MCP Terminal Server - Windows Setup

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) allows communication between external tools and AI-Client (here Claude-AI). This project sets up an MCP-compatible terminal server to execute shell commands within a defined workspace.

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Installing Claude for Desktop

1. Download and install Claude for Desktop from Claude's official website.
2. Windows: Follow the installer steps.
3. Open the application and log in.

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Step 1: Install uv

Method 1: Standalone Installer

Run this command in PowerShell:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

Method 2: PyPI

If you have Python installed:

pip install uv  # or
pipx install uv

After installation, restart your terminal so uv is recognized.

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Step 2: Create the MCP Directory Structure

Run the following commands in PowerShell:

mkdir D:\path\to\mcp\servers\terminal_server
mkdir $env:USERPROFILE\mcp\workspace

• D:\path\to\mcp\servers\terminal_server: Stores all MCP servers.
• $env:USERPROFILE\mcp\workspace: Dedicated workspace directory.

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Step 3: Set Up a Python Project

cd D:\path\to\mcp\servers\terminal_server
uv init

This initializes a Python project inside terminal_server.

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Step 4: Set Up a Virtual Environment

uv venv
.venv\Scripts\activate

This creates and activates a virtual environment, keeping dependencies isolated.

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Step 5: Install Required Packages

uv add "mcp[cli]"

This installs the MCP package to enable communication with Claude.

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Step 6: Run the MCP Terminal Server

uv run terminal_server.py

This starts the terminal server within the virtual environment.

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Step 7: Configure Claude for Desktop

Edit the Claude config file at:

C:\Users\<your-username>\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the following configuration:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "terminal": {
            "command": "C:\\path\\to\\uv.exe",
            "args": [
                "--directory", "D:\\path\\to\\mcp\\servers\\terminal_server",
                "run",
                "terminal_server.py"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Final Step: Restart Claude for Desktop

Once restarted, you should see a hammer icon, meaning your tool is ready to use! 🚀