You can run Claude Desktop as a model gateway and connect Claude Desktop with Claude Code through the MCP (Model Context Protocol). This setup lets Claude Desktop serve as an automation hub and IPC bridge across Windows and WSL, enabling rich tool integration, cross‑environment workflows, and streamlined authentication between the two environments.

How to use

Start the MCP server that runs locally on your machine and connect your MCP client to port 4323. Use the built‑in extension tools to open conversations, switch models, analyze files, and trigger actions from Claude Code. When you trigger commands from Claude Code, Claude Desktop executes them through the MCP bridge and returns results back to Claude Code for a seamless cross‑environment workflow.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installation are installed Node.js (version 16 or higher) and Claude Desktop already set up on your system. You also need Windows with WSL enabled for full Claude Code integration.

# 1) Install dependencies
npm install

# 2) Start all services for the basic extension
npm run start:all

# 3) Start the Model Gateway for Claude Code integration
npm run start:model-gateway

# 4) On Windows, you can also use provided batch files
start.bat
start-model-gateway.bat

# 5) For all-in-one admin setup with monitoring (recommended)
.\start-claude-admin-with-monitoring.ps1

Configuration

The system uses two main configuration files. Claude Desktop Extension configuration defines how MCP servers are loaded by Claude Desktop, and the Model Gateway configuration controls the development hub behavior and browser tool integration.

{
  "mcpPort": 4323,
  "toolsPort": 4322,
  "logLevel": "info"
}

{
  "port": 4323,
  "browserToolsPort": 4322,
  "heartbeatIntervalMs": 30000,
  "logLevel": "info"
}

MCP server configuration (explicit)

The MCP server for the Claude Desktop extension runs as a stdio transport with an explicit command and arguments. Use the following configuration to start the stdio MCP server from your environment.

{
  "type": "stdio",
  "name": "claude_ext_mcp",
  "command": "node",
  "args": ["C:\\Users\\dimas\\Desktop\\Claude_Automation\\src\\custom-claude-mcp-stdio.js"],
  "env": []
}

Notes:

• The path to custom-claude-mcp-stdio.js is taken from the setup example and should point to the stdio MCP server script in your environment. You can adjust the path to match your workspace.

## Security and authentication

Tokens and authentication tokens are shared between the Windows host and WSL when using the bridge. Ensure you use secure token handling in all scripts and avoid exposing credentials in logs or environment variables. Regularly verify that tokens are refreshed and revoked when components are decommissioned.

## Troubleshooting and tips

If you encounter connectivity or JSON parsing issues, ensure you are using the stdio MCP server transport and that the MCP port (4323) is available. Check that Claude Desktop is running and that the MCP server is responding at the configured port.

## Project and runtime notes

You can extend functionality through the plugin system, which allows you to add tools that operate across the Windows and WSL boundary. The bridge monitors shared directories for file‑based communication, and a gateway routes requests from Claude Code to Claude Desktop.

## Final steps

After installation, launch Claude Desktop and start the MCP extension to verify that the system connects correctly. Confirm bidirectional communication by issuing a test action from Claude Code and observing the response through Claude Desktop.

## Appendix: Quick start commands

Install dependencies

npm install

Start all services for the basic extension

npm run start:all

Start the Model Gateway for Claude Code integration

npm run start:model-gateway

All-in-one admin setup with monitoring (recommended)

.\start-claude-admin-with-monitoring.ps1

## Available tools

### open\_conversation

Open a specific Claude Desktop conversation using MCP tools.

### switch\_model

Switch the Claude Desktop model remotely through MCP.

### analyze\_file

Analyze a file within Claude Desktop via MCP.

### execute\_from\_code

Execute actions in Claude Desktop triggered from Claude Code.

### update\_mcp\_config

Update MCP server configurations at runtime.

### save\_conversation

Save the current Claude Desktop conversation to a file.

### analyze\_codebase

Analyze a codebase using Claude Desktop as the model provider (Model Gateway).

### debug\_with\_browser\_context

Debug issues with combined code and browser context.

### code\_review

Review code changes with browser context for enhanced understanding.