Unix Manual Server
local-only server
The server can only run on the client’s local machine because it depends on local resources.
Unix Manual Server (MCP)
An MCP server that provides Unix command documentation directly within Claude conversations.
Features
- Get command documentation: Retrieve help pages, man pages, and usage information for Unix commands
- List common commands: Discover available commands on your system, categorized by function
- Check command existence: Verify if a specific command is available and get its version information
Installation
Prerequisites
- Python 3.13+
- Claude Desktop or any MCP-compatible client
Setup
- Clone this repository
- Install the package:
- Install the server in Claude Desktop:
Usage
Once installed, you can use the server's tools directly in Claude:
Get command documentation
List common commands
Check if a command exists
Development
To test the server locally without installing it in Claude:
Security
The server takes precautions to prevent command injection by:
- Validating command names against a regex pattern
- Executing commands directly without using shell
- Setting timeouts on all command executions
- Only checking for documentation, never executing arbitrary commands
Logging
Logs are saved to unix-manual-server.log in the same directory as the script, useful for debugging.
- use
@modelcontextprotocol/inspectorwithnpxunder the hood.
License
MIT
Created with the MCP Python SDK. For more information about MCP, visit modelcontextprotocol.io.
This server cannot be installed
Provides Unix command documentation directly within Claude conversations, allowing users to retrieve help pages, man pages, and usage information without leaving the chat interface.