About Software MCP Server
Software MCP Server lets LLMs inspect installed software and open applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux; closing applications is currently supported only on Windows. It maps software names to executable paths in a JSON file.
Key features
- 01List installed software
- 02Open applications by name
- 03Close applications on Windows
- 04Map software names to executable paths
Use cases
- 01Check which applications are installed
- 02Open an application by name
- 03Close a running application on Windows
- 04Add custom software entries
MCP support
Exposes tools to list installed software, open applications, and close applications on Windows to MCP clients.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEEnglish | 中文
Software MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol server that provides software management capabilities for your computer. This server enables LLMs to get a list of installed software, open applications, and close running programs, with support for multiple operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux).
Available Tools
-
get_software_list_tool- Get a list of installed software on the computer.- Returns a list of software names.
-
open_software- Open software by name.- Required arguments:
name(string): The name of the software to open.
- Required arguments:
-
close_software- Close running software by name (currently Windows-only).- Required arguments:
name(string): The name of the software to close.
- Required arguments:
Installation
Using uv (recommended)
When using uv, no specific installation is needed. We can use uvx to directly run mcp-software-server.
Using PIP
Alternatively, you can install dependencies via pip:
pip install mcp_server_software
Configuration
Configure for Claude.app
Add to your Claude settings:
Using uvx
"mcpServers": {
"software_manager": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-server-software"]
}
}
Using uv
"mcpServers": {
"software_manager": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"{path/to/mcp_server_software.py}",
"run",
"mcp_server_software.py"
],
"env": {},
"disabled": false,
"alwaysAllow": []
}
}
Using manual Python command
"mcpServers": {
"software_manager": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["path/to/mcp_server_software.py"]
}
}
Platform Support
- Windows: Full functionality (software listing, opening, closing)
- macOS: Software listing and opening only
- Linux: Software listing and opening only
Example Interactions
- Get software list:
{
"name": "get_software_list_tool",
"arguments": {}
}
Response:
[
"Chrome",
"Firefox",
"Visual Studio Code",
"Notepad++",
...
]
- Open software:
{
"name": "open_software",
"arguments": {
"name": "Chrome"
}
}
Response:
"Opened Chrome"
- Close software (Windows only):
{
"name": "close_software",
"arguments": {
"name": "Chrome"
}
}
Response:
"Closed Chrome"
Debugging
You can use the MCP inspector to debug the server:
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector python mcp_server_software.py
Examples of Questions for Claude/AI
- "What applications do I have installed on my computer?"
- "Can you open Notepad for me?"
- "Please close Chrome browser"
- "Show me all available software on my system"
How It Works
The server creates and maintains a JSON file (software_list.json) that maps software names to their executable paths. On Windows, it scans Start Menu shortcuts, on macOS it looks in the Applications folder, and on Linux it examines desktop entry files.
You can manually edit this JSON file to add custom software entries:
{
"CustomApp": "C:\\Path\\To\\Custom\\App.exe"
}
Requirements
- Python 3.7+
- psutil
- mcp
- pywin32 (Windows only)
Contributing
Contributions are welcome to help expand and improve mcp-software-server. Consider adding support for:
- Better closing support on macOS/Linux
- Enhanced software detection
- Software installation/uninstallation capabilities
- Additional software management features
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.