Zmcp MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides safe shell command execution capabilities for AI agents and tools like VS Code Copilot.

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Zmcp MCP server?

If you already use Zmcp, the zmcp mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides safe shell command execution capabilities for AI agents and tools like VS Code Copilot.

What the server does

  • Safe Command Execution — Whitelist-based command filtering
  • Comprehensive Tool Set — Support for file operations, text processing, development tools, and system utilities
  • MCP Compatible — Full Model Context Protocol support
  • Easy Integration — Simple JSON-RPC interface over stdio

Installation

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at shell-executor-mcp on PyPI and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • Development — The Development tool exposed by this server
  • Network — The Network tool exposed by this server
  • Archives — The Archives tool exposed by this server
  • Utilities — The Utilities tool exposed by this server

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: MCP_API_TOKEN. 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.

Worth knowing first

  • 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.

Where it fits

Among the developer tooling options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Zmcp's toolset — Development, Network, Archives and 1 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by kosiew; 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
DevelopmentThe Development tool exposed by this server.
NetworkThe Network tool exposed by this server.
ArchivesThe Archives tool exposed by this server.
UtilitiesThe Utilities tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Zmcp MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zmcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["shell-executor-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_API_TOKEN": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
MCP_API_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Zmcp to Development.
  • Use Zmcp to Network.
  • Use Zmcp to Archives.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Zmcp to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 4 tools (Development, Network, Archives, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Zmcp directly.