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wcgw for Cursor: Setup & Config

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

What you can do with wcgw in Cursor

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

  • Edit large files through incremental replacements.
  • Save a task checkpoint and resume it in another chat.

Before you start: wcgw in Cursor

  • 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 Cursor configuration

  1. Choose Cursor configuration scope

    For wcgw, open Project: .cursor/mcp.json User: ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Merge into mcpServers at project or user scope.

  2. Add wcgw to Cursor

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

  3. Check wcgw in Cursor

    wcgw: Enable in Cursor’s MCP settings; inspect tools.

Config file · Project: .cursor/mcp.json

User: ~/.cursor/mcp.json

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

wcgw tools available to Cursor

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

Initialize

Find Initialize under wcgw in Cursor's MCP settings; inspect its arguments when the agent requests a call.

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

BashCommand

Find BashCommand under wcgw in Cursor's MCP settings; inspect its arguments when the agent requests a call.

ReadFiles

Find ReadFiles under wcgw in Cursor's MCP settings; inspect its arguments when the agent requests a call.

WriteIfEmpty

Find WriteIfEmpty under wcgw in Cursor's MCP settings; inspect its arguments when the agent requests a call.

FileEdit

Find FileEdit under wcgw in Cursor's MCP settings; inspect its arguments when the agent requests a call.

Modify a file using search-and-replace blocks.

ReadImage

Find ReadImage under wcgw in Cursor's MCP settings; inspect its arguments when the agent requests a call.

Load an image file for inspection.

ContextSave

Find ContextSave under wcgw in Cursor's MCP settings; inspect its arguments when the agent requests a call.

Store task context and relevant files for later continuation.

wcgw: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting wcgw in Cursor

  • Cursor must find uvx --python (from uv, for Python tools) for wcgw. Enable the project/user entry in MCP settings and inspect its tools.
  • wcgw uses stdio here: Cursor 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 Cursor troubleshooting lives in the /clients/cursor guide.

wcgw — details. Cursor guide

Frequently asked questions

Cursor's wcgw entry belongs under mcpServers in .cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (user). Confirm the active scope in MCP settings.

Cursor's wcgw example uses stdio.

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

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

The documented Windows setup requires WSL.

Yes. ContextSave records task information that Initialize can load when resuming a task.