Mcphost MCP Server

👉 **We recommend all users migrate to [Kit](https://github.com/mark3labs/kit).**

Local serverstdioGo

What is the Mcphost MCP server?

Most developer tooling work still happens through a UI a human drives. Mcphost MCP server moves it into the conversation instead. 👉 We recommend all users migrate to Kit..

The short version

MCPHost acts as a host in the MCP client-server architecture, where: - Hosts (like MCPHost) are LLM applications that manage connections and interactions - Clients maintain 1:1 connections with MCP servers - Servers provide context, tools, and capabilities to the LLMs

  • Interactive conversations with multiple AI models
  • Non-interactive mode — for scripting and automation
  • Script mode — for executable YAML-based automation scripts
  • Support for multiple concurrent MCP servers
  • Tool filtering — with allowedTools and excludedTools per server
  • Dynamic tool discovery and integration

Getting it running

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 2 tools. What each one is for:

  • Configuration — Hooks are configured in YAML files with the following precedence (highest to lowest): - .mcphost/hooks.yml (project-specific hooks) -
  • Security — ⚠️ WARNING: Hooks execute arbitrary commands on your system. Only use hooks from trusted sources and always review hook commands before enabling

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: DEBUG, LOG_LEVEL, API_TOKEN, SQLITE_DEBUG, DATABASE_URL, OPENAI_API_KEY, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, GOOGLE_API_KEY. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

  • Go 1.23 or later - For OpenAI/Anthropic: API key for the respective provider - For Ollama: Local Ollama installation with desired models - For Google/Gemini: Google API key (see https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey) - One or more MCP-compatible tool servers

Things to watch

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How it compares

Plenty of developer tooling servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Mcphost's toolset — Configuration, Security — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by mark3labs; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
ConfigurationHooks are configured in YAML files with the following precedence (highest to lowest): - .mcphost/hooks.yml (project-specific hooks) - $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mcphost/hooks.yml (user global hooks, defaults to ~/.config/mcphost/h
Security⚠️ **WARNING**: Hooks execute arbitrary commands on your system. Only use hooks from trusted sources and always review hook commands before enabling them.

How to install the Mcphost MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "${env://WORK_DIR:-/tmp}"],
      "environment": {
        "DEBUG": "${env://DEBUG:-false}",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "${env://LOG_LEVEL:-info}",
        "API_TOKEN": "${env://FS_API_TOKEN}"
      },
      "allowedTools": ["read_file", "write_file"],
      "excludedTools": ["delete_file"]
    },
    "github": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["docker", "run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=${env://GITHUB_TOKEN}", "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"],
      "environment": {
        "DEBUG": "${env://DEBUG:-false}"
      }
    },
    "sqlite": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["uvx", "mcp-server-sqlite", "--db-path", "${env://DB_PATH:-/tmp/foo.db}"],
      "environment": {
        "SQLITE_DEBUG": "${env://DEBUG:-0}",
        "DATABASE_URL": "${env://DATABASE_URL:-sqlite:///tmp/foo.db}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

  • Go 1.23 or later - For OpenAI/Anthropic: API key for the respective provider - For Ollama: Local Ollama installation with desired models - For Google/Gemini: Google API key (see https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey) - One or more MCP-compatible tool servers
VariableDescriptionRequired
DEBUGConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
LOG_LEVELConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
API_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
SQLITE_DEBUGConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
DATABASE_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes
OPENAI_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
ANTHROPIC_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
GOOGLE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Mcphost to Configuration.
  • Use Mcphost to Security.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Mcphost to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 2 tools (Configuration, Security) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Mcphost directly.