Shell-MCP

shell-mcp

Shell command execution MCP server

An MCP server implementation that provides secure shell command execution capabilities for LLMs.

Features

  • Secure Execution: Whitelisted commands and arguments only
  • Resource Control: Memory and CPU usage monitoring
  • Timeout Control: Automatic termination of long-running commands
  • Size Limits: Output size restrictions for safety
  • MCP Integration: Works with Claude and other MCP-compatible LLMs

Installation

npm install @kevinwatt/shell-mcp

Configuration with Dive Desktop

  1. Click "+ Add MCP Server" in Dive Desktop
  2. Copy and paste this configuration:
{ "mcpServers": { "shell": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "@kevinwatt/shell-mcp" ] } } }

Tool Documentation

  • shell_ls, shell_pwd, shell_df, etc.
    • Execute whitelisted shell commands
    • Inputs:
      • command (string, required): Command to execute
      • args (array, optional): Command arguments
      • timeout (number, optional): Execution timeout in ms

Usage Examples

Ask your LLM to:

"Show current directory using shell_pwd" "List files using shell_ls with -l argument" "Check disk usage using shell_df with -h argument"

Manual Start

If needed, start the server manually:

npx @kevinwatt/shell-mcp

Requirements

  • Node.js 18+
  • MCP-compatible LLM service

Development

# Install dependencies npm install # Watch mode npm run watch # Run tests npm test # Lint npm run lint

License

MIT © Dewei Yen

Keywords

  • mcp
  • shell
  • command
  • claude
  • llm
  • automation

Available Commands

The following shell commands are available:

CommandDescriptionAllowed Arguments
lsList directory contents-l, -a, -h, -R, --help, *
catConcatenate and display file contents-n, -b, --help, *
pwdShow current working directoryNone
dfShow disk usage-h, -T, --help
echoDisplay textAny text
psShow process status-e, -f, -u, --help
freeShow memory usage-h, -m, -g, --help
uptimeShow system uptimeNone
dateShow system date and time+%Y-%m-%d, +%H:%M:%S, --help
grepSearch text patterns in files-i, -v, -n, -r, -l, --color, *
wShow who is logged on and what they are doing-h, -s, --no-header, --help
whoisQuery WHOIS domain registration information-H, *
findSearch for files in a directory hierarchy-name, -type, -size, -mtime, *
netstatNetwork connection information-a, -n, -t, -u, -l, -p, --help
lspciList PCI devices-v, -k, -mm, -nn, --help
lsusbList USB devices-v, -t, -d, -s, --help
digDNS lookup utility+short, +trace, +dnssec, @*, *
nslookupQuery DNS records-type=, -query=, *
ipShow network devices and interfacesaddr, link, route, neigh, -br, *
whereisLocate binary, source and manual files-b, -m, -s, *

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A
security – no known vulnerabilities
A
license - permissive license
A
quality - confirmed to work

A secure MCP server for executing whitelisted shell commands with resource and timeout controls, designed for integration with Claude and other MCP-compatible LLMs.

  1. Features
    1. Installation
      1. Configuration with Dive Desktop
        1. Tool Documentation
          1. Usage Examples
            1. Manual Start
              1. Requirements
                1. Development
                  1. License
                    1. Keywords
                      1. Available Commands