Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Terminal Reader MCPcheck my last terminal command for errors"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
terminal-reader-mcp
An MCP server that gives Claude Desktop read-only access to your terminal output. No more copy-pasting errors — just ask Claude to check your terminal.
Quickstart
1. Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/chrisvin-jabamani/terminal-reader-mcp.git
cd terminal-reader-mcp
npm install2. Add the cap function to your shell
The MCP server can only read files — it can't see your terminal directly. The cap function wraps your commands and saves their output to a log file that Claude can read.
Open your shell config:
open ~/.zshrcPaste this at the bottom:
# Capture terminal output for Claude
cap() {
local log_file="$HOME/.terminal_history.log"
local exit_code
echo "---CMD---" >> "$log_file"
echo "$ $*" >> "$log_file"
echo "---OUTPUT---" >> "$log_file"
"$@" 2>&1 | tee -a "$log_file"
exit_code=${pipestatus[1]}
echo "" >> "$log_file"
echo "---EXIT:$exit_code---" >> "$log_file"
echo "---END---" >> "$log_file"
return $exit_code
}Save, then reload:
source ~/.zshrc3. Configure Claude Desktop
Open the config:
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonAdd the terminal-reader server:
{
"mcpServers": {
"terminal-reader": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/FULL/PATH/TO/terminal-reader-mcp/index.js"]
}
}
}Replace /FULL/PATH/TO/ with where you cloned the repo.
4. Restart Claude Desktop
Quit completely (Cmd+Q) and reopen.
5. Test it
cap echo "hello from terminal"Ask Claude: "what was my last terminal command?"
Usage
Prefix commands with cap when you want Claude to see them:
cap npm run dev
cap python script.py
cap cargo buildCommands without cap are not captured.
Resources
Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.
Looking for Admin?
If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.