mcp-server-desktop-notify

Desktop Notification MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides cross-platform desktop notification capabilities. Built on top of the excellent notify-rust crate, this server allows AI assistants like Claude to send desktop notifications on your behalf, enabling better interaction and feedback during conversations.

Features

• Cross-platform support: Works on Linux (XDG), macOS, and Windows
• Multiple notification types: Basic, urgent, with icons, custom timeouts, and fully customizable
• MCP compliance: Implements the Model Context Protocol for seamless integration
• Flexible configuration: Supports various notification parameters and platform-specific features

Available Tools

Basic Notifications

• send_notification - Send a simple notification with title and message
• send_urgent_notification - Send a high-priority notification
• send_notification_with_icon - Send a notification with a custom icon
• send_notification_with_timeout - Send a notification with custom timeout

Advanced Notifications

• send_rich_notification - Send a fully customizable notification with all available options

Platform Compatibility

Feature	Linux (XDG)	macOS	Windows
Basic notifications	✓	✓	✓
Icons	✓	✗	Limited
Urgency levels	✓	✗	Limited
Categories	✓	✗	✗
App names	✓	✗	✗
Custom timeouts	✓	✓	✓

Installation

Download Binary

Download the latest binary for your platform from the releases page:

Configuration with Claude Desktop

To use this MCP server with Claude Desktop, you need to add it to your Claude configuration file. This will enable Claude to send desktop notifications during your conversations.

Step 1: Locate Claude Configuration File

The configuration file location depends on your operating system:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Note: If the file doesn't exist, create it with an empty JSON object: {}

Step 2: Add MCP Server Configuration

Edit the configuration file and add the desktop notification server to the mcpServers section. Replace /path/to/ with the actual path where you downloaded the binary.

macOS Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-notify": {
      "command": "/Users/yourusername/Downloads/mcp-server-desktop-notify",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Linux Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-notify": {
      "command": "/home/yourusername/bin/mcp-server-desktop-notify",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Windows Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-notify": {
      "command": "C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\Downloads\\mcp-server-desktop-notify.exe",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Complete Configuration Example

Here's a complete configuration file example with multiple MCP servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-notify": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/mcp-server-desktop-notify",
      "args": []
    },
  }
}

Step 4: Verify Configuration

1. Check file syntax: Ensure your JSON is valid (no trailing commas, proper quotes)
2. Verify binary path: Make sure the path to the binary is correct and the file exists
3. Check permissions: Ensure the binary is executable (Linux/macOS only)

Step 5: Restart Claude Desktop

After saving the configuration file, completely quit and restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

Step 6: Verify Integration

Once Claude Desktop restarts, you should see the desktop notification tools available. You can verify this by:

1. Starting a new conversation with Claude
2. Asking Claude: "What notification tools do you have available?"
3. Claude should list the desktop notification tools if properly configured

Configuration Tips

• Use absolute paths: Always use full paths to the binary to avoid issues
• Escape backslashes: On Windows, use double backslashes (\\) in JSON strings
• Test the binary: Run the binary directly first to ensure it works on your system
• Check Claude logs: If issues occur, check Claude Desktop's logs for error messages