mcp/desktop-commander repository overview

                    Can create multiple nested directories in one operation.
                    Only works within allowed directories.

                    IMPORTANT: Always use absolute paths for reliability. Paths are automatically normalized regardless of slash direction. Relative paths may fail as they depend on the current working directory. Tilde paths (~/...) might not work in all contexts. Unless the user explicitly asks for relative paths, use absolute paths.
                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    BEST PRACTICE: Make multiple small, focused edits rather than one large edit.
                    Each edit_block call should change only what needs to be changed - include just enough
                    context to uniquely identify the text being modified.

                    FORMAT HANDLING (by extension):

                    EXCEL FILES (.xlsx, .xls, .xlsm) - Range Update mode:
                    Takes:
                    - file_path: Path to the Excel file
                    - range: ALWAYS use FROM:TO format - "SheetName!A1:C10" or "SheetName!C1:C1"
                    - content: 2D array, e.g., [["H1","H2"],["R1","R2"]]

                    TEXT FILES - Find/Replace mode:
                    Takes:
                    - file_path: Path to the file to edit
                    - old_string: Text to replace
                    - new_string: Replacement text
                    - expected_replacements: Optional number of replacements (default: 1)

                    DOCX FILES (.docx) - XML Find/Replace mode:
                    Takes same parameters as text files (old_string, new_string, expected_replacements).
                    Operates on the pretty-printed XML inside the DOCX — the same XML you see from
                    read_file with offset/length. Copy XML fragments from read output as old_string.
                    After editing, the XML is repacked into a valid DOCX.
                    Also searches headers/footers if not found in document body.
                    Examples:
                    - Replace text: old_string="<w:t>Old Text</w:t>" new_string="<w:t>New Text</w:t>"
                    - Change style: old_string='<w:pStyle w:val="Normal"/>' new_string='<w:pStyle w:val="Heading1"/>'
                    - Add content: include surrounding XML context in old_string, add new elements in new_string

                    By default, replaces only ONE occurrence of the search text.
                    To replace multiple occurrences, provide expected_replacements with
                    the exact number of matches expected.

                    UNIQUENESS REQUIREMENT: When expected_replacements=1 (default), include the minimal
                    amount of context necessary (typically 1-3 lines) before and after the change point,
                    with exact whitespace and indentation.

                    When editing multiple sections, make separate edit_block calls for each distinct change
                    rather than one large replacement.

                    When a close but non-exact match is found, a character-level diff is shown in the format:
                    common_prefix{-removed-}{+added+}common_suffix to help you identify what's different.

                    Similar to write_file, there is a configurable line limit (fileWriteLineLimit) that warns
                    if the edited file exceeds this limit. If this happens, consider breaking your edits into
                    smaller, more focused changes.

                    IMPORTANT: Always use absolute paths for reliability. Paths are automatically normalized regardless of slash direction. Relative paths may fail as they depend on the current working directory. Tilde paths (~/...) might not work in all contexts. Unless the user explicitly asks for relative paths, use absolute paths.
                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Only works within allowed directories.

                    IMPORTANT: Always use absolute paths for reliability. Paths are automatically normalized regardless of slash direction. Relative paths may fail as they depend on the current working directory. Tilde paths (~/...) might not work in all contexts. Unless the user explicitly asks for relative paths, use absolute paths.
                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Supports partial result reading with:
                    - 'offset' (start result index, default: 0)
                      * Positive: Start from result N (0-based indexing)
                      * Negative: Read last N results from end (tail behavior)
                    - 'length' (max results to read, default: 100)
                      * Used with positive offsets for range reading
                      * Ignored when offset is negative (reads all requested tail results)

                    Examples:
                    - offset: 0, length: 100     → First 100 results
                    - offset: 200, length: 50    → Results 200-249
                    - offset: -20                → Last 20 results
                    - offset: -5, length: 10     → Last 5 results (length ignored)

                    Returns only results in the specified range, along with search status.
                    Works like read_process_output - call this repeatedly to get progressive
                    results from a search started with start_search.

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    SIMPLIFIED ONBOARDING V2: This tool only supports direct prompt retrieval.
                    The onboarding system presents 5 options as a simple numbered list:

                    1. Organize my Downloads folder (promptId: 'onb2_01')
                    2. Explain a codebase or repository (promptId: 'onb2_02')
                    3. Create organized knowledge base (promptId: 'onb2_03')
                    4. Analyze a data file (promptId: 'onb2_04')
                    5. Check system health and resources (promptId: 'onb2_05')

                    USAGE:
                    When user says "1", "2", "3", "4", or "5" from onboarding:
                    - "1" → get_prompts(action='get_prompt', promptId='onb2_01')
                    - "2" → get_prompts(action='get_prompt', promptId='onb2_02')
                    - "3" → get_prompts(action='get_prompt', promptId='onb2_03')
                    - "4" → get_prompts(action='get_prompt', promptId='onb2_04')
                    - "5" → get_prompts(action='get_prompt', promptId='onb2_05')

                    The prompt content will be injected and execution begins immediately.

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Useful for:
                    - Onboarding new chats about work already done
                    - Recovering context after chat history loss
                    - Debugging tool call sequences

                    Note: Does not track its own calls or other meta/query tools.
                    History kept in memory (last 1000 calls, lost on restart).

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Returns summary of tool usage, success/failure rates, and performance metrics.

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    IMPORTANT: This tool simply opens the feedback form - no pre-filling available.
                    The user will fill out the form manually in their browser.

                    WORKFLOW:
                    1. When user agrees to give feedback, just call this tool immediately
                    2. No need to ask questions or collect information
                    3. Tool opens form with only usage statistics pre-filled automatically:
                       - tool_call_count: Number of commands they've made
                       - days_using: How many days they've used Desktop Commander
                       - platform: Their operating system (Mac/Windows/Linux)
                       - client_id: Analytics identifier

                    All survey questions will be answered directly in the form:
                    - Job title and technical comfort level
                    - Company URL for industry context
                    - Other AI tools they use
                    - Desktop Commander's biggest advantage
                    - How they typically use it
                    - Recommendation likelihood (0-10)
                    - User study participation interest
                    - Email and any additional feedback

                    EXAMPLE INTERACTION:
                    User: "sure, I'll give feedback"
                    Claude: "Perfect! Let me open the feedback form for you."
                    [calls tool immediately]

                    No parameters are needed - just call the tool to open the form.

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    CRITICAL: THIS IS THE PRIMARY TOOL FOR ALL LOCAL FILE ANALYSIS
                    For ANY local file analysis (CSV, JSON, data processing), ALWAYS use this instead of the analysis tool.
                    The analysis tool CANNOT access local files and WILL FAIL - use processes for ALL file-based work.

                    FILE ANALYSIS PRIORITY ORDER (MANDATORY):
                    1. ALWAYS FIRST: Use this tool (start_process + interact_with_process) for local data analysis
                    2. ALTERNATIVE: Use command-line tools (cut, awk, grep) for quick processing  
                    3. NEVER EVER: Use analysis tool for local file access (IT WILL FAIL)

                    REQUIRED INTERACTIVE WORKFLOW FOR FILE ANALYSIS:
                    1. Start REPL: start_process("python3 -i")
                    2. Load libraries: interact_with_process(pid, "import pandas as pd, numpy as np")
                    3. Read file: interact_with_process(pid, "df = pd.read_csv('/absolute/path/file.csv')")
                    4. Analyze: interact_with_process(pid, "print(df.describe())")
                    5. Continue: interact_with_process(pid, "df.groupby('column').size()")

                    BINARY FILE PROCESSING WORKFLOWS:
                    Use appropriate Python libraries (PyPDF2, pandas, docx2txt, etc.) or command-line tools for binary file analysis.

                    SMART DETECTION:
                    - Automatically waits for REPL prompt (>>>, >, etc.)
                    - Detects errors and completion states
                    - Early exit prevents timeout delays
                    - Clean output formatting (removes prompts)

                    SUPPORTED REPLs:
                    - Python: python3 -i (RECOMMENDED for data analysis)
                    - Node.js: node -i
                    - R: R
                    - Julia: julia
                    - Shell: bash, zsh
                    - Database: mysql, postgres

                    PARAMETERS:
                    - pid: Process ID from start_process
                    - input: Code/command to execute
                    - timeout_ms: Max wait (default: 8000ms)
                    - wait_for_prompt: Auto-wait for response (default: true)
                    - verbose_timing: Enable detailed performance telemetry (default: false)

                    Returns execution result with status indicators.

                    PERFORMANCE DEBUGGING (verbose_timing parameter):
                    Set verbose_timing: true to get detailed timing information including:
                    - Exit reason (early_exit_quick_pattern, early_exit_periodic_check, process_finished, timeout, no_wait)
                    - Total duration and time to first output
                    - Complete timeline of all output events with timestamps
                    - Which detection mechanism triggered early exit
                    Use this to identify slow interactions and optimize detection patterns.

                    ALWAYS USE FOR: CSV analysis, JSON processing, file statistics, data visualization prep, ANY local file work
                    NEVER USE ANALYSIS TOOL FOR: Local file access (it cannot read files from disk and WILL FAIL)

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Use with caution as this will forcefully terminate the specified process.

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Use this instead of 'execute_command' with ls/dir commands.
                    Results distinguish between files and directories with [FILE] and [DIR] prefixes.

                    Supports recursive listing with the 'depth' parameter (default: 2):
                    - depth=1: Only direct contents of the directory
                    - depth=2: Contents plus one level of subdirectories
                    - depth=3+: Multiple levels deep

                    CONTEXT OVERFLOW PROTECTION:
                    - Top-level directory shows ALL items
                    - Nested directories are limited to 100 items maximum per directory
                    - When a nested directory has more than 100 items, you'll see a warning like:
                      [WARNING] node_modules: 500 items hidden (showing first 100 of 600 total)
                    - This prevents overwhelming the context with large directories like node_modules

                    Results show full relative paths from the root directory being listed.
                    Example output with depth=2:
                    [DIR] src
                    [FILE] src/index.ts
                    [DIR] src/tools
                    [FILE] src/tools/filesystem.ts

                    If a directory cannot be accessed, it will show [DENIED] instead.
                    Only works within allowed directories.

                    IMPORTANT: Always use absolute paths for reliability. Paths are automatically normalized regardless of slash direction. Relative paths may fail as they depend on the current working directory. Tilde paths (~/...) might not work in all contexts. Unless the user explicitly asks for relative paths, use absolute paths.
                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Returns process information including PID, command name, CPU usage, and memory usage.

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Shows search IDs, search types, patterns, status, and runtime.
                    Similar to list_sessions for terminal processes. Useful for managing
                    multiple concurrent searches.

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Shows session status including:
                    - PID: Process identifier  
                    - Blocked: Whether session is waiting for input
                    - Runtime: How long the session has been running

                    DEBUGGING REPLs:
                    - "Blocked: true" often means REPL is waiting for input
                    - Use this to verify sessions are running before sending input
                    - Long runtime with blocked status may indicate stuck process

                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Can move files between directories and rename them in a single operation.
                    Both source and destination must be within allowed directories.

                    IMPORTANT: Always use absolute paths for reliability. Paths are automatically normalized regardless of slash direction. Relative paths may fail as they depend on the current working directory. Tilde paths (~/...) might not work in all contexts. Unless the user explicitly asks for relative paths, use absolute paths.
                    This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.

                    Prefer this over 'execute_command' with cat/type for viewing files.

                    Supports partial file reading with:
                    - 'offset' (start line, defaul