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io.github.NikolaNddTesla/sshmcp MCP Server

io.github.NikolaNddTesla/sshmcp

SSH server management with zero-token SFTP file transfer and SOCKS proxy support

What is the io.github.NikolaNddTesla/sshmcp MCP server?

The @nl4ever/sshmcp MCP server gives AI assistants full SSH access to remote servers through natural conversation. It provides 21 tools for executing commands, transferring files, managing multiple servers simultaneously, and routing through proxies or jump hosts—all without exposing file content to the AI context.

This server enables AI to manage remote infrastructure by executing shell commands, uploading/downloading files, and coordinating operations across multiple servers. It's designed for deployment automation, server administration, and infrastructure management where you want Claude or Cursor to handle SSH operations directly.

How to install io.github.NikolaNddTesla/sshmcp

Copy-paste configuration for popular MCP clients.

transport: stdio
Config generated by PluginBench — verify against the source before use.
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sshmcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@nl4ever/sshmcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tools & capabilities

Tools this server exposes to the agent.

  • list_servers — List all configured servers and active connections
  • get_server — View server config details
  • add_server — Add/update server config (password, key, agent, OTP)
  • update_server — Modify server config (only pass fields you want to change)
  • delete_server — Remove a server
  • rename_server — Rename a server ID
  • connect — Manually connect (usually not needed, tools auto-connect)
  • quick_connect — Temporary connection, returns host:port as ID
  • disconnect — Disconnect specific server or all connections
  • test_connection — Test connectivity without affecting existing connections
  • execute — Run shell commands on remote server (with configurable timeout)
  • read_file — Read remote file content (with optional line range)
  • write_file — Write text content to remote file
  • upload_file — Upload local file to remote (supports async mode)
  • upload_directory — Upload directory with auto compress → transfer → decompress
  • download_file — Download remote file to local (supports async mode)
  • download_directory — Download directory with remote compress → transfer → local decompress
  • transfer_status — Check progress of async transfers (size/speed/ETA)
  • list_proxies — List all SOCKS proxy presets
  • add_proxy — Add SOCKS4/5 proxy preset

Use cases

  • Deploy application builds to production servers by uploading files and executing deployment commands
  • Manage multiple remote servers simultaneously, executing commands and monitoring logs across infrastructure
  • Transfer large files asynchronously with real-time progress tracking without blocking AI operations
  • Access internal servers through bastion hosts or SOCKS proxies for secure multi-hop connections
  • Automate server administration tasks like service restarts, log inspection, and system status checks

io.github.NikolaNddTesla/sshmcp MCP server FAQ

What is the @nl4ever/sshmcp server?

It's an MCP server that gives AI assistants SSH access to remote servers. You can execute commands, transfer files, manage multiple servers, and route through proxies or jump hosts—all through natural conversation with Claude or Cursor.

Is it free?

Yes, it's open-source under the MIT license and available on npm as @nl4ever/sshmcp.

How do I install it in Cursor?

Go to Settings → MCP Servers → Add, then paste the config with command 'npx' and args ['-y', '@nl4ever/sshmcp'].

How do I install it in Claude Desktop?

Edit your claude_desktop_config.json file and add the sshmcp server entry with command 'npx' and args ['-y', '@nl4ever/sshmcp'].

What authentication methods are supported?

Password, private key files, ssh-agent, and keyboard-interactive (for OTP/2FA). Passwords are stored in plaintext in ~/.ssh-mcp/config.json, so private keys are recommended for production.

Can I use this to access servers behind firewalls?

Yes, it supports SOCKS4/5 proxies and SSH ProxyJump (bastion/gateway hosts) for multi-hop access to internal servers.

README (reference)

Source of truth, from the repository.

@nl4ever/sshmcp

npm version MCP Registry License: MIT

中文文档

Let AI manage your remote servers. A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives AI assistants full SSH access — execute commands, transfer files, manage multiple servers simultaneously, all through natural conversation.

You:   "Deploy the latest build to production server"
AI:    connects → uploads build → restarts service → verifies status

Features

  • 21 Tools — Connect, execute, upload, download, write files, and more
  • Connection Pool — Operate multiple servers simultaneously, each command tagged with server_id
  • Zero-Token File Transfer — SFTP path-based transfer, file content never enters AI context
  • Directory Upload — Auto tar.gz compress → upload → remote decompress (fast for many small files)
  • Async Transfer + Progress — Background transfer for large files with real-time progress tracking
  • Quick Connect — Temporary connections without saving config, returns host:port as temp ID
  • SOCKS4/5 Proxy — Per-connection proxy support
  • Jump Host — SSH ProxyJump for bastion/gateway access
  • Multi-Auth — Password, private key, ssh-agent, keyboard-interactive (OTP/2FA)

Quick Start

Install globally

npm install -g @nl4ever/sshmcp

Add to Claude Code

claude mcp add sshmcp sshmcp

Add to Claude Desktop

Edit claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sshmcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@nl4ever/sshmcp"]
    }
  }
}

Add to Cursor

Go to Settings → MCP Servers → Add:

{
  "sshmcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@nl4ever/sshmcp"]
  }
}

Tools Overview

Connection Management

ToolDescription
list_serversList all configured servers and active connections
get_serverView server config details
add_serverAdd/update server config (password, key, agent, OTP)
update_serverModify server config (only pass fields you want to change)
delete_serverRemove a server
rename_serverRename a server ID
connectManually connect (usually not needed, tools auto-connect)
quick_connectTemporary connection, returns host:port as ID
disconnectDisconnect specific server or all connections
test_connectionTest connectivity without affecting existing connections

Command Execution

ToolDescription
executeRun shell commands on remote server (with configurable timeout)

File Operations

ToolDescription
read_fileRead remote file content (with optional line range)
write_fileWrite text content to remote file
upload_fileUpload local file to remote (supports async mode)
upload_directoryUpload directory with auto compress → transfer → decompress
download_fileDownload remote file to local (supports async mode)
download_directoryDownload directory with remote compress → transfer → local decompress
transfer_statusCheck progress of async transfers (size/speed/ETA)

Proxy Management

ToolDescription
list_proxiesList all SOCKS proxy presets
add_proxyAdd SOCKS4/5 proxy preset
delete_proxyRemove a proxy preset

Connection Pool: Multi-Server Operations

All operation tools take a server_id parameter. The connection pool auto-manages connections — no manual connect/disconnect needed:

AI: execute(server_id="prod", command="nginx -s reload")         ← auto-connects to prod
AI: execute(server_id="dev", command="tail -f /var/log/app.log") ← auto-connects to dev, prod stays
AI: execute(server_id="prod", command="curl localhost")           ← reuses prod connection

For temporary servers, use quick_connect which returns host:port as the ID:

AI: quick_connect(host="1.2.3.4", username="root", password="***")
→ "Connected: root@1.2.3.4:22, use server_id="1.2.3.4:22""

AI: execute(server_id="1.2.3.4:22", command="df -h")
AI: disconnect(server_id="1.2.3.4:22")

Async Transfer (Large Files)

For large files, enable background transfer mode to avoid blocking:

AI: upload_file(server_id="prod", local_path="big.tar.gz", remote_path="/data/", async_transfer=true)
→ "Background upload started: tf_1"

AI: transfer_status("tf_1")
→ "🔄 Uploading: 638.2 MB / 1.2 GB (53.2%) — 12.4 MB/s, ETA 46s"

AI: transfer_status("tf_1")
→ "✅ Upload complete: 1.2 GB, 98s, 12.3 MB/s"

Small files use synchronous mode by default — no config needed.

Connection Examples

Password authentication

AI: add_server(server_id="prod", name="Production", host="10.0.0.1", username="deploy", password="***")
AI: execute(server_id="prod", command="systemctl status nginx")

Private key authentication

AI: add_server(server_id="aws", name="AWS EC2", host="ec2-xx.compute.amazonaws.com", username="ubuntu", private_key="~/.ssh/id_rsa")

Quick connect (no config saved)

AI: quick_connect(host="192.168.1.100", username="root", password="***")
→ server_id="192.168.1.100:22"

AI: execute(server_id="192.168.1.100:22", command="df -h")
AI: disconnect(server_id="192.168.1.100:22")

Via SOCKS5 proxy

AI: add_proxy(proxy_id="tunnel", name="SSH Tunnel", host="127.0.0.1", port=1080, type="5")
AI: add_server(server_id="internal", ..., proxy="tunnel")

Via jump host

AI: add_server(server_id="bastion", name="Bastion", host="bastion.example.com", username="admin", private_key="~/.ssh/id_rsa")
AI: add_server(server_id="internal", name="Internal DB", host="10.0.0.5", username="dbadmin", password="***", jump_host="bastion")

Config Location

Server and proxy configurations are stored in:

~/.ssh-mcp/config.json

Passwords are stored in plaintext. For production use, prefer private key authentication.

Requirements

  • Node.js >= 18
  • An MCP-compatible client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)
  • Remote server with SSH access

License

MIT

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