If you’re a Linux user who wants to run Claude Desktop with powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) (https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) tools, this guide will walk you through the entire process. We’ll install Claude Desktop and set up the Desktop Commander MCP server, which allows Claude to interact with your desktop environment.
This Linux-beginner-friendly guide is based on my experience installing it this week on Pop!_OS on an Asus Nvidia machine, and was of course created with help from Claude.
If you haven’t seen it in action, DesktopCommander MCP is a thing of beauty:
⚠️ Important Warnings and Prerequisites
Before you begin:
- Backup any important data – always a good idea
- System requirements: Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 11+/Debian-based distro (I’m running on Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS with Nvidia); Anthropic doesn’t publish RAM, disk space, or CPU requirements, but third-party online posts recommend 8GB ~ 32GB RAM
- Terminal comfort: This guide involves using the terminal (https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/command-line-for-beginners), but all commands are provided step-by-step
What You’ll Install
- Claude Desktop: The desktop application for Claude AI
- Node.js via NVM: JavaScript runtime needed for MCP servers
- Desktop Commander MCP: Allows Claude to interact with your desktop (take screenshots, run commands, etc.)
Step 1: Update Your System
First, let’s make sure your system packages are up to date.
-
Open your terminal (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal) by pressing
Ctrl+Alt+T -
Update your package lists and upgrade existing packages:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
What this does: sudo (https://www.sudo.ws/about/) gives you administrator privileges, apt (https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/package-management) is Ubuntu/Debian’s package manager, and this ensures your system has the latest security updates.
Step 2: Install Essential Dependencies
Install tools we’ll need for the installation process:
sudo apt install -y curl wget gnupg2 software-properties-common
What these tools do:
curl(https://curl.se/): Downloads files from the internetwget(https://www.gnu.org/software/wget/): Alternative download toolgnupg2(https://gnupg.org/): Handles cryptographic signatures for securitysoftware-properties-common: Manages software repositories
Step 3: Install Node.js Using NVM
We need Node.js (https://nodejs.org/) to run MCP servers. We’ll use NVM (Node Version Manager) (https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm) which makes managing Node.js versions easier.
- Download and install NVM if you don’t already have it installed:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
- Restart your terminal or reload your shell configuration:
source ~/.bashrc
- Verify NVM was installed:
nvm --version
- Install the latest LTS (https://nodejs.org/en/about/previous-releases) version of Node.js:
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts
- Verify Node.js and npm (https://www.npmjs.com/) are working:
node --version
npm --version
You should see version numbers after both commands.
Step 4: Download and Install Claude Desktop
Note: We’re using a community-maintained package since Anthropic (https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/getting-started) doesn’t officially support Linux yet.
-
Visit the Claude Desktop for Debian GitHub repository (https://github.com/aaddrick/claude-desktop-debian) in your web browser. (Unfortunately this package is deprecated, BUT there are a couple of active forks, so if you’re reading this in later months and the package is broken, check the active forks.)
-
Go to the “Releases” section and download the latest
.debfile (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deb_(file_format)) -
Navigate to your Downloads folder in the terminal:
cd ~/Downloads
- Install the downloaded package (replace
filename.debwith the actual filename):
sudo dpkg -i claude-desktop_*.deb
- If you encounter dependency issues, fix them with:
sudo apt install -f
What this does: dpkg (https://wiki.debian.org/dpkg) is the low-level package installer for Debian/Ubuntu systems. The -f flag fixes broken dependencies.
Step 5: Create Claude Desktop Configuration Directory
Claude Desktop needs a configuration file to know about MCP servers.
- Create the configuration directory:
mkdir -p ~/.config/Claude
What this does: mkdir -p (https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/mkdir-invocation.html) creates directories and any necessary parent directories. The ~ symbol represents your home directory (https://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/special-chars.html).
Step 6: Test Desktop Commander MCP Server
Before configuring Claude Desktop, let’s make sure the Desktop Commander MCP server works.
- Test the MCP server directly:
npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest
You should see output like:
Loading schemas.ts
Loading server.ts
Setting up request handlers...
[desktop-commander] Initialized FilteredStdioServerTransport
- Press
Ctrl+Cto stop the test server.
What this does: npx (https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v7/commands/npx) runs Node.js packages without permanently installing them. This tests that the MCP server can start properly.
Step 7: Configure Claude Desktop for MCP
Now we’ll create the configuration file that tells Claude Desktop about our MCP server.
- Create the configuration file:
nano ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
What this does: opens nano (https://www.nano-editor.org/) a text editor for the terminal.
- Copy and paste this configuration into the file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"desktop-commander": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest"
]
}
}
}
- Save and exit nano:
- Press
Ctrl+X - Press
Yto confirm saving - Press
Enterto confirm the filename
- Press
Step 8: Launch Claude Desktop
- Start Claude Desktop from the graphical applications menu, or run from terminal:
claude-desktop
-
Sign in with your Anthropic account when prompted
-
Look for MCP indicators in the interface – you should see evidence that the Desktop Commander server is connected
Step 9: Test Your MCP Setup
-
In Claude Desktop, try asking Claude to take a screenshot:
“Can you take a screenshot of my current desktop?”
-
Or ask Claude to check system information:
“What’s my current working directory and what files are in my home folder?”
If Claude can respond to these requests with actual information about your system, congratulations! Your MCP setup is working.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Issue: “Cannot find module” errors
Solution: This usually means there’s a problem with literal command substitution in your config file:
- Check your config file for any
"$(which npx)"strings:
cat ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- If you see
"$(which npx)"anywhere, replace it with just"npx"– the simple form works when Node.js is properly installed via NVM
Issue: Claude Desktop won’t start
Solution: Check if all dependencies are installed:
sudo apt install -f
sudo apt update
Issue: MCP server not connecting
Solution: First, verify that Desktop Commander itself is working:
- Test the MCP server directly to confirm it’s functioning:
npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest
You should see output like:
Loading schemas.ts
Loading server.ts
Setting up request handlers...
[desktop-commander] Initialized FilteredStdioServerTransport
Loading configuration...
Configuration loaded successfully
Connecting server...
Server connected successfully
-
If that works (press
Ctrl+Cto stop it), then the issue is with Claude Desktop’s configuration, not the MCP server itself -
Check Claude Desktop logs for connection errors – these are usually in the application’s output when started from terminal
Security Considerations
Important: The Desktop Commander MCP gives Claude significant access to your system, including:
- Taking screenshots
- Running terminal commands
- Accessing files
Best practices:
- Only use this setup on personal machines, not shared computers
- Review what you’re asking Claude to do before confirming actions
- Consider creating a separate user account for testing MCP functionality
- Keep your system updated with security patches
Keeping Everything Updated
Update Node.js
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts
Update MCP packages
The @latest tag in our configuration automatically uses the newest version, but you can manually update:
npm update -g @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander
Update Claude Desktop
Check the project forks on GitHub periodically for new .deb package releases and install them using the same dpkg process.
Uninstalling (If Needed)
Remove Claude Desktop
sudo apt remove claude-desktop
Remove Node.js and NVM
nvm uninstall node
rm -rf ~/.nvm
Remove the NVM lines from your ~/.bashrc file using a text editor.
Remove configuration files
rm -rf ~/.config/Claude
Next Steps
Now that you have Claude Desktop with MCP working, you can:
- Explore other MCP servers: Check the MCP ecosystem (https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol) for additional tools
- Customize your setup: Add more MCP servers to your configuration
- Learn more about MCP: Read the official MCP documentation (https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs)
Remember to always be cautious when giving AI systems access to your computer, and enjoy exploring the powerful combination of Claude AI with your Linux desktop.
Credits and Resources
- Claude Desktop for Debian: Community package by aaddrick, deprecated recently but forked (https://github.com/aaddrick/claude-desktop-debian)
- Desktop Commander MCP: Created by @wonderwhy-er (https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander) – Thanks, Dmitry, for your help on Discord confirming that it was indeed the config file
- Model Context Protocol: Developed by Anthropic (https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)
This guide was created based on real troubleshooting experience and community feedback. If you encounter issues, check the GitHub repositories for these projects or ask for help in Discord/Linux communities.
