CLI Use
Turn any MCP server into a CLI in one command.
What is CLI Use?
CLI Use is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to turn any mcp server into a cli in one command.
Turn any MCP server into a CLI in one command.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Turn any MCP server into a CLI in one command.
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx cli-useConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use CLI Use
cli-use converts any MCP server into a command-line interface with a single command, enabling developers to call MCP tools directly from shell scripts, terminal sessions, and CI pipelines without an AI client. It ships with a built-in registry of 10 pre-configured servers (filesystem, memory, GitHub, git, SQLite, time, fetch, Puppeteer, Brave Search, Slack) and supports installing additional servers from npm, pip, pipx, local commands, or the Glama catalog. A daemon mode reduces per-call latency to under 10 ms, and a TUI provides an interactive guided interface for exploring available tools.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or newer
- pip for installing cli-use from the repository
- Node.js (for npm-based MCP servers in the built-in registry)
- An MCP server to wrap (one of the built-in 10 or any custom server)
Clone and install cli-use
Clone the repository and install it in editable mode so the cli-use command is available on your PATH.
git clone https://github.com/JustVugg/cli-use.git
cd cli-use
pip install -e .Add and register an MCP server
Use 'cli-use add' to install a server from the registry or a custom source and register it as a CLI alias. This also generates a SKILL.md file documenting the server's tools.
# Add the built-in filesystem server with /tmp as its root
cli-use add fs /tmp
# Add the built-in GitHub server
cli-use add ghCall a tool directly from the shell
Invoke any registered server's tools from the command line using the alias and tool name as positional arguments.
# List a directory via the filesystem server
cli-use fs list_directory --path /tmp
# Search for GitHub issues
cli-use gh search_issues --query "is:open label:bug"(Optional) Start the daemon for low-latency use
For scripts that call MCP tools frequently, start a daemon instance for the server. The daemon keeps the server process warm, reducing per-call overhead to under 10 ms.
cli-use daemon start fs(Optional) Launch the interactive TUI
Use the guided terminal interface to browse registered servers, explore available tools, and run them interactively.
cli-use tui(Optional) Run batch operations
Pass a JSON pipeline file to run multiple tool calls in sequence, useful for automation scripts.
cli-use batch ops.jsonCLI Use Examples
Client configuration
cli-use itself is a CLI wrapper, not an MCP server, so no MCP client JSON config is needed. Below is an example of using cli-use to call the filesystem server from a shell script.
#!/bin/bash
# Install and register the filesystem server
cli-use add fs /home/user/data
# Call a tool and capture output
RESULT=$(cli-use fs list_directory --path /home/user/data)
echo "$RESULT"Prompts to try
Example shell commands that demonstrate cli-use capabilities across different registered servers.
- cli-use fs read_file --path /tmp/notes.txt
- cli-use gh list_issues --owner myorg --repo myrepo --state open
- cli-use git log --limit 10
- cli-use sqlite query --database mydb.sqlite --query "SELECT * FROM users LIMIT 5"
- cli-use fetch get --url https://api.example.com/dataTroubleshooting CLI Use
cli-use command not found after 'pip install -e .'
The editable install places the CLI entry point in your pip's scripts directory. Ensure that directory is on your PATH. Run 'pip show cli-use' to find the installation location, then add its Scripts (Windows) or bin (macOS/Linux) directory to your PATH.
Server alias not recognised after 'cli-use add'
Run 'cli-use list' to see all registered aliases. If the alias is missing, re-run 'cli-use add <alias> <args>' and check for error output. Some built-in servers require Node.js to be installed — run 'node --version' to confirm.
Daemon mode fails to start
Ensure the target server alias is registered first with 'cli-use add'. Check that the underlying MCP server binary is installed and executable. Run the tool without daemon mode first (direct call) to confirm the server works before enabling the daemon.
Frequently Asked Questions about CLI Use
What is CLI Use?
CLI Use is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that turn any mcp server into a cli in one command. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install CLI Use?
Follow the installation instructions on the CLI Use GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with CLI Use?
CLI Use works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is CLI Use free to use?
Yes, CLI Use is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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