How do I install the dev mcp server?

Use a recorded configuration for your client, replace example credential values and paths, and verify the documented runtime. Restart or reconnect the client, then inspect the available tools.

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Dev MCP Server

MCP Dev Server Manager - A daemon for managing development servers

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Dev MCP Server?

MCP Dev Server Manager - A daemon for managing development servers

What it actually does

A daemon that accepts requests from MCP clients to start dev servers, allocating unique ports to avoid collisions and shutting down idle connections after 120s of inactivity.

Run multiple dev servers in parallel — useful if you want to use automated testing tools eg Playwright or Google Dev Tools MCP
Avoid port collisions — when working with websites, it's often necessary to specify different ports if you want to run multiple dev servers
Automatic port allocation — starting at 3010 with reuse
Log capture — with 512KB ring buffers per server
Auto-cleanup — of idle sessions after 120 seconds (configurable via --idle-timeout)

More MCP options

Compare MCP servers by category, or browse hosted MCP servers if you prefer an endpoint over a local process.

Maintainer setup documentation.

Recorded tools

Check the linked publisher documentation and your connected client's tool list. Names and availability can vary with the server version and account permissions.

Tool	What it does
start	Start a development server. Auto-generates a unique 4-character session key.
stop
status
tail

How to install the Dev MCP Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-manager": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "dev-manager-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Example prompts to try

“Use Dev to start.”
“Use Dev to stop.”
“Use Dev to status.”

Frequently asked questions

MCP Dev Server Manager - A daemon for managing development servers Confirm the tools offered by your installed version in the connected client. Tool availability and permissions depend on the server and account configuration.

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