ferrislucas/iterm-mcp

Overview

This tool is a Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants execute commands directly in the user's current iTerm session. It enables interactive workflows like REPL loops and CLI assistance. The server runs locally and communicates with MCP-compatible AI clients.

Best for

Best for
Developers on macOS who want AI assistants to execute commands directly in their iTerm terminal

Use cases

• Execute shell commands via an AI assistant
• Run REPL sessions interactively in iTerm
• Automate CLI workflows from a chat interface

How to use

Install

npx -y @smithery/cli install iterm-mcp --client claude

Tools exposed

• write_to_terminal
• read_terminal_output
• send_control_character

Tested with

Claude Desktop

Example client config

{\n  "mcpServers": {\n    "iterm-mcp": {\n      "command": "npx",\n      "args": [\n        "-y",\n        "iterm-mcp"\n      ]\n    }\n  }\n}

Notes

This tool is a Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants execute commands directly in the user’s current iTerm session. It enables interactive workflows like REPL loops and CLI assistance. The server runs locally and communicates with MCP-compatible AI clients.

557 stars on GitHub. Last updated 2025-09-20. Licensed MIT.

Use cases

• Execute shell commands via an AI assistant
• Run REPL sessions interactively in iTerm
• Automate CLI workflows from a chat interface

Pros

• Leverages the existing iTerm session context and environment
• Open source with a visible community (557 stars on GitHub)
• Straightforward TypeScript implementation for easy customization

Cons

• Limited to macOS because it requires iTerm2
• Commands execute in a real terminal with no built-in sandboxing or approval prompts
• User must trust the AI instructions to avoid unintended actions

Indexed from awesome-mcp-servers-punkpeye and enriched against its public facts.