Shell MCP Server logo

Shell MCP Server

by MCP-Mirror

The Shell MCP Server adds secure shell command execution capabilities to AI applications. It is built for the Model Context Protocol, allowing secure and controlled access to shell commands.

View on GitHub

Last updated: N/A

🖥️ Shell MCP Server

License: MIT

License: MIT

Python

Python

Code style: black

Code style: black

🚀 Add secure shell command execution capabilities to your AI applications with the Shell MCP Server! Built for the Model Context Protocol.

✨ Features

  • 🔒 Secure Execution - Commands run only in specified directories
  • 🐚 Multiple Shells - Support for bash, sh, cmd, powershell
  • ⏱️ Timeout Control - Automatic termination of long-running commands
  • 🌍 Cross-Platform - Works on both Unix and Windows systems
  • 🛡️ Safe by Default - Built-in directory and shell validation

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

# Using pip
pip install shell-mcp-server

# Using uv (recommended)
uv pip install shell-mcp-server

🔌 Claude Desktop Integration

Add this to your Claude Desktop config to enable shell command execution:

<details> <summary>📝 Click to view configuration</summary>
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "shell-mcp-server": {
            "command": "uv",
            "args": [
                "--directory",
                "/path/to/shell-mcp-server",
                "run",
                "shell-mcp-server",
                "/path/to/allowed/dir1",
                "/path/to/allowed/dir2",
                "--shell", "bash", "/bin/bash",
                "--shell", "zsh", "/bin/zsh"
            ]
        }
    }
}
</details>

🎮 Usage Examples

Basic File Operations

# List directory contents
result = execute_command(
    command="ls -la",
    shell="bash",
    cwd="/path/to/project"
)

# Find files by pattern
result = execute_command(
    command="find . -name '*.py'",
    shell="bash",
    cwd="/path/to/project"
)

Project Management

# Git operations
result = execute_command(
    command="git status && git diff",
    shell="bash",
    cwd="/path/to/repo"
)

# Package management
result = execute_command(
    command="pip list --outdated",
    shell="bash",
    cwd="/path/to/python/project"
)

System Information

# Resource usage
result = execute_command(
    command="df -h && free -h",
    shell="bash",
    cwd="/path/to/dir"
)

# Process monitoring
result = execute_command(
    command="ps aux | grep python",
    shell="bash",
    cwd="/path/to/dir"
)

File Processing

# Search file content
result = execute_command(
    command="grep -r 'TODO' .",
    shell="bash",
    cwd="/path/to/project"
)

# File manipulation
result = execute_command(
    command="awk '{print $1}' data.csv | sort | uniq -c",
    shell="bash",
    cwd="/path/to/data"
)

Windows-Specific Examples

# List processes
result = execute_command(
    command="Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.CPU -gt 10}",
    shell="powershell",
    cwd="C:\\path\\to\\dir"
)

# System information
result = execute_command(
    command="systeminfo | findstr /B /C:'OS'",
    shell="cmd",
    cwd="C:\\path\\to\\dir"
)

⚙️ Configuration

Configure behavior with command-line arguments:

| Argument | Description | |----------|-------------| | directories | 📁 List of allowed directories | | --shell name path | 🐚 Shell specifications (name and path) |

Environment variables:

  • COMMAND_TIMEOUT: ⏱️ Max execution time in seconds (default: 30)

🛡️ Security Features

  • 🔐 Directory Isolation: Commands can only execute in specified directories
  • 🔒 Shell Control: Only configured shells are allowed
  • Timeout Protection: All commands have a configurable timeout
  • 🛑 Path Validation: Working directory validation prevents traversal attacks
  • 👤 Permission Isolation: Commands run with the same permissions as the server process

🛠️ Development

Set up your development environment:

# Create and activate virtual environment
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate

# Install development dependencies
uv pip install -e ".[test]"

# Run tests
python -m pytest

# Run tests with coverage
python -m pytest --cov=shell_mcp_server

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to:

  • 🐛 Report bugs
  • 💡 Suggest features
  • 🔧 Submit pull requests
  • 📚 Improve documentation

📜 License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.


<div align="center">

🌟 Enhance Your AI with Secure Shell Access! 🌟

Built for the Model Context Protocol | Made with ❤️ by the MCP Community

<details> <summary>🎉 Star us on GitHub!</summary> <br> If you find this tool useful, consider giving it a star! It helps others discover the project. </details> </div>