DesktopCommanderMCP

What wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP does

wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP gives an MCP client access to a computer's filesystem and terminal. It can read, create, modify, move, and search files; create and inspect directories; retrieve metadata; and perform recursive listings with configurable depth. File editing includes targeted text substitutions, pattern-based replacements, complete rewrites, and changes across multiple files.

The server also handles terminal workflows. Commands can stream output, run in the background, use timeouts, and remain available for later interaction. Process-management functions list or terminate processes, while session support helps with commands that continue running. This makes it suitable for development servers, SSH sessions, databases, and other interactive processes.

How it works

The server is built on the MCP Filesystem Server and adds search, replacement, and broader editing functions. An MCP-compatible client sends tool calls to the local process, which performs operations on the host computer. Terminal output can be read with offset and length controls, including pagination for large results and negative offsets for reading from the end of a file.

Code may be executed in memory using Python, Node.js, or R without first saving a script. The server can also analyze CSV, JSON, and Excel data. Excel files with .xlsx, .xls, and .xlsm extensions are supported for reading, writing, editing, and searching. PDF features include text extraction, creation from Markdown, and modification. DOCX support covers reading, creation, editing, searching, XML-level targeted changes, and Markdown conversion.

Setup and configuration

For Claude Desktop, the package can be installed with the latest npm tag:

npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup

The setup command can disable onboarding with --no-onboarding or enable the Node.js inspector with --debug. A manual Claude Desktop configuration uses npx as the command and @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest as its argument. The package also provides a macOS installer script, Smithery installation, a local checkout workflow, and a Docker option that does not require Node.js.

Configuration values can be read or changed through server tools. Multiple settings can be updated together, and configuration changes take effect without restarting the server. Installation methods that use the package can update when Claude restarts; a local checkout requires pulling changes and running setup again.

Tools and capabilities

• Read and write text, Excel, PDF, and DOCX files.
• Create, list, move, and inspect files and directories.
• Search file contents, including Excel content, with recursive code and text search.
• Run terminal commands with streaming, timeouts, background execution, and pagination.
• List and terminate processes and interact with long-running sessions.
• Apply targeted edits, pattern replacements, or full rewrites across multiple files.
• Record local tool calls and expose recent calls through get_recent_tool_calls; size-based rotation keeps history bounded.

Limitations and notes

The safety controls are guardrails rather than a sandbox. File operations prevent symlink traversal, and a command blocklist helps reduce accidental execution. Docker can provide stronger isolation when that deployment option is used. Tool-call arguments and bounded output previews are recorded locally on the machine running the server, with rotation or trimming for active history files.