Shell Exec

Overview

Shell Exec is a Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants execute bash commands with background job support. Any MCP-compatible client can call Shell Exec's tools directly, giving models the ability to run shell operations as needed during conversations and agent runs.

The server runs locally via the npm package shell-exec-mcp, which speaks MCP over stdio. Setup requires the MCP_TRANSPORT environment variable. Version v1.2.0 is the latest release, with source code available at domdomegg/shell-exec-mcp on GitHub.

Shell Exec belongs in the Development category on mcp.site and works with MCP clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and Zed. If you maintain Shell Exec, claim this listing to verify ownership and keep information up to date.

Installation

// claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shell_exec": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "shell-exec-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MCP_TRANSPORT": "<mcp-transport>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires MCP_TRANSPORT