wcgw: Turn Claude Into Your Coding Partner

Stop copying and pasting code between Claude and your terminal. This MCP server gives Claude direct access to your shell, file system, and development environment so it can actually build, test, and iterate on your projects.

Why This Changes Everything

You know the drill: Claude suggests code, you copy it to your editor, run tests, hit errors, copy the errors back to Claude, repeat. wcgw eliminates this tedious back-and-forth by letting Claude execute commands directly on your machine.

Instead of "Here's some code that might work," Claude can now say "I'll implement this, run the tests, and fix any issues I find."

What You Get

Direct Shell Access: Claude runs commands, sees output, handles errors, and keeps iterating until things work. No more manual copying of error messages or test results.

Intelligent File Editing: Built-in syntax checking means Claude gets feedback when its edits break things. Large file support with incremental edits prevents token limit issues. File protections prevent accidental overwrites.

Real Development Workflows: Claude can clone repos, set up environments, run builds, create tests, handle git operations, and manage long-running processes.

Multiple Modes for Different Tasks:

• Architect mode: Planning and exploration (read-only)
• Code-writer mode: Focused development with path restrictions
• wcgw mode: Full access for complex tasks

Real-World Examples

"Build a Go web app with htmx and Tailwind, then open it in the browser"

Claude creates the project structure, writes the code, handles dependencies, builds it, starts the server, and opens your browser.

"Fix all MyPy issues in my Python project"

Claude scans your codebase, runs MyPy, fixes type errors, and re-runs checks until everything passes.

"Create a new feature branch, implement user authentication, write tests, and create a PR"

Claude handles the entire git workflow, writes the code, creates comprehensive tests, and uses GitHub CLI to create a pull request.

Smart Protections Built In

wcgw isn't reckless. It includes several safety features:

• Files must be read before editing (prevents blind overwrites)
• Syntax checking provides immediate feedback on broken code
• Single shell instance prevents runaway processes
• File chunking handles large codebases efficiently
• Smart search-and-replace with fuzzy matching

Task Checkpointing

Working on something complex? The ContextSave tool captures your entire project state - file contents, descriptions, progress - in a single file. Resume tasks in new chats or share context with other developers.

Terminal Attachment

Want to see what Claude is doing? Run screen -x to attach to the same terminal Claude uses. Watch commands execute, check logs, or interrupt processes when needed.

Quick Setup

Install uv via homebrew, then add this to your Claude config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wcgw": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["tool", "run", "--python", "3.12", "wcgw@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude and you'll see the rocket icon indicating wcgw is ready.

The Bottom Line

wcgw transforms Claude from a helpful advisor into an actual development partner. Instead of explaining what to do, Claude can do it directly - and keep iterating until it works.

520+ stars from developers who've made this switch. Your terminal is waiting.