SSH Bridge
FreeNot checkedSSH server management with zero-token SFTP transfers and multi-server connection pooling.
About
SSH server management with zero-token SFTP transfers and multi-server connection pooling.
README
npm version MCP Registry License: MIT
Let AI manage your remote servers. A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives AI assistants full SSH access — execute commands, transfer files, manage multiple servers simultaneously, all through natural conversation.
You: "Deploy the latest build to production server"
AI: connects → uploads build → restarts service → verifies status
Features
- 21 Tools — Connect, execute, upload, download, write files, and more
- Connection Pool — Operate multiple servers simultaneously, each command tagged with
server_id - Zero-Token File Transfer — SFTP path-based transfer, file content never enters AI context
- Directory Upload — Auto tar.gz compress → upload → remote decompress (fast for many small files)
- Async Transfer + Progress — Background transfer for large files with real-time progress tracking
- Quick Connect — Temporary connections without saving config, returns
host:portas temp ID - SOCKS4/5 Proxy — Per-connection proxy support
- Jump Host — SSH ProxyJump for bastion/gateway access
- Multi-Auth — Password, private key, ssh-agent, keyboard-interactive (OTP/2FA)
Quick Start
Install globally
npm install -g @nl4ever/sshmcp
Add to Claude Code
claude mcp add sshmcp sshmcp
Add to Claude Desktop
Edit claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"sshmcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@nl4ever/sshmcp"]
}
}
}
Add to Cursor
Go to Settings → MCP Servers → Add:
{
"sshmcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@nl4ever/sshmcp"]
}
}
Tools Overview
Connection Management
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_servers |
List all configured servers and active connections |
get_server |
View server config details |
add_server |
Add/update server config (password, key, agent, OTP) |
update_server |
Modify server config (only pass fields you want to change) |
delete_server |
Remove a server |
rename_server |
Rename a server ID |
connect |
Manually connect (usually not needed, tools auto-connect) |
quick_connect |
Temporary connection, returns host:port as ID |
disconnect |
Disconnect specific server or all connections |
test_connection |
Test connectivity without affecting existing connections |
Command Execution
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
execute |
Run shell commands on remote server (with configurable timeout) |
File Operations
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
read_file |
Read remote file content (with optional line range) |
write_file |
Write text content to remote file |
upload_file |
Upload local file to remote (supports async mode) |
upload_directory |
Upload directory with auto compress → transfer → decompress |
download_file |
Download remote file to local (supports async mode) |
download_directory |
Download directory with remote compress → transfer → local decompress |
transfer_status |
Check progress of async transfers (size/speed/ETA) |
Proxy Management
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_proxies |
List all SOCKS proxy presets |
add_proxy |
Add SOCKS4/5 proxy preset |
delete_proxy |
Remove a proxy preset |
Connection Pool: Multi-Server Operations
All operation tools take a server_id parameter. The connection pool auto-manages connections — no manual connect/disconnect needed:
AI: execute(server_id="prod", command="nginx -s reload") ← auto-connects to prod
AI: execute(server_id="dev", command="tail -f /var/log/app.log") ← auto-connects to dev, prod stays
AI: execute(server_id="prod", command="curl localhost") ← reuses prod connection
For temporary servers, use quick_connect which returns host:port as the ID:
AI: quick_connect(host="1.2.3.4", username="root", password="***")
→ "Connected: [email protected]:22, use server_id="1.2.3.4:22""
AI: execute(server_id="1.2.3.4:22", command="df -h")
AI: disconnect(server_id="1.2.3.4:22")
Async Transfer (Large Files)
For large files, enable background transfer mode to avoid blocking:
AI: upload_file(server_id="prod", local_path="big.tar.gz", remote_path="/data/", async_transfer=true)
→ "Background upload started: tf_1"
AI: transfer_status("tf_1")
→ "🔄 Uploading: 638.2 MB / 1.2 GB (53.2%) — 12.4 MB/s, ETA 46s"
AI: transfer_status("tf_1")
→ "✅ Upload complete: 1.2 GB, 98s, 12.3 MB/s"
Small files use synchronous mode by default — no config needed.
Connection Examples
Password authentication
AI: add_server(server_id="prod", name="Production", host="10.0.0.1", username="deploy", password="***")
AI: execute(server_id="prod", command="systemctl status nginx")
Private key authentication
AI: add_server(server_id="aws", name="AWS EC2", host="ec2-xx.compute.amazonaws.com", username="ubuntu", private_key="~/.ssh/id_rsa")
Quick connect (no config saved)
AI: quick_connect(host="192.168.1.100", username="root", password="***")
→ server_id="192.168.1.100:22"
AI: execute(server_id="192.168.1.100:22", command="df -h")
AI: disconnect(server_id="192.168.1.100:22")
Via SOCKS5 proxy
AI: add_proxy(proxy_id="tunnel", name="SSH Tunnel", host="127.0.0.1", port=1080, type="5")
AI: add_server(server_id="internal", ..., proxy="tunnel")
Via jump host
AI: add_server(server_id="bastion", name="Bastion", host="bastion.example.com", username="admin", private_key="~/.ssh/id_rsa")
AI: add_server(server_id="internal", name="Internal DB", host="10.0.0.5", username="dbadmin", password="***", jump_host="bastion")
Config Location
Server and proxy configurations are stored in:
~/.ssh-mcp/config.json
Passwords are stored in plaintext. For production use, prefer private key authentication.
Requirements
- Node.js >= 18
- An MCP-compatible client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)
- Remote server with SSH access
License
MIT
Install SSH Bridge in Claude Desktop, Claude Code & Cursor
unyly install ssh-bridgeInstalls into Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor & VS Code — handles npx, uvx and build-from-source repos for you.
First time? Get the CLI: curl -fsSL https://unyly.org/install | sh
Or configure manually
Run in your terminal:
claude mcp add ssh-bridge -- npx -y @nl4ever/sshmcpStep-by-step: how to install SSH Bridge
FAQ
Is SSH Bridge MCP free?
Yes, SSH Bridge MCP is free — one-click install via Unyly at no cost.
Does SSH Bridge need an API key?
No, SSH Bridge runs without API keys or environment variables.
Is SSH Bridge hosted or self-hosted?
Self-hosted: the server runs locally on your machine via the install command above.
How do I install SSH Bridge in Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor?
Open SSH Bridge on unyly.org, pick your client tab (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor) and press Install — the config is generated automatically, no JSON editing.
Related MCPs
GitHub
PRs, issues, code search, CI status
by GitHubFilesystem
Secure file operations with configurable access controls.
Memory
Knowledge graph-based persistent memory system.
Template MCP Server
A CLI tool to create a new Model Context Protocol server project with TypeScript support, dual transport options, and an extensible structure
by mcpdotdirectCompare SSH Bridge with
Not sure what to pick?
Find your stack in 60 seconds
Author?
Embed badge for your README
Browse similar
All development MCPs
