Where Desktop Commander MCP Stores Configuration: File Paths Explained

Desktop Commander MCP stores user-specific configuration in ~/.claude-server-commander/config.json, with directory definitions located in src/config.ts and read/write operations handled by src/config-manager.ts.

Desktop Commander MCP persists settings in a hidden directory within your home folder rather than the project directory. Understanding these exact file paths is essential for debugging, manual edits, or backup procedures. According to the source code in wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP, the application uses Node.js path resolution to ensure consistent configuration storage across platforms.

Configuration Directory Location

The application constructs its storage path dynamically using the Node.js os module. In src/config.ts (lines 4-7), the base directory is built by joining the user's home directory with the constant .claude-server-commander:

// From src/config.ts
import { homedir } from 'os';
import { join } from 'path';

export const USER_HOME = homedir();
export const CONFIG_DIR = join(USER_HOME, '.claude-server-commander');

This approach ensures that configuration follows the user across system sessions while keeping the directory hidden from standard file explorers.

Primary Configuration Files

Main Configuration File (config.json)

The runtime configuration is stored at ~/.claude-server-commander/config.json. As defined in src/config.ts (lines 9-10), this path is exported as the CONFIG_FILE constant:

export const CONFIG_FILE = join(CONFIG_DIR, 'config.json');

The src/config-manager.ts module provides the interface for reading and persisting user settings to this specific location, never to the repository's root directory.

Tool Call Log (claude_tool_call.log)

Alongside the main configuration, the .claude-server-commander directory contains claude_tool_call.log, which records Claude tool invocations. The implementation maintains a strict 10 MiB size cap on this log file to prevent unbounded disk usage.

Template vs Runtime Configuration

The repository includes a template config.json at the project root, but this serves only as documentation or a reference starting point. Desktop Commander MCP exclusively reads from the user-specific path constructed in src/config.ts. The src/config-manager.ts implementation strictly isolates user data by reading from and writing to the hidden home directory location, ensuring that multiple users on the same system maintain separate configurations.

Accessing Configuration Programmatically

To interact with the configuration location in custom scripts or application extensions:

import { CONFIG_FILE, CONFIG_DIR } from './config';
import fs from 'fs';

// Reading existing configuration
const rawConfig = fs.readFileSync(CONFIG_FILE, 'utf-8');
const userConfig = JSON.parse(rawConfig);

// Ensuring directory exists before writes
if (!fs.existsSync(CONFIG_DIR)) {
  fs.mkdirSync(CONFIG_DIR, { recursive: true });
}

For command-line inspection or debugging:

# View current Desktop Commander MCP settings

cat ~/.claude-server-commander/config.json

# Monitor real-time tool invocations

tail -f ~/.claude-server-commander/claude_tool_call.log

Summary

• Desktop Commander MCP configuration resides in a hidden .claude-server-commander directory within the user's home folder (os.homedir())
• The exact path is constructed in src/config.ts and exposed as the CONFIG_FILE constant
• Runtime settings are stored in config.json with a 10 MiB capped claude_tool_call.log file alongside it
• src/config-manager.ts handles all persistence operations exclusively to the user-specific location
• The project root config.json serves only as a template and is never accessed during runtime

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the Desktop Commander MCP configuration file located?

The configuration file is located at ~/.claude-server-commander/config.json on Unix-like systems and %USERPROFILE%\.claude-server-commander\config.json on Windows. This path is dynamically generated in src/config.ts by joining the result of os.homedir() with the .claude-server-commander directory name.

Can I move the Desktop Commander MCP configuration to a different location?

No, the configuration path is hardcoded in src/config.ts using the CONFIG_FILE constant derived from USER_HOME and CONFIG_DIR. To use a custom location, you must modify the source code in src/config.ts to change the CONFIG_DIR definition and rebuild the application, or create a symbolic link from the default location.

What is the difference between the config.json in the project root and the one in my home directory?

The config.json at the project root is a template file shipped with the repository for reference purposes only. Desktop Commander MCP exclusively reads from and writes to the runtime configuration file located at ~/.claude-server-commander/config.json, which is managed by the functions in src/config-manager.ts.

How do I backup my Desktop Commander MCP settings?

Copy the file ~/.claude-server-commander/config.json to your backup location. You can also archive the entire .claude-server-commander directory to include the claude_tool_call.log history. The configuration uses standard JSON format, making it portable across different installations using the same version of Desktop Commander MCP.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}