Vscode Terminal MCP server

vscode-terminal-mcp

MCP server that executes commands in visible VSCode terminal tabs with full output capture. Unlike inline execution, every command runs in a real terminal you can see, scroll, and interact with.

Key Features

• Visible Terminals: Commands run in real VSCode terminal tabs, not hidden processes. You see everything in real time.
• Session Reuse: The run tool automatically reuses idle sessions, creating new terminals only when needed.
• Long-Running Support: Fire-and-forget execution with waitForCompletion: false, then poll output incrementally with read.
• Subagent Isolation: Tag sessions with agentId to keep parallel agent workloads separated.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.93+ (for Shell Integration API)
• Node.js 20+

Getting Started

Claude Code

claude mcp add BashTerm -- npx vscode-terminal-mcp@latest

VS Code / Copilot

Add to your .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "BashTerm": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["vscode-terminal-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to your .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "BashTerm": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "vscode-terminal-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Add to your claudedesktopconfig.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "BashTerm": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "vscode-terminal-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Your First Prompt

After installation, try asking:

Run ls -la in the terminal

You should see a new terminal tab open in VSCode with the command output.

Screenshots

Running a command with run

Permission dialog for exec

Exec result with clean output

Tools

Quick Execution

Session Management

Usage Patterns

Simple Command

The run tool handles everything — creates a terminal if needed, executes, and returns clean output:

> Run npm test

$ npm test
PASS src/utils.test.ts (3 tests)
PASS src/index.test.ts (5 tests)

[exit: 0 | 1243ms | session-abc123]

Long-Running Process

For builds, deployments, or any command that takes a while:

> Start `npm run build` without waiting, then check progress

The agent will:

1. Call run with waitForCompletion: false — returns immediately
2. Call read with offset: -10 to check the last 10 lines
3. Repeat until the process completes

Interactive Commands

For commands that need user input:

> Run npm init and answer the prompts

The agent will:

1. Call run with npm init
2. Call read to see the prompt
3. Call input to send the answer

Parallel Agents

Subagents can work in isolated terminals using agentId:

> Have one agent run tests while another runs the linter

Each subagent gets its own terminal tagged with its agentId, preventing output from mixing.

Configuration

Shortened. The full README is on GitHub.