Interminal
Lightweight MCP server that gives AI assistants terminal access — SSH and local shells — with support for interactive and long-running commands.
Installation
# Run directly, no install needed (recommended)
uvx mcp-interminal
# Or install permanently
pip install mcp-interminal
Requires Python ≥ 3.11.
MCP Client Configuration
Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"interminal": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-interminal"]
}
}
}
Cursor / other clients: same command + args format above.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
connect_ssh | Connect to an SSH server; returns session_id and welcome banner |
execute | Run a command locally (no session needed) or over SSH; returns output or status=partial + command_id |
read_output | Poll a running command for new output without sending input |
respond | Send text input to a command waiting at a prompt |
send_control | Send control keys: ctrl+c, ctrl+z, arrow keys, F-keys, etc. |
disconnect | Close an SSH session and release all resources |
Persistent State
Each execute call runs in an isolated channel — there is no persistent shell between calls. For simple tasks, chaining with && works.
For multi-step workflows (project development, debugging, deployment), a terminal multiplexer (like Zellij) provides persistent state that survives across calls. The AI agent can create a persistent session where cd, environment variables, virtual environments, and long-running processes carry over naturally.
Key Behaviors
- Stateless execute — each call is an isolated channel;
cd /foodoes not persist. Simple tasks: chain with&&. Multi-step workflows: use a terminal multiplexer. - Long-running commands return
status="partial"with acommand_id; poll withread_outputor send input withrespond - SSH PTY is 500×200 xterm-256color so multiplexer sessions render at your actual terminal size
Optional Dependencies
pip install "mcp-interminal[pty]" # Windows PTY support (pywinpty)
pip install "mcp-interminal[ansi]" # ANSI escape rendering (pyte)
pip install "mcp-interminal[pty,ansi]" # both