vmware-mcp
Controls VMware Fusion/Workstation virtual machines via the vmrun CLI, providing 32 tools for VM lifecycle, guest execution, file operations, and more.
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., "@vmware-mcplist all running virtual machines"
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.
vmware-mcp
MCP server for controlling VMware Fusion/Workstation virtual machines via the vmrun CLI.
Unlike existing VMware MCP servers that depend on the REST API (vmrest), this server calls vmrun directly — no additional daemon required.
npx vmware-mcpQuick Start
Add to your MCP client config — the agent gets 32 tools for full VM control.
Credentials can be passed as CLI args, or omitted if stored in config file, env vars, or OS secret store.
For tool usage workflows and known limitations, see AGENT_GUIDE.md.
~/.config/opencode/opencode.json:
{
"mcp": {
"vmware": {
"type": "local",
"command": ["npx", "-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password",
"--encryption-pass", "my-vm:encpass"
],
"timeout": 300000
}
}
}~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}claude mcp add --transport stdio vmware -- npx -y vmware-mcp \
--guest-user my-vm:admin --guest-pass my-vm:passwordOr manually in ~/.claude.json or .mcp.json (project-level):
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp", "--guest-user", "my-vm:admin", "--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"]
}
}
}~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project):
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}.vscode/mcp.json (workspace):
{
"servers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}Note: uses servers key, not mcpServers.
Configure via Cline sidebar → MCP Servers, or manually:
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
],
"disabled": false
}
}
}~/.roo/mcp_settings.json (global) or .roo/mcp.json (project):
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}~/.aws/amazonq/mcp.json (global) or .amazonq/mcp.json (project):
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}~/.config/zed/settings.json — note: uses context_servers key with different structure:
{
"context_servers": {
"vmware": {
"command": {
"path": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}
}~/.continue/config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}~/.config/cody/mcp_servers.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}Settings → Tools → AI Assistant → Model Context Protocol (MCP) → Add:
{
"mcpServers": {
"vmware": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "vmware-mcp",
"--guest-user", "my-vm:admin",
"--guest-pass", "my-vm:password"
]
}
}
}Manual / Global Install
npm install -g vmware-mcp
vmware-mcpRelated MCP server: VMware Fusion MCP Server
Configuration
Create ~/.config/vmware-mcp/config.json:
{
"vmrun_path": "/Applications/VMware Fusion.app/Contents/Public/vmrun",
"default_vm": "my-vm",
"vms": {
"my-vm": {
"vmx_path": "/path/to/VM.vmwarevm/VM.vmx",
"os_type": "windows",
"guest_user": "admin",
"guest_password": "password"
},
"linux-vm": {
"vmx_path": "/path/to/Ubuntu.vmwarevm/Ubuntu.vmx",
"os_type": "linux",
"guest_user": "ubuntu",
"guest_password": "password"
}
}
}The config file is optional. VMs can also be specified by full .vmx path, and credentials can come from other sources.
vmrun Path Defaults
Platform | Default Path |
macOS |
|
Windows |
|
Linux |
|
Credential Resolution
Credentials are resolved in this order (first match wins):
Priority | Source | Platforms |
1 | Config file | All |
2 | CLI arguments | All |
3 | Environment variables | All |
4 | OS secret store | macOS Keychain, Linux libsecret, Windows PasswordVault |
If credentials exist in config or OS secret store, no CLI args or env vars are needed.
CLI Arguments
vmware-mcp --guest-user my-vm:admin --guest-pass my-vm:password --encryption-pass my-vm:encpassNote: Passwords with
!,$, or other shell special characters may be mangled by bash history expansion. Use single quotes in bash ('my-vm:p@ss!word'), or prefer config file / OS secret store for passwords with special characters.
Environment Variables
Variable | Description |
| Guest OS username |
| Guest OS password |
| VM encryption password |
<VM> is the uppercase VM name from config (e.g., VMWARE_MCP_MY-VM_USER).
OS Secret Store
Store credentials securely — no plaintext files. The server reads from the native store automatically.
macOS (Keychain)
security add-generic-password -s vmware-mcp -a "my-vm/guest_user" -w "admin"
security add-generic-password -s vmware-mcp -a "my-vm/guest_password" -w "password"
security add-generic-password -s vmware-mcp -a "my-vm/encryption_password" -w "encpass"Linux (libsecret — GNOME Keyring / KDE Wallet)
secret-tool store --label="vmware-mcp" service vmware-mcp account "my-vm/guest_user" <<< "admin"
secret-tool store --label="vmware-mcp" service vmware-mcp account "my-vm/guest_password" <<< "password"
secret-tool store --label="vmware-mcp" service vmware-mcp account "my-vm/encryption_password" <<< "encpass"Windows (Credential Locker / PasswordVault)
$vault = New-Object Windows.Security.Credentials.PasswordVault
$vault.Add((New-Object Windows.Security.Credentials.PasswordCredential("vmware-mcp", "my-vm/guest_user", "admin")))
$vault.Add((New-Object Windows.Security.Credentials.PasswordCredential("vmware-mcp", "my-vm/guest_password", "password")))
$vault.Add((New-Object Windows.Security.Credentials.PasswordCredential("vmware-mcp", "my-vm/encryption_password", "encpass")))Tools (32)
VM Lifecycle (9)
Tool | Description |
| Start a VM (gui or headless) |
| Graceful or forced shutdown |
| Suspend to disk (encrypted VMs may not resume via vmrun) |
| Reboot (soft or hard) |
| Pause/resume execution |
| Running state + IP address |
| Running VMs, or all configured VMs with |
| Guest IP (optionally wait until ready) |
Guest Execution (2)
Tool | Description |
| Run shell command, return stdout. Auto-detects shell (cmd/bash/powershell) |
| Launch a program (sync or fire-and-forget with |
File Operations (10)
Tool | Description |
| Host → Guest file copy |
| Guest → Host file copy |
| Read guest file contents |
| Check if file exists |
| Check if directory exists |
| Create directory |
| Delete file |
| Rename/move file |
| List directory contents |
| Create temp file, return path |
Snapshots (4)
Tool | Description |
| Create named snapshot (may fail on running encrypted VMs) |
| Revert to snapshot (optional |
| List snapshots in tree format |
| Delete snapshot |
Process Management (2)
Tool | Description |
| List all guest processes |
| Kill process by PID |
Screen & Input (2)
Tool | Description |
| Screenshot as base64 PNG or save to file (requires guest credentials) |
| Send keystrokes to guest (requires macOS Accessibility permission) |
Variables & Tools State (3)
Tool | Description |
| Read VM variable (runtimeConfig / guestVar / guestEnv) |
| Write VM variable |
| Check VMware Tools state (unknown / installed / running) |
Known Limitations
These are vmrun CLI constraints, not bugs in this server. All errors include actionable hints.
Limitation | Workaround |
Snapshot ops fail on running encrypted VMs | Stop the VM first |
| Use |
Guest commands have a 5-minute hard timeout | Break long operations into smaller commands |
| Grant permission in System Settings |
| Configure guest_user / guest_password |
Port forwarding is Windows-host only | Not available on macOS Fusion |
Development
git clone https://github.com/havu0/vmware-mcp.git
cd vmware-mcp
npm install
npm run build # tsc
npm test # vitest (70 tests)
npm run dev # tsc --watchLicense
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