MCP server · Developer tools

persistproc MCP server

Lets your AI see, start, stop, and restart long-running processes like your dev server, and read their logs.

Developer tools Coding For it and development Coding Agents

persistproc is a small helper that lets your AI assistant watch and control long-running programs, like the local web server you start while coding. Instead of copying error messages from your terminal into the chat, you let the AI read them directly. It is handy if you code with an AI assistant and keep a dev server running in another window.

What is an MCP server? The 30-second version

On its own, your AI can only chat with you. An MCP server is a small helper program that gives your AI a new skill or a connection to something else. This one connects your AI to the processes running on your own computer, so it can look at them and control them. You install it once, and then your AI can ask it things like "what is running" or "restart that server".

What this MCP server does

You start your long-running command through persistproc instead of running it directly, for example persistproc npm run dev. The command runs in the background and its output is streamed to your terminal like usual. Your AI assistant can then ask persistproc to list what is running, read the captured output, or start, stop, and restart a process. You stay in control: you can still see the output and stop things with Ctrl+C as you normally would.

Flow diagram: you ask your AI “Restart my dev server, it seems stuck”, on your own computer the persistproc MCP server works with your computer, and you get back plain answers in your chat.

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What you can do with it

List all the processes persistproc is managing and their status
Read the latest output or error logs from a running process
Restart a stuck process without leaving your chat
Stop a process you no longer need
Start a new long-running command through your AI assistant
Filter processes by command, working directory, or process id

Try asking your AI

“List the running processes.”
“The web server seems stuck. Can you restart it?”
“Show me any errors from the web server.”
“Start my dev server using persistproc.”

What it gives back to you

You get back plain answers in the chat: a list of running processes with their status, or the captured output from one of them. When your AI restarts or stops something, it tells you what it did. Log paths are also included so you can open the full file yourself if you want.

Before you start

What you need

Python installed on your computer
A terminal where you can run commands
An AI assistant that supports MCP servers, such as Cursor or Claude Code

Good to know

It can start, stop, and restart real programs on your computer, so make sure you are happy with what your AI is about to do before you confirm.

Install it with your AI

Add persistproc MCP server to your AI, no technical skills needed

You don't install anything by hand. You copy one prompt, paste it into an AI that can work on your computer, and it checks, installs and connects the server for you, asking you when it needs something.

Sign in to get the install prompt

Members get a ready-made prompt that lets the Claude desktop app check persistproc MCP server, install it and connect it for them, step by step. You don't need any technical skills: you copy, paste and answer a few questions. Your connected AI can also find and install any of the 4,066 MCP servers here for you.