mcpman

mcpman is a centralized CLI tool for installing, managing, and inspecting MCP servers across multiple AI clients from a single interface. It orchestrates the installation of MCP servers, tracks them in a lockfile for reproducible setups, and provides health checks, config synchronization, and audit capabilities. You can install a server package (for example the filesystem-based MCP server) and then manage its availability across clients like Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Codex CLI, OpenCode, Continue, and Zed. The tool supports commands for installation, listing, updating, removing servers, and running diagnostics such as doctor and test to verify runtime availability, environment variables, and MCP handshakes.

To use mcpman, start by installing a server package and then operating via its subcommands. For example, you can install a server with:

mcpman install @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

You can also run mcpman with update, status, sync, and secrets management to keep all clients in sync and securely configured. The CLI exposes a rich set of features including a built-in health checker (doctor), a JSON-based machine-ready output mode, and an export/import flow for migrating configurations across environments.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js v20+ and npm (or npx available via npm)
• A supported shell (bash, zsh, PowerShell, etc.)

Installation steps:

1. Ensure Node.js is installed. If not, install from https://nodejs.org/

2. Install mcpman globally (optional if you use npx):

npm install -g mcpman

3. Verify installation:

mcpman --version

4. Use mcpman to install and manage MCP servers. Example install of a server:

mcpman install @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

5. Create or initialize a local config/lockfile as needed:

mcpman init

6. For remote or multi-client workflows, refer to the specific client configuration formats documented by the MCP server packages you install and use the sync/doctor/test commands to validate your setup.

Tips and notes:

• The repo uses a lockfile (mcpman.lock) to ensure reproducible server installations across environments.
• Use doctor to verify runtimes, required environment variables, and MCP handshakes before relying on a server in production.
• For JSON outputs suitable for automation, use commands with the --json flag where supported (e.g., mcpman list --json).
• If you plan to publish or register your own MCP servers, explore the publish registry workflow in mcpman and consider using the embedded dashboard for monitoring server health.
• Ensure your Node.js version is compatible (Node >= 20 is recommended for best compatibility).
• When switching between clients, keep environment variables per-server in sync using config sync and secrets management features.