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.
Tools & capabilities
Tools this server exposes to the agent.
list_servers— List all configured servers and active connectionsget_server— View server config detailsadd_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 serverrename_server— Rename a server IDconnect— Manually connect (usually not needed, tools auto-connect)quick_connect— Temporary connection, returns host:port as IDdisconnect— Disconnect specific server or all connectionstest_connection— Test connectivity without affecting existing connectionsexecute— 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 fileupload_file— Upload local file to remote (supports async mode)upload_directory— Upload directory with auto compress → transfer → decompressdownload_file— Download remote file to local (supports async mode)download_directory— Download directory with remote compress → transfer → local decompresstransfer_status— Check progress of async transfers (size/speed/ETA)list_proxies— List all SOCKS proxy presetsadd_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
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.
Yes, it's open-source under the MIT license and available on npm as @nl4ever/sshmcp.
Go to Settings → MCP Servers → Add, then paste the config with command 'npx' and args ['-y', '@nl4ever/sshmcp'].
Edit your claude_desktop_config.json file and add the sshmcp server entry with command 'npx' and args ['-y', '@nl4ever/sshmcp'].
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.
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
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:portas 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
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
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 |
Command Execution
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
execute | Run shell commands on remote server (with configurable timeout) |
File Operations
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
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) |
Proxy Management
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_proxies | List all SOCKS proxy presets |
add_proxy | Add SOCKS4/5 proxy preset |
delete_proxy | Remove 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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