SSH

You run an MCP server that exposes SSH-based connectivity and remote operation tools to your MCP clients. It lets you securely connect to remote hosts, execute commands, transfer files, and manage multiple SSH sessions from a single MCP-enabled workflow. This server integrates with MCP clients to provide practical, scriptable remote access across Windows, macOS, and Linux environments.

How to use

To use this MCP server, you first establish an SSH connection to your target host, then run commands or transfer files over that connection. You can open multiple connections concurrently, execute commands with optional timeouts, upload and download files via SFTP, and list or inspect directories on the remote system. The flow typically involves connecting, executing or transferring, then disconnecting when you are finished.

Common usage patterns include creating a connection with a host, port, and authentication method (password or SSH key), sending shell commands to run on the remote host, uploading configuration files, downloading logs, and listing files for quick inspection. You can reuse a named connection (default if you don’t provide a connectionId) to perform multiple operations in sequence without reconnecting each time.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installing are Node.js 18 or higher and network access to target SSH servers.

# Quick Setup (Recommended)
claude mcp add ssh-mcp-server npx '@zibdie/ssh-mcp-server@latest'

# Windows Note: Use a terminal with proper stdin support if you encounter issues

# After setup, restart Claude CLI and test a connection with a sample prompt
"Connect to my server at example.com with username myuser"

Alternative: Manual installation for Claude CLI and Claude Desktop.

# For Claude CLI
npm install -g @zibdie/ssh-mcp-server

Then add to your Claude CLI config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ssh-mcp-server": {
      "command": "ssh-mcp-server"
    }
  }
}

# For Claude Desktop
npm install -g @zibdie/ssh-mcp-server

Then add to Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ssh-mcp-server": {
      "command": "ssh-mcp-server"
    }
  }
}

Configuration, security, and notes

Security best practices apply: always prefer SSH key authentication when possible, keep private keys secure, and run commands with the minimum privileges needed on the remote host.

The server supports multiple connections at once, with SFTP file operations for uploading, listing, and downloading files. Remote commands can be executed with optional timeouts to prevent long-running tasks from hanging your workflow.

If you need to configure multiple clients or environments, you can use separate named connections and pass a specific connectionId for each operation. This makes it easy to manage production, staging, and development targets from a single MCP workflow.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter connection failures, verify network reachability to the target host and ensure the SSH service is listening on the expected port. Check firewall rules and verify that your credentials (or private key) are correct and have appropriate permissions.

For issues starting the MCP server, ensure Node.js is installed and compatible, and confirm that the MCP client can load the server binary or module without path or permission errors.

Notes

This server is designed to integrate with Claude CLI and Claude Desktop using MCP. Use the provided commands to install and register the server with your MCP client, then perform SSH operations through the MCP interface as described in the usage guidance.

Examples and quick commands

Basic connection example: connect to an IPv4 server with password authentication.

ssh_connect with host="192.168.1.100", username="admin", password="mypass123"

Available tools

ssh_connect

Establish a new SSH connection to a target host using password or SSH key authentication.

ssh_execute

Run a command on an already connected SSH session and return the output.

ssh_disconnect

Terminate an active SSH connection.

ssh_list_connections

List all currently active SSH connections managed by the MCP server.

ssh_upload_file

Upload a local file to the remote server via SFTP.

ssh_download_file

Download a file from the remote server to the local machine via SFTP.

ssh_list_files

List files and directories on the remote server, with optional detailed information.