ssh-session-mcp

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Persistent shared-terminal runtime for MCP clients over SSH.

ssh-session-mcp gives the user and the AI the same SSH PTY session, adds a browser viewer, tracks who typed what, and makes long-running remote work manageable instead of stateless.

Contents

• Install At A Glance
• Project Structure
• Quick Start
• Docker Status
• MCP Tools
• Configuration Summary
• Security
• Docs
• Development

Install At A Glance

• Normal users do not need to git clone this repository.
• Preferred install path for MCP clients: npx -y ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto
• Preferred install path for human operators who want local binaries: npm install -g ssh-session-mcp
• Official container distribution can be published to a public registry such as docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp
• git clone is only for contributors, source builds, and local development.
• For the common desktop MCP workflow, npx or a global npm install is still the lowest-friction path. Docker is mainly useful when you want a pinned runtime, container-based deployment, or registry-backed distribution.

Why It Exists

Most SSH-oriented MCP servers can execute commands, but they do not manage terminal state well enough for real collaboration.

ssh-session-mcp focuses on the missing runtime layer:

• One shared PTY for both the human and the AI
• Browser terminal for live inspection and manual intervention
• Input lock so the AI does not type over the user
• Safe/full execution modes for risky commands
• Configurable default policy rules plus session-level custom rule overrides
• Async command tracking for long-running remote work
• Multi-device and multi-connection profile support
• Local debug mode for demos, offline testing, and prompt iteration

Best Fit

• AI-assisted remote development on Linux boards and SSH servers
• Embedded, ROS, training, and deployment hosts that need a real terminal
• Users who want the AI to help, but do not want to surrender the terminal
• MCP Marketplace listings where the install and demo path must be clear

Project Structure

Key directories and files:

Path	Purpose
src/	Core TypeScript implementation for the MCP server, SSH session runtime, viewer, tools, and config CLIs
src/viewer-html/	HTML page generators and browser-side scripts for the terminal viewer
test/	Vitest coverage for runtime behavior, viewer contracts, config loading, and repository validation
docs/	Supporting documentation such as contracts, failure taxonomy, platform notes, and Docker usage
docs/examples/	Example config files for normal and Docker-oriented setups
scripts/	Build, version sync, and local operator helper scripts
site/	GitHub Pages landing page source
dist/	Generated static site output from npm run build:site
build/	Generated JavaScript output from npm run build
Dockerfile	Container image build definition
docker-compose.yml	Profile-based Docker Compose example
docker-compose.env.yml	Legacy .env-style Docker Compose example
server.json	MCP server metadata for marketplace-style distribution
AGENT.md	Primary agent/operator playbook
llms-install.md	Agent-focused installation and environment checklist
.env.example	Legacy single-target environment variable template

Quick Start

1. Agent-First Install (Auto-download on first run)

If the goal is to let Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode install the server automatically, prefer npx -y ssh-session-mcp in the MCP command instead of a prior global install.

For Cline Marketplace and other agent installers, see llms-install.md. This repo is structured to be one-click installable through an npx -y ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto command.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-session-mcp -- npx -y ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto

Windows note from the Claude Code docs: native Windows users should wrap npx with cmd /c for stdio MCP servers.

claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-session-mcp -- cmd /c npx -y ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto

Codex

codex mcp add ssh-session-mcp -- npx -y ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto

OpenCode

OpenCode's opencode mcp add flow is interactive. Choose a local MCP server and use this command:

npx -y ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto

If you prefer config instead of the interactive flow:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "ssh-session-mcp": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "-y", "ssh-session-mcp", "--viewerPort=auto"]
    }
  }
}

This is the closest thing to "automatic installation" for stdio MCP servers today: the MCP client stores the command, and npx -y downloads the package automatically the first time it runs.

2. Fastest Local Demo

npm install -g ssh-session-mcp
ssh-session-mcp-ctl launch --local --viewerPort=auto

This starts a local shell instead of SSH and opens the browser terminal, which is the easiest way to test the MCP runtime before touching a real server.

3. Register As An MCP Server

Use the MCP server binary directly when wiring a client:

# Global install
npm install -g ssh-session-mcp

# Server command used by MCP clients
ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto

# Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-session-mcp -- ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto

# Codex CLI
codex mcp add ssh-session-mcp -- ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto

If you prefer npx instead of a global install:

npx -y ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto

4. Connect To A Real SSH Target

Create .env from .env.example:

cp .env.example .env

SSH_HOST=YOUR_DEVICE_HOST
SSH_PORT=22
SSH_USER=YOUR_DEVICE_USER
SSH_PASSWORD=
SSH_KEY=
VIEWER_PORT=auto
AUTO_OPEN_TERMINAL=false
SSH_MCP_MODE=safe

Then launch:

ssh-session-mcp-ctl launch --viewerPort=auto

5. Multi-Device Config

For multiple boards or named targets, create ssh-session-mcp.config.json:

{
  "defaultDevice": "DEVICE_A_ID",
  "devices": [
    {
      "id": "DEVICE_A_ID",
      "host": "DEVICE_A_HOST",
      "port": 22,
      "user": "DEVICE_A_USER",
      "auth": { "passwordEnv": "DEVICE_A_PASSWORD" },
      "defaults": {
        "term": "xterm-256color",
        "cols": 120,
        "rows": 40,
        "autoOpenViewer": true,
        "viewerMode": "browser"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Discovery order:

1. --config=/path/to/config.json
2. Workspace ssh-session-mcp.config.json
3. User-global config
4. Legacy .env fallback

Important:

• Config discovery is based on the MCP process working directory.
• auth.password is intentionally unsupported. Use auth.passwordEnv or auth.keyPath.
• Secrets belong in .env or the parent environment, not in repo-tracked JSON.

6. Docker Status

Public Docker images should be distributed through Docker Hub, with GitHub Container Registry as an optional secondary registry:

docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp:<version>
docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp:latest
ghcr.io/zw-awa/ssh-session-mcp:<version>

Recommended container launch for a real SSH target:

docker run --rm -i \
  -p 8793:8793 \
  -e VIEWER_PORT=8793 \
  -e VIEWER_HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e SSH_HOST=YOUR_DEVICE_HOST \
  -e SSH_PORT=22 \
  -e SSH_USER=YOUR_DEVICE_USER \
  -e SSH_PASSWORD \
  docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp:latest

Export the password in your shell first instead of placing it directly on the command line.

Recommended launch for profile-based config:

docker run --rm -i \
  -p 8793:8793 \
  -e VIEWER_PORT=8793 \
  -e VIEWER_HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e SSH_MCP_CONFIG=/workspace/ssh-session-mcp.config.json \
  -v "$PWD/ssh-session-mcp.config.json:/workspace/ssh-session-mcp.config.json:ro" \
  -v "/path/to/host/keys:/workspace/keys:ro" \
  docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp:latest

Equivalent Compose example:

docker compose up -d

See docker-compose.yml for a ready-to-run example that mounts ssh-session-mcp.config.json, publishes the viewer on 8793, and uses SSH_KEY_DIR when set or falls back to a dedicated ./keys directory. For the full Docker guide, including the legacy .env compose variant and MCP client config snippets, see docs/docker.md. For a container-oriented profile example, see docs/examples/ssh-session-mcp.config.docker.example.json.

Container-specific notes:

• The image defaults VIEWER_PORT to 8793 when unset so the browser viewer can be published reliably.
• The image defaults VIEWER_HOST to 0.0.0.0 inside the container so the mapped port is reachable from the host.
• AUTO_OPEN_TERMINAL defaults to false in the container because browser auto-open from inside a container is usually not useful.
• Mount config files or SSH keys read-only when possible.
• Prefer mounting SSH keys from a directory outside the repo root.
• In docker-compose.yml, SSH_KEY_DIR overrides the default key mount path. If it is unset, Compose falls back to ./keys, not the repo root.
• Avoid putting passwords directly on the command line. Prefer exported env vars, Compose .env, or --env-file.
• For stdio MCP clients, Docker is viable, but host-native npx is still simpler unless your client explicitly prefers containerized commands.

Docker-based MCP client command examples:

# Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport stdio ssh-session-mcp -- docker run --rm -i -p 8793:8793 -e VIEWER_PORT=8793 -e VIEWER_HOST=0.0.0.0 docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp:latest

# Codex CLI
codex mcp add ssh-session-mcp -- docker run --rm -i -p 8793:8793 -e VIEWER_PORT=8793 -e VIEWER_HOST=0.0.0.0 docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp:latest

For JSON-based MCP clients, the same pattern works by using docker as the command and passing the remaining run ... docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp:latest tokens as args.

This is useful when:

• The primary workflow is a local stdio MCP server command, not a long-lived network service.
• You want a pinned Node/runtime environment without a local install.
• You need registry-based distribution for a team or managed host.
• You want container-level isolation for the MCP server process.

For many users, publishing to npm and recommending npx -y ssh-session-mcp --viewerPort=auto is still the lower-friction install path.

Viewer And Collaboration Model

The browser viewer is not decorative. It is part of the workflow:

• The user can see exactly what the AI did.
• The AI can pause when the user takes over.
• Password prompts, pagers, and editors become visible state instead of hidden failure modes.
• Session diagnostics and history turn terminal debugging into something inspectable.

Marketplace-Friendly Flow

For users:

install -> launch viewer -> connect once -> keep the session alive -> let the AI help

For agents:

ssh-quick-connect -> ssh-run -> inspect output -> ssh-command-status if needed -> ssh-run again

Use AGENT.md when you want the AI to install, inspect config, connect devices, and help the user end-to-end. Compatibility notes for older agent setups remain in AI_AGENT_GUIDE.md.

Core Differences From A Stateless MCP SSH Wrapper

• Shared PTY instead of one-off command execution
• Actor-aware transcript markers for user, system, and agent input
• Terminal-state checks before dangerous or nonsensical writes
• Auto cleanup for sessions and viewer processes
• Session-scoped browser viewer with diagnostics and history
• Local debug mode with --local for offline testing

Operation Modes

Mode	Behavior
safe	Default. Automatically blocks obviously dangerous, interactive, or never-ending commands.
full	Relaxes the guardrails for advanced use, while still blocking a small set of clearly destructive abuse cases.

The default rule set can be customized if needed.

Lock Policy

The browser terminal UI lets the operator choose one of these input policies:

Policy	What the operator experiences
common	User and agent can both type into the shared terminal.
user	Only the user can type. Agent write actions are blocked.
auto	The user can start typing without fighting the agent. While the user is actively drafting input, agent writes are blocked.
agent	Only the agent can type. User input is blocked until the policy changes.

When the terminal is not available for agent input, tools such as ssh-run, ssh-session-send, and ssh-session-control return a blocked response instead of forcing input into the PTY.

MCP Tools

Recommended Daily Tools

Tool	Purpose
ssh-quick-connect	Connect or reuse the default target and optionally open the viewer
ssh-run	Execute a command with completion detection and exit-code capture
ssh-status	Inspect sessions, viewer state, and operation mode
ssh-command-status	Poll async command progress
ssh-retry	Retry flaky commands with backoff
ssh-session-policy-list	Inspect inherited defaults and current session custom policy rules
ssh-session-policy-upsert	Add or update a session-level custom policy rule
ssh-session-policy-remove	Remove a session-level custom policy rule
ssh-session-policy-reset	Reset session custom rules back to inherited defaults

Full Tool Catalog

Tool	Purpose
ssh-session-open	Open a session with explicit SSH parameters
ssh-session-send	Send raw PTY input
ssh-device-list	List configured devices and defaults
ssh-session-read	Read buffered terminal output by offset
ssh-session-watch	Long-poll for output and dashboard changes
ssh-session-history	Read line-numbered mixed terminal history
ssh-session-control	Send control keys such as ctrl_c, arrows, or tab
ssh-session-resize	Resize the PTY
ssh-session-list	List tracked sessions
ssh-session-diagnostics	Inspect lock state, warnings, running command state, and viewer health
ssh-session-policy-list	Show inherited policy defaults and the current session rule set
ssh-session-policy-upsert	Add or update a session-specific custom policy rule
ssh-session-policy-remove	Remove a session-specific custom policy rule
ssh-session-policy-reset	Restore inherited rules for the current session
ssh-session-set-active	Choose the default session
ssh-viewer-ensure	Open or reuse the local viewer
ssh-viewer-list	List tracked viewer processes
ssh-session-close	Close a session cleanly
ssh-quick-connect	One-step connect flow for agents
ssh-run	Main command execution tool
ssh-status	Runtime overview
ssh-command-status	Async poller
ssh-retry	Retry executor

Local Operator Commands

These helpers are for humans on the workstation that owns the viewer:

ssh-session-mcp-ctl status
ssh-session-mcp-ctl devices
ssh-session-mcp-ctl launch --viewerPort=auto
ssh-session-mcp-ctl launch --local --viewerPort=auto
ssh-session-mcp-ctl logs --tail=60
ssh-session-mcp-ctl cleanup

Default rule library management for operators:

ssh-session-mcp-config policy list --scope=merged
ssh-session-mcp-config policy set block-kubectl-delete --pattern="\\bkubectl\\s+delete\\b" --category=dangerous --action=block --message="kubectl delete is blocked in safe mode"
ssh-session-mcp-config policy remove block-kubectl-delete

Equivalent repo-local commands also exist:

npm run launch
npm run status
npm run devices
npm run logs
npm run cleanup

Configuration Summary

Key environment variables:

Variable	Meaning	Default
SSH_HOST	Legacy single-target SSH host	required in legacy mode
SSH_PORT	Legacy single-target SSH port	22
SSH_USER	Legacy single-target SSH user	required in legacy mode
SSH_PASSWORD	Password auth	empty
SSH_KEY	Local private key path	empty
SSH_MCP_INSTANCE	Runtime isolation key	proc-<pid> or helper-selected
SSH_MCP_CONFIG	Explicit config file path	auto-discovery
VIEWER_HOST	Viewer bind host	127.0.0.1
VIEWER_PORT	Viewer port or auto	0 unless configured
SSH_MCP_MODE	safe or full	safe
SSH_MCP_LOCAL	Launch a local shell instead of SSH	false
SSH_MCP_DEBUG	Enable debug browser actions	false
AUTO_OPEN_TERMINAL	Auto-open browser terminal	false
SSH_MCP_LOG_MODE	off or meta JSONL logging	off

Macro / Environment Variable Reference

Use these variables according to your installation path:

Variable	Required When	Accepted Values / Example	Notes
SSH_HOST	Legacy single-target SSH mode	YOUR_DEVICE_HOST	Required unless you use ssh-session-mcp.config.json or --local.
SSH_PORT	Legacy single-target SSH mode	22	Optional in legacy mode; defaults to 22.
SSH_USER	Legacy single-target SSH mode	YOUR_DEVICE_USER	Required unless you use device profiles.
SSH_PASSWORD	Password-based auth	exported env var	Prefer env export over putting the password directly in the command line.
SSH_KEY	Key-based auth in legacy mode	/absolute/path/to/private/key	The path must exist on the host running the MCP server.
SSH_MCP_CONFIG	Profile-based mode or config outside cwd	/path/to/ssh-session-mcp.config.json	Use this when config auto-discovery is not enough.
SSH_MCP_INSTANCE	Multi-agent / multi-client isolation	agent-a	Use different values when two agents should not share runtime state.
VIEWER_HOST	Custom viewer bind	127.0.0.1, 0.0.0.0	Use 0.0.0.0 inside containers; keep 127.0.0.1 on normal host installs unless you need remote access.
VIEWER_PORT	Viewer enabled	auto, 0, 8793	auto picks a free port, 0 disables the viewer, fixed ports are best for Docker.
AUTO_OPEN_TERMINAL	Auto-open viewer tab	true, false	Usually false in containers.
SSH_MCP_MODE	Runtime safety mode	safe, full	safe is the recommended default.
SSH_MCP_LOCAL	Local demo mode	true, false	Starts a local shell instead of SSH.
SSH_MCP_DEBUG	Browser debug controls	true, false	Intended for demos and troubleshooting.
SSH_MCP_LOG_MODE	Runtime metadata logging	off, meta	meta writes JSONL metadata logs without storing raw secrets.
SSH_KEY_DIR	Docker Compose profile-based example	/path/to/host/keys	Optional in docker-compose.yml; when unset it falls back to ./keys.
SSH_SESSION_MCP_IMAGE	Docker Compose image override	docker.io/zwawa/ssh-session-mcp:latest	Override this if you mirror the image or test another tag.

Minimum Required Settings

Choose one of these minimum configuration sets:

• Local demo: SSH_MCP_LOCAL=true and VIEWER_PORT=auto
• Legacy SSH with password: SSH_HOST, SSH_USER, SSH_PASSWORD
• Legacy SSH with key: SSH_HOST, SSH_USER, SSH_KEY
• Profile-based mode: ssh-session-mcp.config.json, plus any passwordEnv variables referenced by that config
• Docker Compose profile mode: ssh-session-mcp.config.json, optional SSH_KEY_DIR, optional SSH_SESSION_MCP_IMAGE

Example config file: docs/examples/ssh-session-mcp.config.example.json

Security

• The package never requires raw passwords inside tracked JSON config.
• .env is ignored by git and npm.
• Viewer HTTP binds to localhost by default.
• The MCP server treats terminal mode and input lock as first-class safety signals.

See SECURITY.md for the full policy.

Platform Notes

• Windows 10/11: first-class host environment
• Linux: strong fit for headless MCP + browser viewer workflows
• macOS: standard Node.js path supported
• Remote Linux hosts: first-class target

More detail: docs/platform-compatibility.md

Docs

• AGENT.md
• AI_AGENT_GUIDE.md
• llms-install.md
• docs/contracts.md
• docs/failure-taxonomy.md
• docs/acceptance-scenarios.md
• docs/docker.md
• CHANGELOG.md

Development

Clone the repo only if you want to modify the source, run tests locally, or build release artifacts.

npm install
npm run build
npm run test
npm run validate:repo
npm run build:site

GitHub Actions included in this repo can:

• run CI on push and pull request
• deploy a GitHub Pages landing page from dist/
• build a tagged GitHub Release with the npm package tarball attached

License

Apache-2.0. See LICENSE.