ssh

This MCP server exposes SSH capabilities via the MCP protocol. It uses SQLite (ssh.db by default) to persist SSH credentials and supports commands to execute remote SSH actions as well as credential management. Clients can perform SSH operations through the SSH tool (ssh_exec) to run commands on remote hosts, or manage credentials with add_credential, list_credentials, and remove_credential. To start the server, run the standard Node.js startup command and connect via MCP-enabled clients that support the configured tools. The tools are designed to be invoked with structured JSON payloads that specify required fields like host, username, and privateKeyPath for SSH access, along with the command to execute.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js v16 or higher
• npm or yarn
• TypeScript knowledge is helpful for development (optional for running the built server)

Option 1: Installing via Smithery

1. Install via Smithery to get the SSH MCP server client:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @KinoThe-Kafkaesque/ssh-mcp-server --client claude

Option 2: Manual installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd ssh-server

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Build the project

npm run build

4. Start the server

npm start

Note: The server will listen on the configured port (default). You can adjust configuration in code or via environment variables as needed.

Notes and tips:

• The server uses a SQLite database file named ssh.db by default; ensure the process has write access to the directory where this file will be created.
• You can override the database file path using the SSH_DB_PATH environment variable.
• Ensure your private keys are securely stored and accessible by the host running the MCP server; the ssh_exec tool requires a valid path to a private key.
• If you run into port conflicts, adjust the PORT environment variable or the server's internal configuration accordingly.
• When developing or building locally, remember to run npm run build before starting the server to ensure the latest TypeScript sources are compiled to JavaScript.