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Desktop Commander

@wonderwhy-er

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About Desktop Commander

This is MCP server for Claude that gives it terminal control, file system search and diff file editing capabilities

#developer-tools#productivity#automation#terminal#filesystem#process-control#code-editing#diff-based-editing#search-and-replace#file-search#claude-desktop#local-first#security

Config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ClaudeComputerCommander": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest",
        "remove"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tools

4

`get_config`

`start_process`

`read_file`

`get_usage_stats`

Overview

What is Desktop Commander?

Desktop Commander is an MCP server that gives AI assistants capabilities to search, update, manage files, and run terminal commands on a user's computer. Built on the MCP Filesystem Server, it provides enhanced terminal control, code editing, and document handling (PDF, DOCX, Excel) through model context protocol.

How to use Desktop Commander?

Install via npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup (requires Node.js) or use a one‑line bash install script (macOS). Alternatively, configure manually in claude_desktop_config.json or run in a Docker container. After installation, restart Claude Desktop to access the server’s tools.

Key features of Desktop Commander

  • Remote AI control from ChatGPT, Claude web, and other services
  • File Preview UI with rendered markdown and built‑in editor
  • Execute code in memory (Python, Node.js, R) without saving
  • Native Excel, PDF, and DOCX file support
  • Full filesystem operations with recursive directory listing
  • Enhanced terminal commands with interactive process control

Use cases of Desktop Commander

  • Run and manage long‑running terminal commands (SSH, databases) via AI chat
  • Analyze CSV, JSON, or Excel files directly from an AI prompt
  • Edit code across multiple files with surgical replacements or full rewrites
  • Create and modify PDFs and Word documents programmatically
  • Manage running processes (list, kill) and execute commands with timeout/background support

FAQ from Desktop Commander

How do I uninstall Desktop Commander?

Run npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest remove or remove the server entry from your claude_desktop_config.json.

Does Desktop Commander auto‑update?

Install methods using npx (options 1–4) and Docker (option 6) auto‑update when you restart Claude. The local git checkout (option 5) requires manual updates.

What are the prerequisites for installation?

Node.js is required for options 1–5. Option 6 (Docker) requires Docker Desktop and no Node.js installation.

Can Desktop Commander run inside a sandboxed environment?

Yes, option 6 runs Desktop Commander in a Docker container with optional folder mounting and persistent volumes, providing full sandboxing and isolation.

How does Desktop Commander handle file security?

It includes symlink traversal prevention on file operations and a command blocklist with bypass protection. Audit logging with 10MB rotation is enabled by default.

Frequently asked questions

How do I uninstall Desktop Commander?

Run `npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest remove` or remove the server entry from your claude_desktop_config.json.

Does Desktop Commander auto‑update?

Install methods using npx (options 1–4) and Docker (option 6) auto‑update when you restart Claude. The local git checkout (option 5) requires manual updates.

What are the prerequisites for installation?

Node.js is required for options 1–5. Option 6 (Docker) requires Docker Desktop and no Node.js installation.

Can Desktop Commander run inside a sandboxed environment?

Yes, option 6 runs Desktop Commander in a Docker container with optional folder mounting and persistent volumes, providing full sandboxing and isolation.

How does Desktop Commander handle file security?

It includes symlink traversal prevention on file operations and a command blocklist with bypass protection. Audit logging with 10MB rotation is enabled by default.

Comments

Basic information

Category

Productivity

License

MIT

Transports

stdio

Author

wonderwhy-er

Submitted by

Eduard Ruzga

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