How do I install Claude KVM?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Claude KVM need an API key?

The publisher lists these environment variables: VNC_HOST, VNC_PORT, VNC_USERNAME, VNC_PASSWORD, CLAUDE_KVM_DAEMON_PATH.

What transport does Claude KVM use?

Claude KVM runs locally over stdio.

When was Claude KVM last checked?

Last checked 2026-11-08. MCP server — control remote desktops via VNC with a native Swift daemon and Apple Vision OCR

Claude KVM MCP server

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Live Test Runs

[!NOTE] Tests are conducted transparently on GitHub Actions — each step is visible in the CI environment. At the end of every test, whether the integration passes or fails, you'll find screenshots of each step the agent took during the session, along with an .mp4 video recording that captures the entire session. By reviewing these recordings and screenshots, you can observe how the agent progressed through each stage, how long the task took, and what decisions were made based on the system prompt. You can use these examples as a reference when crafting your own system prompts or instructions for the MCP server in your own environment.

[!WARNING] Artifacts attached to these runs may have expired due to GitHub's artifact retention policy. Persistent copies are prepared via the Persist Artifacts workflow and can always be accessed by run ID from the artifacts/ directory on the press-kit branch.

Architecture

graph TB
    subgraph MCP["MCP Client (Claude)"]
        AI["Claude"]
    end

    subgraph Proxy["claude-kvm · MCP Proxy (stdio)"]
        direction TB
        Server["MCP Server<br/><code>index.js</code>"]
        Tools["Tool Definitions<br/><code>tools/index.js</code>"]
        Server --> Tools
    end

    subgraph Daemon["claude-kvm-daemon · Native VNC Client (stdin/stdout)"]
        direction TB
        CMD["Command Handler<br/><i>PC Dispatch</i>"]
        Scale["Display Scaling<br/><i>Scaled ↔ Native</i>"]

        subgraph Screen["Screen"]
            Capture["Frame Capture<br/><i>PNG · Crop · Diff</i>"]
            OCR["OCR Detection<br/><i>Apple Vision</i>"]
        end

        subgraph InputGroup["Input"]
            Mouse["Mouse<br/><i>Click · Drag · Move · Scroll</i>"]
            KB["Keyboard<br/><i>Tap · Combo · Type · Paste</i>"]
        end

        VNC["VNC Bridge<br/><i>LibVNCClient 0.9.15</i>"]

        CMD --> Scale
        Scale --> Capture
        Scale --> Mouse
        Scale --> KB
        Capture -.->|"framebuffer"| VNC
        Mouse -->|"pointer events"| VNC
        KB -->|"key events"| VNC
    end

    subgraph Target["Target Machine"]
        VNC_Server["VNC Server<br/><i>:5900</i>"]
        Desktop["Desktop Environment"]
        VNC_Server --> Desktop
    end

    AI <-->|"stdio<br/>JSON-RPC"| Server
    Server <-->|"stdin/stdout<br/>PC (NDJSON)"| CMD
    VNC <-->|"RFB Protocol<br/>TCP :5900"| VNC_Server

    classDef proxy fill:#1a1a2e,stroke:#16213e,color:#e5e5e5
    classDef daemon fill:#0f3460,stroke:#533483,color:#e5e5e5
    classDef target fill:#1a1a2e,stroke:#e94560,color:#e5e5e5

    class Server,Tools proxy
    class CMD,Scale,VNC,Capture,Mouse,KB daemon
    class VNC_Server,Desktop target

Layers

Layer	Language	Role	Communication
MCP Proxy	JavaScript (Node.js)	Communicates with Claude over MCP protocol, manages daemon lifecycle	stdio JSON-RPC
VNC Daemon	Swift/C (Apple Silicon)	VNC connection, screen capture, mouse/keyboard input injection	stdin/stdout PC (NDJSON)

PC (Procedure Call) Protocol

Communication between the proxy and daemon uses the PC protocol over NDJSON:

Request:      {"method":"<name>","params":{...},"id":<int|string>}
Response:     {"result":{...},"id":<int|string>}
Error:        {"error":{"code":<int>,"message":"..."},"id":<int|string>}
Notification: {"method":"<name>","params":{...}}

Coordinate Scaling

The VNC server's native resolution is scaled down to fit within --max-dimension (default: 1280px). Claude works more consistently with scaled coordinates — the daemon handles the conversion in the background:

Native:  4220 x 2568  (VNC server framebuffer)
Scaled:  1280 x 779   (what Claude sees and targets)

mouse_click(640, 400) → VNC receives (2110, 1284)

Screen Strategy

Claude minimizes token cost with a progressive verification approach:

diff_check       →  changeDetected: true/false     ~5ms    (text only, no image)
detect_elements  →  OCR text + bounding boxes      ~50ms   (text only, no image)
cursor_crop      →  crop around cursor              ~50ms   (small image)
screenshot       →  full screen capture             ~200ms  (full image)

detect_elements uses Apple Vision framework for on-device OCR. Returns text content with bounding box coordinates in scaled space — enables precise click targeting without consuming vision tokens.

Installation

Requirements

macOS (Apple Silicon / aarch64)
Node.js (LTS)

Daemon

brew tap ARAS-Workspace/tap
brew install claude-kvm-daemon

[!NOTE] claude-kvm-daemon is compiled and code-signed via CI (GitHub Actions). The build output is packaged in two formats: a .tar.gz archive for Homebrew distribution and a .dmg disk image for notarization. The DMG is submitted to Apple servers for notarization within the same workflow — the process can be tracked from CI logs. The notarized DMG is available as a CI Artifact; the archived .tar.gz is also published as a release on the repository. Homebrew installation tracks this release.

Release · Source Code

LibVNC Build · LibVNC Branch

Homebrew Tap

MCP Configuration

Create a .mcp.json file in your project directory:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "claude-kvm": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "claude-kvm"],
      "env": {
        "VNC_HOST": "192.168.1.100",
        "VNC_PORT": "5900",
        "VNC_USERNAME": "user",
        "VNC_PASSWORD": "pass",
        "CLAUDE_KVM_DAEMON_PATH": "/opt/homebrew/bin/claude-kvm-daemon",
        "CLAUDE_KVM_DAEMON_PARAMETERS": "-v"
      }
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE] The tool is end-to-end tested via CI — Claude executes tasks over VNC while an independent vision model observes and verifies the results. See the Integration Test for live workflow runs, system prompts, and demo recordings.

Configuration

MCP Proxy (ENV)

Parameter	Default	Description
`VNC_HOST`	`127.0.0.1`	VNC server address
`VNC_PORT`	`5900`	VNC port number
`VNC_USERNAME`		Username (required for ARD)
`VNC_PASSWORD`		Password
`CLAUDE_KVM_DAEMON_PATH`	`claude-kvm-daemon`	Daemon binary path (not needed if already in PATH)
`CLAUDE_KVM_DAEMON_PARAMETERS`		Additional CLI arguments for the daemon

Daemon Parameters (CLI)

Additional arguments passed to the daemon via CLAUDE_KVM_DAEMON_PARAMETERS:

"CLAUDE_KVM_DAEMON_PARAMETERS": "--max-dimension 800 -v"

Parameter	Default	Description
`--max-dimension`	`1280`	Maximum display scaling dimension (px)
`--connect-timeout`		VNC connection timeout (seconds)
`--bits-per-sample`		Bits per pixel sample
`--no-reconnect`		Disable automatic reconnection
`-v, --verbose`		Verbose logging (stderr)

Runtime Configuration (PC)

All timing and display parameters are configurable at runtime via the configure method. Use get_timing to inspect current values.

Set timing:

{"method":"configure","params":{"click_hold_ms":80,"key_hold_ms":50}}

{"result":{"detail":"OK — changed: click_hold_ms, key_hold_ms"}}

Change display scaling:

{"method":"configure","params":{"max_dimension":960}}

{"result":{"detail":"OK — changed: max_dimension","scaledWidth":960,"scaledHeight":584}}

Reset to defaults:

{"method":"configure","params":{"reset":true}}

{"result":{"detail":"OK — reset to defaults","timing":{"click_hold_ms":50,"combo_mod_ms":10,"cursor_crop_radius":150,"double_click_gap_ms":50,"drag_min_steps":10,"drag_pixels_per_step":20,"drag_position_ms":30,"drag_press_ms":50,"drag_settle_ms":30,"drag_step_ms":5,"hover_settle_ms":400,"key_hold_ms":30,"max_dimension":1280,"paste_settle_ms":30,"scroll_press_ms":10,"scroll_tick_ms":20,"type_inter_key_ms":20,"type_key_ms":20,"type_shift_ms":10},"scaledWidth":1280,"scaledHeight":779}}

Get current values:

{"method":"get_timing"}

{"result":{"timing":{"click_hold_ms":80,"combo_mod_ms":10,"cursor_crop_radius":150,"double_click_gap_ms":50,"drag_min_steps":10,"drag_pixels_per_step":20,"drag_position_ms":30,"drag_press_ms":50,"drag_settle_ms":30,"drag_step_ms":5,"hover_settle_ms":400,"key_hold_ms":50,"max_dimension":1280,"paste_settle_ms":30,"scroll_press_ms":10,"scroll_tick_ms":20,"type_inter_key_ms":20,"type_key_ms":20,"type_shift_ms":10},"scaledWidth":1280,"scaledHeight":779}}

Parameter	Default	Description
`max_dimension`	`1280`	Max screenshot dimension
`cursor_crop_radius`	`150`	Cursor crop radius (px)
`click_hold_ms`	`50`	Click hold duration
`double_click_gap_ms`	`50`	Double-click gap delay
`hover_settle_ms`	`400`	Hover settle wait
`drag_position_ms`	`30`	Pre-drag position wait
`drag_press_ms`	`50`	Drag press hold threshold
`drag_step_ms`	`5`	Between interpolation pts
`drag_settle_ms`	`30`	Settle before release
`drag_pixels_per_step`	`20`	Point density per pixel
`drag_min_steps`	`10`	Min interpolation steps
`scroll_press_ms`	`10`	Scroll press-release gap
`scroll_tick_ms`	`20`	Inter-tick delay
`key_hold_ms`	`30`	Key hold duration
`combo_mod_ms`	`10`	Modifier settle delay
`type_key_ms`	`20`	Key hold during typing
`type_inter_key_ms`	`20`	Inter-character delay
`type_shift_ms`	`10`	Shift key settle

Tools

All operations are performed through a single vnc_command tool:

Screen

Action	Parameters	Description
`screenshot`		Full screen PNG capture
`cursor_crop`		Crop around cursor with crosshair overlay
`diff_check`		Detect screen changes against baseline
`set_baseline`		Save current screen as diff reference

Mouse

Action	Parameters	Description
`mouse_click`	`x, y, button?`	Click (left\|right\|middle)
`mouse_double_click`	`x, y`	Double click
`mouse_move`	`x, y`	Move cursor
`hover`	`x, y`	Move + settle wait
`nudge`	`dx, dy`	Relative cursor movement
`mouse_drag`	`x, y, toX, toY`	Drag from start to end
`scroll`	`x, y, direction, amount?`	Scroll (up\|down\|left\|right)

Keyboard

Action	Parameters	Description
`key_tap`	`key`	Single key press (enter\|escape\|tab\|space\|...)
`key_combo`	`key` or `keys`	Modifier combo ("cmd+c" or ["cmd","shift","3"])
`key_type`	`text`	Type text character by character
`paste`	`text`	Paste text via clipboard

Detection

Action	Parameters	Description
`detect_elements`		OCR text detection with bounding boxes (Apple Vision)

Returns text elements with bounding box coordinates in scaled space:

{"method":"detect_elements"}

{"result":{"detail":"13 elements","elements":[{"confidence":1,"h":9,"text":"Finder","w":32,"x":37,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":9,"text":"File","w":15,"x":84,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":9,"text":"Edit","w":19,"x":112,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":9,"text":"View","w":22,"x":143,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":11,"text":"Go","w":15,"x":179,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":9,"text":"Window","w":35,"x":207,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":11,"text":"Help","w":22,"x":255,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":11,"text":"8•","w":26,"x":1161,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":9,"text":"Fri Feb 20 22:19","w":80,"x":1189,"y":6},{"confidence":1,"h":9,"text":"Assets","w":32,"x":1202,"y":97},{"confidence":1,"h":9,"text":"Passwords.kdbx","w":74,"x":1181,"y":168},{"confidence":1,"h":93,"text":"PHANTOM","w":633,"x":322,"y":477},{"confidence":1,"h":32,"text":"YOUR SERVER, YOUR NETWORK, YOUR PRIVACY","w":629,"x":325,"y":568}],"scaledHeight":717,"scaledWidth":1280}}

Configuration

Action	Parameters	Description
`configure`	`{<params>}`	Set timing/display params at runtime
`configure`	`{reset: true}`	Reset all params to defaults
`get_timing`		Get current timing + display params

Control

Action	Parameters	Description
`wait`	`ms?`	Wait (default 500ms)
`health`		Connection status + display info
`shutdown`		Graceful daemon shutdown

Authentication

Supported VNC authentication methods:

VNC Auth — password-based challenge-response (DES)
ARD — Apple Remote Desktop (Diffie-Hellman + AES-128-ECB)

macOS is auto-detected via the ARD auth type 30 credential request. When detected, Meta keys are remapped to Super (Command key compatibility).

[!NOTE] Running on a bare-metal Mac? See the Mac M1 Preparation Tricks for VNC hardening, SSH tunneling, and session stability tips.

"Claude" is a trademark of Anthropic, PBC. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic.

Claude KVM

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Server facts

Tools

Questions

How do I install Claude KVM?

Does Claude KVM need an API key?

What transport does Claude KVM use?

When was Claude KVM last checked?

Documentation

Live Test Runs

Architecture

Layers

PC (Procedure Call) Protocol

Coordinate Scaling

Screen Strategy

Installation

Requirements

Daemon

MCP Configuration

Configuration

MCP Proxy (ENV)

Daemon Parameters (CLI)

Runtime Configuration (PC)

Tools

Screen

Mouse

Keyboard

Detection

Configuration

Control

Authentication