What is Claude Desktop Mcp Playground

Claude Desktop MCP Playground is a command-line tool designed for managing Claude Desktop’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, providing easy installation, configuration, and a searchable registry of over 30 available servers.

Use cases

Use cases include searching and installing specific MCP servers for database management, web services, and file systems, as well as configuring and managing server settings through the command line.

How to use

To use Claude Desktop MCP Playground, you can install it via a one-line command for Linux/macOS or Windows. After installation, you can search for available MCP servers, get detailed information, and install them using simple CLI commands.

Key features

Key features include server discovery for over 30 MCP servers, one-click installation with automatic configuration, configuration management through an easy-to-use CLI, cross-platform compatibility (macOS, Windows, Linux), quick setup with automated dependency detection, and a complete registry of official and community servers.

Where to use

Claude Desktop MCP Playground can be used in software development environments, particularly for developers needing to manage multiple MCP servers efficiently, as well as in educational settings for learning about server management.

Claude Desktop MCP Playground

A comprehensive command-line tool and desktop GUI for managing Claude Desktop’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers with easy installation, configuration, and a searchable registry of 44+ available servers.

🌟 Features

• 🖥️ Desktop GUI Application - Modern Electron-based desktop interface with React frontend
• 🔍 Server Discovery - Search through 44+ MCP servers from official and community sources
• ⚡ One-Click Installation - Install MCP servers with automatic configuration
• 🛠️ Configuration Management - CLI and GUI tools for managing Claude Desktop settings
• 📊 Visual Dashboard - Real-time server status monitoring and management
• 🌍 Cross-Platform - Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux
• 🚀 Quick Setup - Automated dependency detection and installation
• 📦 Complete Registry - Official and community servers with descriptions and setup help

🚀 Quick Start

One-Line Installation

Linux/macOS:

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/seanpoyner/claude-desktop-mcp-playground/main/install-full.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell as Admin):

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/seanpoyner/claude-desktop-mcp-playground/main/install-full.ps1 | iex

The installer automatically:

• ✅ Installs dependencies (Python 3.9+, Node.js 16+, uv)
• ✅ Sets up the pg command globally
• ✅ Installs common MCP servers
• ✅ Configures Claude Desktop

Manual Setup (if needed)

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/seanpoyner/claude-desktop-mcp-playground.git
cd claude-desktop-mcp-playground

# Install dependencies
pip install -e .

# Add pg command to PATH
./setup-pg-command.sh      # Linux/macOS
.\setup-pg-command.ps1     # Windows

# Run setup wizard
pg setup

💡 Usage

Desktop GUI Application

Launch the GUI:

# After installation, start the desktop application
cd mcp-gui
npm run dev           # Development mode
npm run build && npm run electron    # Production mode

The GUI provides:

• Visual Dashboard - Server status overview and statistics
• One-Click Installation - Install servers with guided configuration forms
• Real-Time Monitoring - Live server status and error reporting
• Configuration Editor - Visual interface for server settings
• Smart Search - Find servers by name, description, or category

CLI Interface

Search and Install MCP Servers

# Search available servers
pg config search database
pg config search web
pg config search "file system"

# Get detailed server info
pg config info filesystem
pg config info postgres

# Install a server
pg config install filesystem --arg path=/workspace
pg config install sqlite --arg database_path=./app.db

# List all available servers
pg config search

Manage Configuration

# Show current configuration
pg config show

# List installed servers
pg config list

# Interactive setup wizard
pg setup

# Quick setup with defaults
pg setup --quick

📦 Available Servers

The registry includes 44 servers from official and community sources:

Official Servers (15)

• filesystem - Secure file operations with access controls
• memory - Knowledge graph-based persistent memory
• puppeteer - Browser automation and web scraping
• github/gitlab - Git repository management
• postgres/sqlite - Database operations
• slack - Slack workspace interaction
• google-drive/google-maps - Google services integration

Popular Community Servers (29)

• Cloud Platforms: aws, azure, cloudflare, heroku
• Databases: elasticsearch, clickhouse
• Development Tools: jetbrains, xcode, e2b
• Web & Automation: firecrawl, browserbase, screenshotone
• Project Management: linear, hubspot, grafana
• Office & Productivity: excel, office-word, office-powerpoint
• Data Analysis: jupyter-notebook, quickchart
• AI & Search: vectorize, kagi, exa

View complete server list →

🔧 Configuration Locations

Claude Desktop configuration files:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

🛠️ Development

CLI Development

# Setup development environment
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
.venv\Scripts\activate     # Windows

pip install -e .

# Run tests
pytest tests/

# Code formatting
black .
isort .

GUI Development

# Setup GUI development
cd mcp-gui
npm install

# Install Python backend dependencies
pip install flask flask-cors

# Development mode (3 terminals)
python backend/api.py      # Terminal 1: Backend API
npm run dev               # Terminal 2: React frontend  
npm run electron-dev      # Terminal 3: Electron app

# Build for distribution
npm run build             # Build React app
npm run dist             # Package for current platform
npm run dist:all         # Package for all platforms

📚 Examples

Install Filesystem Server

pg config install filesystem --arg path=/home/user/projects

Install Database Server

pg config install postgres
# Set environment variables:
# POSTGRES_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/db

Search for Development Tools

pg config search ide
# Returns: jetbrains, xcode, grafana

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes
4. Run tests (pytest)
5. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
6. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
7. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Model Context Protocol by Anthropic
• Official MCP Servers Repository
• All contributors to the MCP ecosystem

🔧 Recent Updates

Obsidian MCP Server Support (Latest)

Now supports both Obsidian MCP server options:

• obsidian (mcp-obsidian): Direct file access - pg config install obsidian --arg vault_path="/path/to/vault"
• obsidian-mcp-server: Advanced REST API integration - pg config install obsidian-mcp-server --env OBSIDIAN_API_KEY="your-key"

Key fixes:

• ✅ Fixed command line argument configuration for mcp-obsidian
• ✅ Added advanced obsidian-mcp-server with atomic operations and caching
• ✅ Support for both servers simultaneously
• ✅ Comprehensive setup instructions for Local REST API plugin

See docs/obsidian-server-update.md for detailed comparison and setup guide.

🆘 Support

• Documentation
• Issues
• Contributing Guide

Made with ❤️ for the Claude Desktop community