kill_background
Kill a background process by name
LABSCO SUMMARY
A long build no longer holds the call open until it finishes.
The division is between run, which blocks until the command exits or the timeout fires, and run_background, which returns immediately and leaves the process under a name. That name is the handle for everything afterwards — list_background to see what is still alive, kill_background to stop it. The 4 signatures carry command, cwd, timeout and name and nothing that narrows what may be run, so the boundary is wherever the server is placed.
What it is
A shell execution server: one blocking command runner, and a named background process manager
What you get
- A blocking run that takes a working directory and a timeout and returns the command's output.
- A background run that starts a command under a name and returns straight away.
- A listing of the background processes still alive, and a kill by the name a process was started under.
Requirements
A shell on the machine running the server. Both run tools take a cwd, so the working directory is chosen per call rather than fixed at startup.
Setup effort
One command — npx bash-mcp
USE CASES
01
Kicking off a build and getting the prompt back
Start the command in the background under a name, check later whether it is still alive, and stop it by that name when it is not wanted.
02
Running a one-off command in a particular directory
Set the working directory on the call and wait for the output, with a timeout so a hung command does not hold the turn open.
4 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
list_background
List all running background processes
run
Execute a shell command and return output
run_background
Run a command in background
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
4 tools when we connected.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- Node.js >= 16.0.0
CONTEXT COST
Light Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 4 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Add the block to your client, or run the command directly.
Server setup
Configuration file
JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"bash-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"bash-mcp"
]
}
}
}npx
TERMINAL
npx bash-mcp
