Can See

Name: Can See
Author: HurleySk

by HurleySkversion 0.4.0i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.HurleySk/can-see

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

Let AI agents see and interact with terminal/CLI apps via PNG screenshots

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiNot measured yet★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Other

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
You fill in yourself: DEFAULT_COLS, DEFAULT_ROWS, IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS

You need

npmNode.js installed (for the npx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "can-see": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "can-see"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DEFAULT_COLS": "your-value",
        "DEFAULT_ROWS": "your-value",
        "IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add can-see --env DEFAULT_COLS=your-value --env DEFAULT_ROWS=your-value --env IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS=your-value -- npx -y can-see

Fill in the empty values before running it.

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "can-see": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "can-see"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DEFAULT_COLS": "your-value",
        "DEFAULT_ROWS": "your-value",
        "IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "can-see": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "can-see"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DEFAULT_COLS": "your-value",
        "DEFAULT_ROWS": "your-value",
        "IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

Values you fill in

DEFAULT_COLS env
Terminal width in columns (default: 120)
DEFAULT_ROWS env
Terminal height in rows (default: 30)
IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS env
Auto-close idle sessions after this many milliseconds (default: 300000)

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 7, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account HurleySk, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Otheri

More stars than 0% of the other 32709 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 7% of the other 32709 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 32709 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is Can See safe?

It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (0.4.0) reached the registry 7 months ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Node.js on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Spec Driven Development, Remote Desktop Commander, SwarmMemo

Alternatives

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Reading a card:★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

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Runs on your computer★ 440MITUpdated 14 months ago

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Runs in the cloud★ 211Updated 2 days ago

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SwarmMemo

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Runs in the cloudUpdated today

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README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

can-see

MCP server that lets AI agents see and interact with terminal/CLI applications through virtual terminals and PNG screenshots.

Built for Claude Code and any MCP-compatible agent.

Why?

Some things are easier to show than describe. When debugging a TUI app, an interactive CLI wizard, or anything with visual terminal output, can-see lets the agent see exactly what you see — colors, layout, cursor position, and all.

How it works

Launch a CLI app in a virtual terminal (node-pty + @xterm/headless)
Screenshot the terminal as a PNG image (rendered via node-canvas)
Send keys/text to interact with the app
Screenshot again to see the result
Close the session when done

Installation

npm install -g can-see

Prerequisites

can-see depends on node-canvas (Cairo) and node-pty, which require native compilation. Most systems will need:

Windows: Visual Studio Build Tools (C++ workload) — npm install --global windows-build-tools or install from Visual Studio Installer
macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools — xcode-select --install
Linux: sudo apt install build-essential libcairo2-dev libjpeg-dev libpango1.0-dev libgif-dev librsvg2-dev

Configuration

Claude Code

Add to your project's .mcp.json:

"mcpServers": { "can-see": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "can-see"] } } }

Or if installed globally:

"mcpServers": { "can-see": { "command": "can-see" } } }

Other MCP clients

can-see uses stdio transport. Point your MCP client at the can-see binary or npx -y can-see.

Tools

Tool	Description
`launch`	Start a CLI app in a virtual terminal. Returns a `sessionId`. Accepts optional `env` to set environment variables.
`screenshot`	Capture the terminal as a PNG image.
`screenshot_region`	Capture a specific rectangular area of the terminal.
`screenshot_text_region`	Find text in the viewport and capture the surrounding area as a PNG.
`capture_baseline`	Snapshot terminal state for later diff comparison.
`diff_screenshot`	Compare current state against baseline with highlighted changes.
`get_cell_info`	Query character, colors, and attributes at specific cell(s). Supports `compact` mode for reduced output.
`read_text`	Read the terminal buffer as plain text.
`read_scrollback`	Read text that scrolled above the visible viewport.
`wait_for_text`	Wait until specific text appears in the terminal buffer.
`wait_for_idle`	Wait until terminal output has been stable for a given duration. Supports `stableMs` for content-comparison mode (for apps with timers/spinners), `excludeRows` to ignore specific rows, and `excludePattern` (regex) for dynamic row exclusion.
`wait_for_color`	Wait until a specific color appears at a position.
`wait_for_exit`	Wait until the process exits and return its exit code and signal.
`start_recording`	Begin capturing frames for an animated GIF.
`stop_recording`	Stop recording and return the animated GIF with metadata (`frameCount`, `durationMs`). Auto-trims frames or saves to file if GIF exceeds inline size limit.
`send_keys`	Send keystrokes (e.g., `Enter`, `Ctrl+C`, `['Down', 'Down', 'Enter']`).
`send_text`	Type a string of text into the app.
`get_process_status`	Get process status — distinguish "app is idle" from "app has exited". Returns PID, running state, exit code.
`list_sessions`	List all active terminal sessions.
`close`	Kill the app and clean up. Always close when done.
`close_all`	Kill all active sessions at once. Useful for cleanup between test runs.

Supported keys

Enter, Tab, Escape, Backspace, Space, Up, Down, Left, Right, Home, End, Delete, PageUp, PageDown, Ctrl+A through Ctrl+Z.

Environment variables

Variable	Default	Description
`DEFAULT_COLS`	`120`	Terminal width in columns
`DEFAULT_ROWS`	`30`	Terminal height in rows
`IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS`	`300000`	Auto-close idle sessions after this many ms (5 min)

Example usage

From an MCP-connected agent:

Agent: I'll launch your app to see what's happening.

→ launch("node", ["app.js"]) → sessionId: "abc-123"

Agent: Let me wait for the app to start. → wait_for_text("abc-123", "Ready") → Found "Ready" after 1200ms

Agent: Let me read the current output. → read_text("abc-123") → "Welcome to MyApp\nReady\n> "

Agent: I can see the prompt. Let me select option 2. → send_keys("abc-123", ["Down", "Enter"])

Agent: Waiting for the screen to settle. → wait_for_idle("abc-123") → Terminal idle for 520ms

Agent: Let me check the result. → screenshot("abc-123") → [PNG image showing result]

Agent: Done, closing the session. → close("abc-123")

Changelog

0.5.0

New tools:

wait_for_exit — wait for process exit, get exit code and signal
close_all — kill all active sessions at once
get_process_status — distinguish "app is idle" from "app has exited"
screenshot_text_region — find text in viewport, capture surrounding area as PNG

Enhancements:

launch accepts env parameter for custom environment variables
wait_for_idle supports excludePattern (regex) for dynamic row exclusion in stableMs mode
stop_recording returns frameCount and durationMs metadata alongside GIF
get_cell_info supports compact option for reduced output ({char, fg, bold} only)

Bug fixes:

Fixed wait_for_text and wait_for_color race condition where text/color present in the final buffer was missed when the process exited simultaneously
Added mutual exclusion validation when both stableMs and idleMs are passed to wait_for_idle

License

MIT

Can See

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

Values you fill in

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Otheri

Common questions

Alternatives

Spec Driven Development

Remote Desktop Commander

SwarmMemo

README from the maker

can-see

Why?

How it works

Installation

Prerequisites

Configuration

Claude Code

Other MCP clients

Tools

Supported keys

Environment variables

Example usage

Changelog

0.5.0

License