Content
<p align="center">
<img src="logo.png" alt="Terminal MCP" width="600">
</p>
<p align="center">
<strong>Let AI see and interact with your terminal.</strong>
</p>
<p align="center">
Terminal MCP gives LLMs a shared view of your terminal session. Perfect for debugging CLIs and TUI applications in real-time, or letting AI drive terminal-based tools autonomously.
</p>
## Install
```bash
npm install -g @ellery/terminal-mcp
```
Or via install script:
```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/elleryfamilia/terminal-mcp/main/install.sh | bash
```
### Configure your AI tools
Wire `terminal-mcp` into the MCP config of every AI tool installed on your machine in one shot:
```bash
terminal-mcp setup # detect & install for all detected tools
terminal-mcp setup --dry-run # preview without writing
terminal-mcp setup --client claude-code,gemini # specific tools only
terminal-mcp setup --uninstall # remove the entry from each tool
```
Supported clients (each gets the right schema for its config format):
| Client | Config file | Format |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI Codex CLI | `~/.codex/config.toml` | TOML |
| GitHub Copilot CLI | `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` | JSON |
| Gemini CLI | `~/.gemini/settings.json` | JSON |
| OpenCode | `~/.config/opencode/opencode.json` | JSON |
| Claude Code | `~/.claude/settings.json` | JSON |
| Claude Desktop | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` (macOS) / `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` (Windows) | JSON |
A `.bak` of any pre-existing config is written next to the original on first install. The `terminal-mcp` entry is added without disturbing other servers or unrelated keys; running `setup` again is a no-op.
### Upgrading
```bash
npm install -g @ellery/terminal-mcp@latest
```
Interactive mode will print a banner on next launch when a newer release is available — `terminal-mcp` checks the npm registry once per day and caches the result. Headless and MCP-client modes never check or print anything (so MCP stdio stays clean). To opt out entirely, set `NO_UPDATE_NOTIFIER=1` or pass `--no-update-notifier`.
## Features
- **Full Terminal Emulation**: Uses xterm.js headless for accurate VT100/ANSI emulation
- **Cross-Platform PTY**: Native pseudo-terminal support via node-pty (macOS, Linux, Windows)
- **MCP Protocol**: Implements Model Context Protocol for AI assistant integration
- **Session Recording**: Record terminal sessions to asciicast format for playback with asciinema
- **Simple API**: Nine tools covering input, observation, recording, and session lifecycle
- **Headless Mode**: Run as a standalone MCP server without a TTY — ideal for CI, containers, and non-interactive environments
- **Multi-Session**: Run multiple isolated terminal sessions in one process, addressed by `sessionId`
- **Sandbox Mode**: Optional security restrictions for filesystem and network access
## Building from Source
```bash
npm install
npm run build
```
## Usage
### MCP Configuration
Add to your MCP client settings:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"terminal": {
"command": "terminal-mcp"
}
}
}
```
With custom options:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"terminal": {
"command": "terminal-mcp",
"args": ["--cols", "100", "--rows", "30", "--shell", "/bin/zsh"]
}
}
}
```
### Command-Line Options
```
terminal-mcp [OPTIONS]
Options:
--cols <number> Terminal width in columns (default: 120)
--rows <number> Terminal height in rows (default: 40)
--shell <path> Shell to use (default: $SHELL or bash)
--headless Run in headless mode (embedded PTY + MCP over stdio, no TTY needed)
--sandbox Enable sandbox mode (restricts filesystem/network)
--sandbox-config <path> Load sandbox config from JSON file
--version, -v Show version number
--help, -h Show help message
Recording Options:
--record [mode] Enable recording (default mode: always)
Modes: always, on-failure, off
--record-dir <dir> Recording output directory
(default: ~/.local/state/terminal-mcp/recordings)
--idle-time-limit <sec> Max idle time between events (default: 2s)
--max-duration <sec> Max recording duration (default: 3600s)
--inactivity-timeout <sec> Stop after no output (default: 600s)
Multi-Session Options:
--max-sessions <n> Max concurrent sessions (default: 5)
--session-idle-timeout <sec> Idle non-default sessions are auto-destroyed
after this period (default: 600s)
```
## Headless Mode
By default, Terminal MCP uses a **dual-process architecture**: you run `terminal-mcp` in an interactive terminal (which creates a Unix socket), then your MCP client spawns a second instance that connects to that socket. This requires a TTY.
**Headless mode** (`--headless`) eliminates this requirement by spawning an embedded PTY internally and serving MCP directly over stdio in a single process. No interactive terminal session, no socket — just a self-contained MCP server with a built-in terminal.
### When to use headless mode
- **CI/CD pipelines** — no TTY available
- **Docker containers** — no interactive shell to run alongside
- **Remote/cloud environments** — MCP servers spawned by automation
- **Simplified setup** — single process, no socket coordination needed
### Configuration
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"terminal": {
"command": "terminal-mcp",
"args": ["--headless", "--cols", "120", "--rows", "40"]
}
}
}
```
### How it works
```
MCP Client (Claude Code, etc.)
│ STDIO (JSON-RPC)
▼
terminal-mcp --headless
├── MCP Server (stdio transport)
├── Terminal Emulator (@xterm/headless)
└── Embedded PTY (node-pty)
│
▼
Shell Process (bash, zsh, etc.)
```
In headless mode, the terminal session is initialized eagerly at startup, so all tools (`type`, `sendKey`, `getContent`, `takeScreenshot`, `startRecording`, `stopRecording`, `createSession`, `listSessions`, `destroySession`) are available immediately.
## MCP Tools
All input/output tools (`type`, `sendKey`, `getContent`, `takeScreenshot`) accept an optional `sessionId` argument. Omit it to target the default session; pass the ID returned by `createSession` to drive a specific session.
### `type`
Send text input to the terminal.
```json
{
"name": "type",
"arguments": {
"text": "echo hello"
}
}
```
### `sendKey`
Send special keys or key combinations.
```json
{
"name": "sendKey",
"arguments": {
"key": "Enter"
}
}
```
Supported keys:
- Basic: `Enter`, `Tab`, `Escape`, `Backspace`, `Delete`
- Arrow: `ArrowUp`, `ArrowDown`, `ArrowLeft`, `ArrowRight`
- Navigation: `Home`, `End`, `PageUp`, `PageDown`, `Insert`
- Function: `F1` through `F12`
- Control: `Ctrl+A` through `Ctrl+Z`, `Ctrl+C`, `Ctrl+D`, etc.
### `getContent`
Get the terminal buffer as plain text.
```json
{
"name": "getContent",
"arguments": {
"visibleOnly": false
}
}
```
### `takeScreenshot`
Capture the terminal state. Supports three output formats:
| Format | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `text` (default) | JSON with plain text content, cursor position, and dimensions |
| `ansi` | JSON with ANSI color escape codes preserved in the content field |
| `png` | Color screenshot as a PNG image (requires `@resvg/resvg-js`) |
```json
{
"name": "takeScreenshot",
"arguments": { "format": "text" }
}
```
The `ansi` format reconstructs SGR escape sequences from the terminal's cell buffer, preserving 16-color, 256-color, and 24-bit truecolor attributes along with bold, dim, italic, and underline styles.
The `png` format returns an MCP `image` content block with base64-encoded PNG data, rendered with the One Dark color theme and macOS-style window chrome.
### `startRecording`
Start recording terminal output to an asciicast v2 file.
```json
{
"name": "startRecording",
"arguments": {
"mode": "always",
"idleTimeLimit": 2,
"maxDuration": 3600
}
}
```
Options:
- `mode`: `always` (save all) or `on-failure` (save only on non-zero exit)
- `outputDir`: Custom output directory
- `idleTimeLimit`: Max seconds between events (caps pauses in playback)
- `maxDuration`: Auto-stop after N seconds
- `inactivityTimeout`: Auto-stop after N seconds of no output
### `stopRecording`
Stop a recording and finalize the asciicast file.
```json
{
"name": "stopRecording",
"arguments": {
"recordingId": "abc123"
}
}
```
### `createSession`
Create a new terminal session and return its metadata. Use the returned `sessionId` to target this session in subsequent tool calls.
```json
{
"name": "createSession",
"arguments": {
"shell": "/bin/zsh",
"cols": 100,
"rows": 30
}
}
```
All arguments are optional. Returns:
```json
{
"sessionId": "3029d",
"shell": "/bin/zsh",
"cols": 100,
"rows": 30,
"createdAt": "2026-04-25T12:58:01.072Z",
"lastActivityAt": "2026-04-25T12:58:01.072Z",
"isDefault": false
}
```
### `listSessions`
List all active sessions including the default. Reports configured limits.
```json
{ "name": "listSessions", "arguments": {} }
```
### `destroySession`
Destroy a session by ID. The default session cannot be destroyed.
```json
{
"name": "destroySession",
"arguments": { "sessionId": "3029d" }
}
```
## Multi-Session
By default, every tool call without a `sessionId` targets a single auto-created **default session** — the same behavior the project has always had. Pass `sessionId` to drive multiple isolated PTYs from one process.
- The default session is created on first use and cannot be destroyed.
- Additional sessions are created by `createSession` and tracked until they're destroyed or idle-evicted (`--session-idle-timeout`, default 600s).
- Concurrent sessions are capped at `--max-sessions` (default 5).
- An active recording captures output from all sessions in the process.
Typical use case: an AI agent driving a long-running build in one session while running diagnostics in another, without command interleaving.
## Sandbox Mode
Run the terminal with restricted filesystem and network access:
```bash
# Interactive permission configuration
terminal-mcp --sandbox
# With a config file
terminal-mcp --sandbox --sandbox-config ~/.terminal-mcp-sandbox.json
```
The interactive mode shows a TUI dialog to configure permissions:
<p align="center">
<img src="sandbox-permissions.png" alt="Sandbox Permissions Dialog" width="400">
</p>
- **Read/Write**: Full access (current directory, /tmp, caches)
- **Read-Only**: Can read but not modify (home directory)
- **Blocked**: No access (SSH keys, cloud credentials, auth tokens)
Example config file:
```json
{
"filesystem": {
"readWrite": [".", "/tmp", "~/.cache"],
"readOnly": ["~"],
"blocked": ["~/.ssh", "~/.aws", "~/.gnupg"]
},
"network": {
"mode": "all"
}
}
```
Platform support:
- **macOS**: Full support via sandbox-exec (Seatbelt)
- **Linux**: Full support via bubblewrap (requires `bwrap` installed)
- **Windows**: Graceful fallback (runs without sandbox)
See [Sandbox Documentation](./docs/sandbox.md) for detailed configuration options.
## Recording
Terminal MCP can record sessions to [asciicast v2](https://docs.asciinema.org/manual/asciicast/v2/) format, compatible with [asciinema](https://asciinema.org/) for playback.
### Quick Start
```bash
# Start with recording enabled
terminal-mcp --record
# Run your commands, then exit
exit
# Output shows the saved file path:
# Recordings saved:
# ~/.local/state/terminal-mcp/recordings/20240115_143022.cast
#
# Play with: asciinema play <file>
```
### Playback
Install asciinema to play back recordings:
```bash
# macOS
brew install asciinema
# Linux/pip
pip install asciinema
# Play a recording
asciinema play ~/.local/state/terminal-mcp/recordings/20240115_143022.cast
# Play at 2x speed
asciinema play -s 2 recording.cast
```
### Recording Modes
- **`always`** (default): Save every recording
- **`on-failure`**: Only save if the session exits with a non-zero code (useful for debugging failed CI runs)
```bash
# Only save recordings when something fails
terminal-mcp --record=on-failure
```
### MCP Tool Recording
AI assistants can also control recording programmatically via MCP tools:
1. Call `startRecording` to begin capturing
2. Perform terminal operations
3. Call `stopRecording` to finalize and save
This enables AI-driven workflows like "record this debugging session" or "capture this demo".
## Architecture
Terminal MCP has three operating modes:
| Mode | Flag | Stdin | Description |
|------|------|-------|-------------|
| **Interactive** | *(default)* | TTY | User gets a shell; AI connects via Unix socket |
| **Client** | *(default)* | non-TTY | Connects to an interactive session's socket, serves MCP over stdio |
| **Headless** | `--headless` | any | Self-contained: embedded PTY + MCP server over stdio |
### Headless mode (recommended for MCP configs)
```
MCP Client (Claude Code, etc.)
│ STDIO (JSON-RPC)
▼
terminal-mcp --headless
├── MCP SDK (@modelcontextprotocol/sdk)
├── Terminal Emulator (@xterm/headless)
└── Embedded PTY (node-pty)
│
▼
Shell Process (bash, zsh, etc.)
```
### Interactive + Client mode (two-process)
```
terminal-mcp (interactive, in your terminal)
├── User shell (stdin/stdout)
└── Unix socket server (/tmp/terminal-mcp.sock)
▲
│ JSON-RPC over socket
▼
terminal-mcp (client, spawned by MCP client)
└── MCP server (stdio transport)
```
## Example Session
```bash
# Type a command
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"type","arguments":{"text":"ls -la"}}}
# Send Enter key
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"sendKey","arguments":{"key":"Enter"}}}
# Get the output
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":3,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"getContent","arguments":{}}}
```
## Development
```bash
npm run build # Compile TypeScript
npm run dev # Run with tsx (development)
```
## Documentation
See the [docs](./docs/) folder for detailed documentation:
- [Overview](./docs/index.md)
- [Installation](./docs/installation.md)
- [Tools Reference](./docs/tools.md)
- [Recording](./docs/recording.md)
- [Configuration](./docs/configuration.md)
- [Sandbox Mode](./docs/sandbox.md)
- [Examples](./docs/examples.md)
- [Architecture](./docs/architecture.md)
## Requirements
- Node.js 18.0.0 or later
- Windows 10 version 1809 or later (for ConPTY support)
## License
MIT
