default: `/tmux/tmux.sock` in Docker)	No

Acknowledgments

Inspired by browser-use.

Read the full README →View source on GitHub →

Related MCP Servers

View all in Developer Tools View all alternatives

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how this listing worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shell Use

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "shell-use": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "shell-use"] } }

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Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryDeveloper Tools

27Quality signal: Emerging · 27/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership10/20

Documentation & tools9/30

Adoption & activity1/15

Community engagement0/10

A guidance signal from public completeness & health data — not a user rating. New listings start lower and rise as they add docs, get verified, and grow adoption. Signals we can't observe for a listing are skipped, not counted against it.

★ Featured

Moxie Docs MCP

MCP & Agent Skills for Automated Documentation, and codebase conventions + context

Explore Server →

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Explore more

More in 💻 Developer Tools →Best MCP servers for Developers →Alternatives to Shell Use →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code

Shell Use

Let agents use the shell like a human.

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Client Config & Setup

Choose your client or environment

Target File:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shell-use": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "shell-use"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste the JSON block into your client's configuration file under mcpServers, then restart the application.

Documentation Overview

shell-use

Let agents use the shell like a human.

Features

Interact with any CLI application (vim, htop, gdb, etc.)
Send special keys (Ctrl+C, Enter, arrow keys, etc.)
Dockerized for easy deployment

Available Tools

Tool	Description
`list_sessions()`	Returns allowed session names
`capture(session, scroll_back?)`	Captures terminal screen text
`send_keys(session, keys)`	Sends key input (e.g., `Enter`, `C-c`)
`send_text(session, text, enter?)`	Sends literal text (`enter=True` to press Enter)
`scroll(session, direction, amount?)`	Scrolls through history
`exit_scroll_mode(session)`	Exits copy-mode

Setup

1. Build the Docker image

Terminal

docker build -t shell-use:latest .

2. Create a tmux session

bash

tmux new-session -s dev

2.1. Get the tmux socket path

bash

SOCK="$(tmux display-message -p -F '#{socket_path}')"
[ -S "$SOCK" ] || { echo "tmux socket not found: $SOCK"; exit 1; }

3. Configure your MCP client

Claude Code:

Terminal

claude mcp add shell-use \
  -- docker run -i --rm \
  -v "$SOCK":/tmux/tmux.sock \
  -e SHELL_USE_SOCKET=/tmux/tmux.sock \
  -e SHELL_USE_SESSIONS=dev \
  shell-use:latest

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shell-use": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run", "-i", "--rm",
        "-v", "/tmp/tmux-1000/default:/tmux/tmux.sock",
        "-e", "SHELL_USE_SOCKET=/tmux/tmux.sock",
        "-e", "SHELL_USE_SESSIONS=dev",
        "shell-use:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace /tmp/tmux-1000/default with the path from tmux display-message -p -F '#{socket_path}'.

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Required
`SHELL_USE_SESSIONS`	Comma-separated list of allowed session names	Yes
`SHELL_USE_SOCKET`	Path to tmux socket (default: `/tmux/tmux.sock` in Docker)	No

Acknowledgments

Inspired by browser-use.

Read the full README →View source on GitHub →

Related MCP Servers

View all in Developer Tools View all alternatives

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how this listing worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shell Use

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "shell-use": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "shell-use"] } }

AllMCPs Directory Badge

Full Badge Customizer

Showcase your server listing on GitHub or your project documentation. Embed this dynamic SVG badge to highlight official listing status and live engagement.

Badge Style:

Live Dynamic SVG Preview

Markdown (GitHub README)

[![AllMCPs](https://allmcps.com/api/badge/shell-use?style=directory)](https://allmcps.com/mcp/shell-use)

HTML Embed

<a href="https://allmcps.com/mcp/shell-use"><img src="https://allmcps.com/api/badge/shell-use?style=directory" alt="Shell Use on AllMCPs" /></a>

Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryDeveloper Tools

27Quality signal: Emerging · 27/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership10/20

Documentation & tools9/30

Adoption & activity1/15

Community engagement0/10

★ Featured

Moxie Docs MCP

MCP & Agent Skills for Automated Documentation, and codebase conventions + context

Explore Server →

Own this project?

Free dofollow backlink: add your website and place the AllMCPs badge on it — no claim needed. We detect it automatically and keep it verified as long as the badge stays live.

Claim & get free dofollow

Share & Embed

Add our SVG badge (dark/light directory styles) or embeddable widget to your site.

Explore more

More in 💻 Developer Tools →Best MCP servers for Developers →Alternatives to Shell Use →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code