MCP SSE Launcher

You manage MCP servers with a Python-based SSE launcher that wraps stdio-based servers to expose them as SSE endpoints and gives you a web inspector for testing. It automates updates, monitors processes in the background, and provides a browser-based way to debug and test MCP servers.

How to use

Use this launcher to connect to MCP servers from your MCP client or browser inspector. You can start all managed servers, test individual servers in the web inspector, add new servers, and restart problematic ones. The launcher handles updates, port conflicts, crash recovery, and logs server activity to the filesystem for easier troubleshooting.

How to install

pip install -r requirements.txt
cp .env.example .env
make run-servers
make run-inspector

View the inspector URL shown in the output after you start the inspector.

## Configuration and usage notes

The system defines MCP servers that you can run as local stdio processes or as HTTP/SSE endpoints. The available servers include a local filesystem server, GitHub-related server, Brave Search, and several others your environment can expose through SSE.

To add a new MCP server locally, you can use the following command structure. This creates a stdio-based MCP server that the launcher will manage and expose.

python mcp_servers.py add
--name github
--cmd npx
--args "-y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
--env GITHUB_TOKEN=YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
--port 8094

## How to use with an MCP client

Once servers are running, connect your MCP client to the exposed SSE endpoints. For example, you can access the server that serves as an SSE endpoint at the port you configured (such as 8094) through the client, and use the built-in web inspector to debug and test interactions.

## Restarting and development tips

If a server becomes problematic, you can restart it directly by name. For example, to restart the GitHub server you added, issue a restart command that targets that server. If you want to run without auto-restart for development, you can start the servers with a set that disables keeping alive.

## Available MCP Servers

The launcher includes a default set of common servers with their internal ports. You can reference these as the baseline for building or extending your MCP environment. The default ports are shown below to help you plan your network layout.

## Troubleshooting

make check-server-ports make kill-server-conflicts make stop-servers tail -f /tmp/filesystem.log

## Configuration file format

{ "name": "github", "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"], "env": {"GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"}, "port": 8094, "server_type": "stdio" }

## Security and best practices

Keep environment secrets like API keys in the .env file and do not commit them to version control. Use unique ports for each server, monitor logs in /tmp, and ensure only trusted clients can access the web inspector by protecting the interface with appropriate authentication in your deployment.

## Notes

The launcher provides an automatic update step, background monitoring that restarts crashed servers up to three times, and a web inspector for debugging. It also includes an SSE conversion capability so stdio-based servers become accessible over HTTP/SSE.

## Tools and capabilities

- Auto-update keeps MCP servers up to date automatically.
- Background monitoring restarts crashed servers.
- Web inspector provides a browser-based testing environment.
- SSE conversion wraps stdio servers for HTTP/SSE access.
- AI assistant integration works with Cursor, Claude Desktop, and similar tools.

## Notes on environment and language

This guide uses Python for server management and relies on the operating system to run the managed MCP servers. You interact with the launcher's commands from a shell, using the provided make targets and Python scripts.

## Example server configuration (default set)

{ "name": "filesystem", "url": "http://localhost:8090/sse", "args": [] }

## Available tools

### auto\_update

Keeps MCP servers up-to-date by checking and applying updates automatically.

### background\_monitoring

Monitors servers in the background and restarts crashed processes.

### web\_inspector

Provides a web-based inspector to test and debug MCP servers.

### sse\_conversion

Wraps stdio-based servers so they can be accessed via HTTP/SSE endpoints.

### ai\_assistant\_integration

Integrates with AI assistants like Cursor and Claude Desktop for enhanced workflows.