MCPBundles Desktop: Connect Cloud AI to Your Obsidian Vault (and Other Apps on Your Mac)
TL;DR
- MCPBundles Desktop is a menu-bar app that replaces the old
pip install+ terminal proxy setup from our March Obsidian guide. - Install it, pair your workspace once, and AI in Studio, ChatGPT, or Cursor can read and write your vault while Obsidian stays on your machine — nothing copied to our servers.
Picture Friday evening. Obsidian is open on your Mac. You're in MCPBundles Studio asking for open tasks tagged #work. That only works if something on your computer is connected and listening. That's what Desktop does — it sits in the menu bar and keeps the link alive so you don't have to think about it.
What changed since the Obsidian post
Our Obsidian vault guide from March is still the place for vault workflows — searching notes, editing a section without wiping the rest, daily notes, images your AI can actually see, graph cleanup. None of that changed.
Setup changed. We used to tell people to install Python, run commands in a terminal, and leave that window open. It worked if you lived in the terminal. Most people closed it by Wednesday and wondered why Obsidian stopped working on Friday.
MCPBundles Desktop is the same connection as a normal app: download from mcpbundles.com/desktop, sign in through your browser, pair it to your workspace (Settings → Desktop → Connect), leave it running in the menu bar. Studio, ChatGPT, Cursor, and Claude Desktop all use that one connection.
For Obsidian you still install the Local REST API community plugin (by Adam Coddington), copy the API key, enable Obsidian on MCPBundles, and paste the key. The setup screen checks that Desktop is connected and Obsidian is running before you save.
Why you need an app on your Mac
Obsidian lives on your computer, not on the public internet. That's the point — your notes stay private. AI products like Studio run in the cloud. They can't reach your vault unless your Mac holds the door open.
Desktop is that door. When you ask the agent to search your vault, the request goes through MCPBundles in the cloud, then back down to your Mac, then into Obsidian. Your notes stream through for that request and aren't stored on our servers. Quit Desktop or close Obsidian and the connection stops.
Same idea if you connect other things on your computer — a local database, a browser session, Grafana on localhost. One app, many local tools.
Two computers?
If you use a work laptop and a home Mac, pick which one owns Obsidian when you save your connection — there's a device picker in the setup screen. Or tell the agent in chat which machine has your vault open. If only one Mac is connected, we use that one automatically.
What it looks like in practice
You're in Studio, not inside Obsidian. You ask:
"What are my open Obsidian tasks tagged #work, grouped by project?"
"Append these meeting notes to today's daily note — leave the rest of the file alone."
The agent works with your vault the way you would, without you copy-pasting Markdown into a chat window. If Obsidian isn't running, the setup screen tells you what to fix instead of failing with a cryptic error.
Everything else from the March post still applies — whiteboard photos the model can read, orphan note detection, task lists across your whole vault. Read that guide for the full picture.
A few practical notes
- One Desktop app is enough. Don't also run the old terminal proxy on the same Mac — they get in each other's way.
- Pairing is per workspace. Your personal Desktop doesn't expose your work workspace, and vice versa.
- Read-only mode still works if you want the agent to search but not edit.
- Terminal users: Desktop also powers
mcpbundles callfrom your shell (we sped that up recently).
Install from mcpbundles.com/desktop, pair once, enable Obsidian (or whichever local tool you need), and ask in plain language. Your vault stays on your Mac.
FAQ
Do I still need pip install mcpbundles?
Not for everyday use — install Desktop instead. The command-line tool is still there for servers and scripts if you need it.
Does Desktop replace mcpbundles proxy start?
Yes, for normal Mac and Windows use. Desktop keeps the connection alive from the menu bar so you don't babysit a terminal.
Why did Obsidian stop working in Studio before?
The cloud can't reach apps on your laptop unless Desktop (or the old proxy) is running and paired to your workspace. That's what we fixed.
Does this work with ChatGPT and Cursor?
Yes. Set up MCPBundles in each app you use. Desktop is the shared connection on your Mac — you don't set up Obsidian three separate times.
Is my vault stored on MCPBundles?
No. Notes pass through encrypted for each request and aren't saved on our side. Same answer in the Obsidian FAQ.