Screenshot MCP

A cross-platform MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for taking screenshots on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

DEVELOPMENT NOTES:

• Definitely works on macos -- check it on windows and linux
• Will add video/audio support and add drawing
• Would like to add some streaming special sauce
• TELL ME WHAT TO BUILD AARON

Installation

NPX (Recommended)

npx @mintmcqueen/mcp-screenshot-server

NPM Global Install

npm install -g @mintmcqueen/mcp-screenshot-server

Claude Code Configuration

Add the MCP server to Claude Code:

claude mcp add -s user screenshot npx @mintmcqueen/mcp-screenshot-server

Usage

The server provides a take_screenshot tool with the following options:

• target (optional): Window or application name to capture. If not provided, captures the entire screen.
• output_path (optional): Path to save the screenshot. If not provided, returns the image as base64.

Examples in Claude

Take a screenshot of the entire screen

Take a screenshot of the "Chrome" window

Take a screenshot and save it to ~/Desktop/screenshot.png

Platform Requirements

macOS

• Uses built-in screencapture command
• No additional requirements

Windows

• Uses PowerShell with .NET Framework
• No additional requirements

Windows (WSL2)

• Automatically detected - no configuration needed
• Uses Windows PowerShell as a bridge from WSL2
• Screenshots saved to Windows-accessible paths
• Full compatibility with all WSL2 distributions

Linux

• Requires one of:
  • gnome-screenshot (GNOME)
  • scrot (lightweight)
  • import (ImageMagick)

WSL2 Support

The MCP Screenshot Server includes full WSL2 support with automatic detection and seamless operation:

• Automatic Detection: The server detects when running in WSL2 and automatically switches to use Windows PowerShell
• Path Conversion: Handles conversion between WSL2 paths (/mnt/c/...) and Windows paths (C:\...)
• No Configuration: Works out of the box with any WSL2 distribution
• Error Handling: Provides clear error messages for WSL2-specific issues

How it Works

1. The server detects WSL2 by checking environment variables and kernel information
2. When a screenshot is requested, it uses powershell.exe to capture from the Windows host
3. Paths are automatically converted between WSL2 and Windows formats
4. Temporary files use Windows temp directory for cross-environment compatibility

Development

# Clone and install
git clone <repo>
cd mcp-screenshot-server
npm install

# Build
npm run build

# Watch mode
npm run watch

License

MIT