iTerm MCP Server
This MCP server enables users to execute shell commands in the current iTerm2 session through integration with Claude Desktop, facilitating seamless command execution via the Model Context Protocol.
What is iTerm MCP Server?
iTerm MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to this mcp server enables users to execute shell commands in the current iterm2 session through integration with claude desktop, facilitating seamless command execution via the model context protocol.
This MCP server enables users to execute shell commands in the current iTerm2 session through integration with Claude Desktop, facilitating seamless command execution via the Model Context Protocol.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- This MCP server enables users to execute shell commands in t
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx iterm-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use iTerm MCP Server
iTerm MCP Server is a lightweight MCP integration that lets Claude Desktop read from and write to your active iTerm2 terminal session on macOS, enabling Claude to run shell commands, inspect command output, and send control signals like Ctrl-C — all through the Model Context Protocol. It exposes three focused tools: write_to_terminal for executing commands, read_terminal_output for retrieving output, and send_control_character for sending interrupt signals. Developers use it to give Claude direct shell access for debugging, running build pipelines, interacting with REPLs, and automating terminal workflows without copy-pasting between windows.
Prerequisites
- macOS with iTerm2 installed and actively running
- Node.js 18 or higher
- Claude Desktop with MCP support
- npx available on your PATH (included with Node.js)
- No API keys required — the server operates entirely locally
Verify iTerm2 is installed and running
The server requires iTerm2 to be the active terminal application. Download it from iterm2.com if you don't have it. Make sure at least one iTerm2 window is open before using the MCP tools.
Add iTerm MCP to Claude Desktop configuration
Edit your Claude Desktop config file at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and add the iterm-mcp server. It runs via npx so no global installation is needed.
{
"mcpServers": {
"iterm-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "iterm-mcp"]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Fully quit Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q) and reopen it so it picks up the new MCP server configuration.
Verify the tools are available
In a new Claude conversation, ask Claude what tools it has access to. You should see write_to_terminal, read_terminal_output, and send_control_character listed.
Optional: install via Smithery
Alternatively, use Smithery to install and configure iterm-mcp automatically.
npx -y @smithery/cli install iterm-mcp --client claudeiTerm MCP Server Examples
Client configuration
Complete Claude Desktop JSON configuration for iTerm MCP Server — no API keys or environment variables required.
{
"mcpServers": {
"iterm-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "iterm-mcp"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Sample prompts that use the iTerm MCP Server tools to interact with your active terminal.
- "Run 'git status' in my terminal and tell me what files have changed"
- "Start the dev server with 'npm run dev' and then read the output to confirm it started successfully"
- "Run the test suite with 'pytest tests/' and summarize any failures"
- "Check what's running on port 3000 using 'lsof -i :3000'"
- "Send Ctrl-C to stop whatever is running, then restart it with 'npm run start'"Troubleshooting iTerm MCP Server
write_to_terminal or read_terminal_output fails with 'iTerm2 not found'
Make sure iTerm2 (not Terminal.app or another terminal) is installed, open, and has at least one active tab. The server uses AppleScript to interact with iTerm2 and will fail if iTerm2 is not the running terminal application.
npx -y iterm-mcp fails with a Node.js version error
iTerm MCP Server requires Node.js 18 or higher. Check your version with 'node --version'. If it is below 18, install a newer version via nvm ('nvm install 18 && nvm use 18') or from nodejs.org.
Claude runs commands but reads stale or incomplete output
Use read_terminal_output with an appropriate line count to capture all relevant output. For long-running commands, ask Claude to wait and re-read periodically, or pipe command output to a file and read that file instead for more reliable capture.
Frequently Asked Questions about iTerm MCP Server
What is iTerm MCP Server?
iTerm MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that this mcp server enables users to execute shell commands in the current iterm2 session through integration with claude desktop, facilitating seamless command execution via the model context protocol. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install iTerm MCP Server?
Follow the installation instructions on the iTerm MCP Server GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with iTerm MCP Server?
iTerm MCP Server works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is iTerm MCP Server free to use?
Yes, iTerm MCP Server is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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