1. Home
  2. wcgw
  3. wcgw for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

Data as of

wcgw for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

Claude Desktop: wcgw equips MCP clients with an interactive shell and file-editing tools on a local machine.

What you can do with wcgw in Claude Desktop

Choose wcgw for a shared interactive agent terminal plus code-editing and checkpoint tools.

  • Run compiler checks and iterate on code changes.
  • Share an interactive terminal with an assistant.

Before you start: wcgw in Claude Desktop

  • uv / uvx available to the MCP client
  • Python 3.12 for the documented launch
  • WSL on Windows

The README documents this configuration for Claude Desktop. A --shell argument can select bash or zsh. Understand the unrestricted shell and file-access risks before running it.

wcgw Claude Desktop configuration

  1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

    For wcgw, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

  2. Add wcgw to Claude Desktop

    Use the wcgw entry below in mcpServers. Keep wcgw's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

  3. Check wcgw in Claude Desktop

    wcgw: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

Config file · macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wcgw": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--python",
        "3.12",
        "wcgw@latest"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

wcgw tools available to Claude Desktop

wcgw's stored tool list documents 7 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

Initialize

When Claude Desktop requests Initialize from wcgw, review the action before approving it.

Set up the shell and workspace, or resume saved task context.

BashCommand

When Claude Desktop requests BashCommand from wcgw, review the action before approving it.

Run shell commands or send interactive input to the terminal.

ReadFiles

When Claude Desktop requests ReadFiles from wcgw, review the action before approving it.

Read one or more files into the assistant context.

WriteIfEmpty

When Claude Desktop requests WriteIfEmpty from wcgw, review the action before approving it.

Write a new file or populate an empty one.

FileEdit

When Claude Desktop requests FileEdit from wcgw, review the action before approving it.

ReadImage

When Claude Desktop requests ReadImage from wcgw, review the action before approving it.

ContextSave

When Claude Desktop requests ContextSave from wcgw, review the action before approving it.

wcgw: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting wcgw in Claude Desktop

  • Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for wcgw. If uvx --python (from uv, for Python tools) is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
  • wcgw uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
  • Known limitation: Default mode gives unrestricted shell and filesystem access.
  • Known limitation: Code-writer command lists are not enforced allow-lists.
  • Known limitation: Windows requires WSL.
  • General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

wcgw — details. Claude Desktop guide

Frequently asked questions

Claude Desktop loads wcgw from claude_desktop_config.json: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ on macOS, or %APPDATA%\Claude\ on Windows. Open it via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

Claude Desktop's wcgw example uses stdio.

wcgw's Claude Desktop configuration invokes uvx --python (from uv, for Python tools).

wcgw's stored list contains 7 tools, including Initialize, BashCommand, ReadFiles. Compare those names with Claude Desktop's connected tool list; the stored list is not a live check.

Yes. The README describes VS Code attachment and shared access through screen.

No. The default wcgw mode allows unrestricted operations, and the README warns about arbitrary command execution.