Terminal-Control

What is Terminal Controller for MCP?

Terminal Controller for MCP is a server that allows secure execution of terminal commands, navigation of directories, and file system operations through a standardized Model Context Protocol (MCP) interface. It acts as a bridge between an MCP-compatible client (like Claude Desktop) and your terminal, enabling natural language interaction with your command line.

How to use Terminal Controller for MCP?

To use Terminal Controller, you first need to install it. The recommended method is via PyPI using pip install terminal-controller or uv pip install terminal-controller. Alternatively, you can install from source by cloning the repository and running python setup_mcp.py.

After installation, you need to configure your MCP client. For Claude Desktop, you can add a configuration entry in claude_desktop_config.json to either use uvx or directly execute the Python module. Once configured, you can interact with your terminal using natural language commands through your MCP client, such as "Run the command ls -la" or "Navigate to my Documents folder."

Key Features of Terminal Controller for MCP

• Command Execution: Run terminal commands with timeout controls and comprehensive output capture.
• Directory Management: Navigate and list directory contents with intuitive formatting.
• Security Measures: Built-in safeguards against dangerous commands and operations.
• Command History: Track and display recent command executions.
• Cross-Platform Support: Works on both Windows and UNIX-based systems.
• File Operations: Read, write, update, insert, and delete file content with row-level precision.
• API Reference: Exposes MCP tools like execute_command, get_command_history, change_directory, list_directory, write_file, read_file, insert_file_content, delete_file_content, and update_file_content for programmatic interaction.

Use Cases of Terminal Controller for MCP

Terminal Controller is ideal for:

• Automating Terminal Tasks: Execute complex command sequences or routine operations through natural language or programmatic calls.
• Enhanced Productivity: Interact with your file system and run commands without leaving your MCP client interface.
• Secure Command Execution: Benefit from built-in security features that prevent accidental execution of dangerous commands.
• Cross-Platform Development: Manage files and execute commands consistently across different operating systems.
• AI-Powered Interactions: Enable AI models to interact with your terminal in a controlled and secure manner.

FAQ about Terminal Controller for MCP

Q: What are the prerequisites for Terminal Controller? A: You need Python 3.11+ and an MCP-compatible client like Claude Desktop. UV/UVX is optional but recommended for installation.

Q: What security measures are in place? A: The project includes timeout controls, blacklisting of dangerous commands (e.g., rm -rf /), proper error handling, and isolation of command execution.

Q: Are there any limitations? A: Commands must complete within the timeout period to return results. The server has the same file system permissions as the user running it, and some interactive commands may not work as expected due to the non-interactive nature of the interface.

Q: How can I troubleshoot issues? A: Check your Python version (3.11+), verify your Claude Desktop configuration, try running the terminal controller directly, or review your MCP client's logs for connection errors.

Terminal Controller for MCP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables secure terminal command execution, directory navigation, and file system operations through a standardized interface.

Features

• Command Execution: Run terminal commands with timeout controls and comprehensive output capture
• Directory Management: Navigate and list directory contents with intuitive formatting
• Security Measures: Built-in safeguards against dangerous commands and operations
• Command History: Track and display recent command executions
• Cross-Platform Support: Works on both Windows and UNIX-based systems
• File Operations: Read, write, update, insert, and delete file content with row-level precision

Installation

Installing via Smithery

To install Terminal Controller for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @GongRzhe/terminal-controller-mcp --client claude

Prerequisites

• Python 3.11+
• An MCP-compatible client (such as Claude Desktop)
• UV/UVX installed (optional, for UVX method)

Method 1: PyPI Installation (Recommended)

Install the package directly from PyPI:

pip install terminal-controller

Or if you prefer to use UV:

uv pip install terminal-controller

Method 2: From Source

If you prefer to install from source:

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/GongRzhe/terminal-controller-mcp.git
   cd terminal-controller-mcp
   

2. Run the setup script:

   python setup_mcp.py
   

Client Configuration

Claude Desktop

There are two ways to configure Claude Desktop to use Terminal Controller:

Option 1: Using UVX (Recommended)

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

"terminal-controller": {
  "command": "uvx",
  "args": ["terminal_controller"]
}

Option 2: Using Python Directly

"terminal-controller": {
  "command": "python",
  "args": ["-m", "terminal_controller"]
}

The configuration path varies by operating system:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Cursor

For Cursor, use similar configuration settings as Claude Desktop.

Other MCP Clients

For other clients, refer to their documentation on how to configure external MCP servers.

Usage

Once configured, you can use natural language to interact with your terminal through your MCP client:

• "Run the command ls -la in the current directory"
• "Navigate to my Documents folder"
• "Show me the contents of my Downloads directory"
• "Show me my recent command history"
• "Read the content of config.json"
• "Update line 5 in my script.py file with 'print("Hello World")'"
• "Delete lines 10-15 from the log file"
• "Insert a new line at the beginning of my text file"

API Reference

Terminal Controller exposes the following MCP tools:

execute_command

Execute a terminal command and return its results.

Parameters:

• command: The command line command to execute
• timeout: Command timeout in seconds (default: 30)

Returns:

• Output of the command execution, including stdout, stderr, and execution status

get_command_history

Get recent command execution history.

Parameters:

• count: Number of recent commands to return (default: 10)

Returns:

• Formatted command history record

get_current_directory

Get the current working directory.

Returns:

• Path of current working directory

change_directory

Change the current working directory.

Parameters:

• path: Directory path to switch to

Returns:

• Operation result information

list_directory

List files and subdirectories in the specified directory.

Parameters:

• path: Directory path to list contents (default: current directory)

Returns:

• List of directory contents, formatted with icons for directories and files

write_file

Write content to a file with overwrite or append options.

Parameters:

• path: Path to the file
• content: Content to write
• mode: Write mode ('overwrite' or 'append', default: 'overwrite')

Returns:

• Operation result information including verification of successful write

read_file

Read content from a file with optional row selection.

Parameters:

• path: Path to the file
• start_row: Starting row to read from (0-based, optional)
• end_row: Ending row to read to (0-based, inclusive, optional)

Returns:

• File content or selected lines

insert_file_content

Insert content at specific row(s) in a file.

Parameters:

• path: Path to the file
• content: Content to insert
• row: Row number to insert at (0-based, optional)
• rows: List of row numbers to insert at (0-based, optional)

Returns:

• Operation result information

delete_file_content

Delete content at specific row(s) from a file.

Parameters:

• path: Path to the file
• row: Row number to delete (0-based, optional)
• rows: List of row numbers to delete (0-based, optional)

Returns:

• Operation result information

update_file_content

Update content at specific row(s) in a file.

Parameters:

• path: Path to the file
• content: New content to place at the specified row(s)
• row: Row number to update (0-based, optional)
• rows: List of row numbers to update (0-based, optional)

Returns:

• Operation result information

Security Considerations

Terminal Controller implements several security measures:

• Timeout controls to prevent long-running commands
• Blacklisting of dangerous commands (rm -rf /, format, mkfs)
• Proper error handling and isolation of command execution
• Access only to the commands and directories specifically granted

Limitations

• Only commands that complete within the timeout period will return results
• By default, the server has access to the same file system permissions as the user running it
• Some interactive commands may not work as expected due to the non-interactive nature of the terminal interface

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. Check that your Python version is 3.11 or higher
2. Verify that your Claude Desktop configuration is correct
3. Try running the terminal controller directly to check for errors:

   python -m terminal_controller
   

4. For UVX-related issues, try:

   uvx terminal_controller
   

5. Review your MCP client's logs for connection errors

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT