Install mcp/desktop-commander in Claude Desktop

What you need first

• Claude Desktop, installed.
• Docker, which gives the docker command the server starts with.

Steps

1. In Claude Desktop, open Settings › Developer and choose Edit Config. It opens claude_desktop_config.json.
2. Add this block. If the file already has mcpServers, add only the entry inside it.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktopcommandermcp-xy037c": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "docker.io/mcp/desktop-commander"]
    }
  }
}

3. Save the file, quit Claude Desktop completely and open it again.

Check it worked

Ask Claude Desktop: List the tools of desktopcommandermcp-xy037c.

If it does not start

Cannot connect to the Docker daemon

Docker is not running. Start it, then restart Claude Desktop.

Nothing changes after a restart

The file is not valid JSON any more. Look for a missing comma where the block was added.