A Better MCP ssh Server

@zhangyc310

Basic information

About A Better MCP ssh Server

A Better Mcp ssh Server.

A Better MCP ssh Server config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ssh": {
      "command": "/your_path_to_mcpssh/mcpssh",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

A Better MCP ssh Server tools

Initiates a new SSH connection to a specified host using a PTY. Returns a `session_id`.

Sends input to and reads output from an active SSH session. This allows for interactive shell usage (e.g., handling prompts, running scripts).

Terminates an active SSH session and cleans up resources.

Overview

What is A Better Mcp ssh Server?

A Better Mcp ssh Server is a Go-based MCP server that manages SSH sessions for AI agents. It enables an AI to interact with remote servers via SSH by creating persistent sessions, sending commands, and reading outputs through a pseudo-terminal (PTY) interface. It reads hosts from ~/.ssh/config, so users do not need to list every host in the MCP configuration file.

How to use A Better Mcp ssh Server?

Build the binary with go build -o mcpssh (requires Go 1.25.0+ and SSH installed). Then configure your MCP client (e.g., Codex or Gemini) to run the binary as a command server without arguments. After setup, the AI can connect to any host defined in ~/.ssh/config by name using the provided tools.

Key features of A Better Mcp ssh Server

Supports hosts in ~/.ssh/config automatically
AI can specify a host via natural language
Persistent SSH sessions with PTY interface
Three core tools: start, interact, and close session
Built with Go for performance and minimal dependencies

Use cases of A Better Mcp ssh Server

AI agent connects to a remote server and checks disk space
AI runs a multi-step script that requires interactive prompts
AI manages multiple persistent SSH sessions to different hosts
AI retrieves command outputs from remote servers for monitoring

Frequently asked questions

What are the prerequisites for running A Better Mcp ssh Server?

Go 1.25.0 or later must be installed, along with SSH (tested on macOS). A `~/.ssh/config` file is required to define host entries.

How does the server discover SSH hosts?

It reads host definitions from `~/.ssh/config`. There is no need to add every host to the MCP configuration file; the AI can reference hosts by their config alias.

What tools does A Better Mcp ssh Server provide?

Three tools: `start_session` (initiates SSH connection and returns a session ID), `interact_session` (sends input to and reads output from the PTY), and `close_session` (terminates the session and cleans up resources).

What are the core dependencies of A Better Mcp ssh Server?

The server depends on `github.com/mark3labs/mcp-go` (MCP SDK), `github.com/creack/pty` (PTY management), and `github.com/google/uuid` (session ID generation).

How does session management work?

Each `start_session` call creates a persistent PTY-based SSH connection and returns a unique session ID. The AI uses `interact_session` to send commands and read outputs, and `close_session` to terminate the session.

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