Keep Roo Code.
Give it your machines.

AI Commander is not an alternative to Roo Code, Cline, Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Windsurf, or Continue. It is the remote-machine harness those tools plug into over MCP: outbound-only shell, detached jobs that outlive the chat, and file transfer on hardware you already own.

Positioning in one line: Roo Code stays the brain; AI Commander is the hands on the box — servers, GPU rigs, NAS, laptops — with no inbound ports and no exposed SSH.

Sibling harness pages: Cursor · Aider · Cline · Roo Code · Zed · Continue · Windsurf · Claude Code · Grok · Codex · ChatGPT · Gemini.

Connect Roo Code (MCP settings)

Roo Code is the VS Code AI agent extension (fork lineage of Cline, with its own MCP settings). It talks to AI Commander through the same stdio MCP bridge as Cursor, Cline, and Windsurf. Add this under mcpServers in Roo’s MCP settings (open Roo Code → gear → MCP Servers, then Edit Global MCP / Edit Project MCP, or edit mcp_settings.json / project .roo/mcp.json):

mcp_settings.json / .roo/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aicommander": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aicommander/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "AICOMMANDER_SERVER": "https://aicommander.dev"
      }
    }
  }
}

The config shape matches Cursor and other IDE MCP clients; only the settings path differs. Full client matrix (Roo Code, Cline, Cursor, Continue, Windsurf, Claude Code, Codex, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, REST): Connect your AI client.

First connect may open a one-time browser sign-in (OAuth Dynamic Client Registration). For a code-only first hour without that flow, append ?anonymous=1 to the MCP URL where your client supports it.

What you get that the chat alone cannot

Remote shell on Linux, macOS, and Windows — by session code or saved alias.
Detached jobs for builds, training, and headless agents on the box that has the repo.
Fleet list + GPU facts so Roo picks the right machine before it burns an hour.
File courier (Pro) for checkpoints and diffs up to 100 MiB.

Not a replacement — a multiplier

You already use	AI Commander adds
Roo Code	Roo MCP settings / `mcp_settings.json` / `.roo/mcp.json` + `npx @aicommander/mcp`
Cline	Cline MCP settings / `cline_mcp_settings.json` + `npx @aicommander/mcp`
Continue	`~/.continue/config.yaml` / `.continue/mcpServers/` + stdio bridge
Cursor	`npx @aicommander/mcp` stdio bridge → remote exec + jobs
Windsurf	`~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json` + stdio bridge
Claude Code	MCP remote exec + jobs on your fleet
Codex / ChatGPT	Same MCP endpoint or REST `/api/v1/exec`
Gemini / Grok	`gemini mcp add` / `grok mcp add --transport http …`

FAQ

Is AI Commander an alternative to Roo Code?

No. AI Commander is a remote-machine harness. You keep Roo Code (or Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Windsurf, Continue, Cline) as the AI. AI Commander gives those tools secure remote shell, detached jobs, and file transfer on machines you own — over MCP or REST.

How do I connect Roo Code to AI Commander?

Add the stdio bridge in Roo Code’s MCP settings (VS Code: open Roo Code → gear → MCP Servers → Edit Global MCP / Edit Project MCP, or edit mcp_settings.json / .roo/mcp.json) with npx -y @aicommander/mcp and AICOMMANDER_SERVER=https://aicommander.dev. First connect may open a one-time browser sign-in (DCR). Use ?anonymous=1 for a code-only first hour. See /howto/ for the full matrix.

How is this different from Roo Code running locally only?

Local Roo Code is the brain in your editor. AI Commander adds hands on servers, GPU rigs, NAS, and other laptops you own — outbound-only, no inbound ports, no exposed SSH — so Roo can run shell, detached jobs, and file transfer on those machines over MCP.

Next steps

Install the agent on a machine you control, connect Roo Code via MCP settings, then ask for a real task on a remote box.

Install the agent Setup guides Remote coding agents

Keep Roo Code.Give it your machines.