Mac Shell

by cfdude

14 stars

603 downloads

Not rated

GitHub Website

About

Enables secure execution of macOS terminal commands through a ZSH shell with a whitelist system that categorizes operations as safe, requiring approval, or forbidden.

Details

Author: cfdude
Repository: cfdude/mac-shell-mcp
GitHub stars: 14
Downloads: 603
License: MIT License
Categories: Productivity, Design, Developer Tools, AI, Infrastructure, Security, Frontend

- Execute macOS terminal commands through MCP
- Command whitelisting with security levels:
- Safe: Commands that can be executed without approval
- Requires Approval: Commands that need explicit approval before execution
- Forbidden: Commands that are explicitly blocked
- Pre-configured whitelist with common safe commands
- Approval workflow for potentially dangerous commands
- Comprehensive command management tools

Setting up with Highlight

This MCP is not yet compatible with Highlight’s one-click setup. However, you can still use it with Highlight by following these steps:

Download and install Highlight from highlightai.com/download
Navigate to the plugins tab and select "Add Custom Plugin"
Configure the plugin with the settings below
Plugin Name Mac Shell

Command (node, npx, python, etc.) node
Arguments
- Argument 1 /path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js
Please refer to the README for specific instructions on how to obtain API keys or other required environment variables.
Enable "Start Automatically" if you want the plugin to start when Highlight launches

Setting up with Cursor

Open Cursor's settings
Navigate to the MCP section
Click "Add new Global MCP server"
Copy and paste the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "cwd": "optional",
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/c",
                "node",
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "cmd"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Claude Desktop

Open Claude Desktop's settings
Go to the Integrations tab
Click "Add MCP Server"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

Note: Make sure Claude Desktop is running before attempting to connect.

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "cwd": "optional",
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/c",
                "node",
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "cmd"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Windsurf

Open Windsurf's preferences
Go to the Integrations section
Click "Add MCP Integration"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "cwd": "optional",
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/c",
                "node",
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "cmd"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Cline

Open Cline's settings
Navigate to the Integrations section
Click "Add MCP Server"
Copy and paste the configuration below based on your operating system

Note: Make sure to restart Cline after adding the configuration.

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "cwd": "optional",
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/c",
                "node",
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "cmd"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Goose

Open Goose's preferences
Go to the Integrations tab
Select "MCP Servers"
Click "Add New Server"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "cwd": "optional",
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/c",
                "node",
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "cmd"
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

From the repository

npm install

Both Roo Code and Claude Desktop use a similar configuration format for MCP servers. Here's how to set up the Mac Shell MCP server:

"mac-shell": {
  "command": "npx",
  "args": [
    "-y",
    "mac-shell-mcp"
  ],
  "alwaysAllow": [],
  "disabled": false
}

"mac-shell": {
  "command": "npx",
  "args": [
    "-y",
    "mac-shell-mcp"
  ],
  "alwaysAllow": false,
  "disabled": false
}

This approach allows the MCP server to be started automatically by the MCP client without requiring a separate terminal window or manual intervention.

> Note:
> - For Roo Code: Setting alwaysAllow to an empty array [] is recommended for security reasons, as it will prompt for approval before executing any commands. If you want to allow specific commands without prompting, you can add their names to the array, for example: "alwaysAllow": ["execute_command", "get_whitelist"].
> - For Claude Desktop: Setting alwaysAllow to false is recommended for security reasons. Claude Desktop uses a boolean value instead of an array, where false means all commands require approval and true means all commands are allowed without prompting.
>
> Important: The alwaysAllow parameter is processed by the MCP client (Roo Code or Claude Desktop), not by the Mac Shell MCP server itself. The server will work correctly with either format, as the client handles the approval process before sending requests to the server.

Add the following to your MCP settings configuration:

`execute_command`

Execute a shell command on macOS. Parameters: command (string), args (array of strings)

`get_whitelist`

Get the list of whitelisted commands. Parameters: None

`add_to_whitelist`

Add a command to the whitelist. Parameters: command (string), securityLevel (string), description (string)

`update_security_level`

Update the security level of a whitelisted command. Parameters: command (string), securityLevel (string)

`remove_from_whitelist`

Remove a command from the whitelist. Parameters: command (string)

`get_pending_commands`

Get the list of commands pending approval. Parameters: None

`approve_command`

Approve a pending command. Parameters: commandId (string)

`deny_command`

Deny a pending command. Parameters: commandId (string), reason (string)

The server exposes the following MCP tools:

Claude Desktop / Cursor

Paste into your MCP client config file to install this server.

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mac shell": {
            "cwd": "optional",
            "env": {},
            "args": [
                "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
            ],
            "command": "node"
        }
    }
}

Linux

{
    "env": [],
    "args": [
        "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
    ],
    "command": "node"
}

Macos

{
    "cwd": "optional",
    "env": [],
    "args": [
        "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
    ],
    "command": "node"
}

Windows

{
    "env": [],
    "args": [
        "/c",
        "node",
        "/path/to/mac-shell-mcp/build/index.js"
    ],
    "command": "cmd"
}

Mac Shell MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for executing macOS terminal commands with ZSH shell. This server provides a secure way to execute shell commands with built-in whitelisting and approval mechanisms.

Features

Installation

```bash

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About

Details

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Setting up with Highlight

From the repository

execute_command

get_whitelist

add_to_whitelist

update_security_level

remove_from_whitelist

get_pending_commands

approve_command

deny_command

Claude Desktop / Cursor

Linux

Macos

Windows

Mac Shell MCP Server

Features

Installation

Install

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Context 7

`execute_command`

`get_whitelist`

`add_to_whitelist`

`update_security_level`

`remove_from_whitelist`

`get_pending_commands`

`approve_command`

`deny_command`