Cmcp
A command-line utility for interacting with MCP servers.
What is Cmcp?
Cmcp is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to command-line utility for interacting with mcp servers.
A command-line utility for interacting with MCP servers.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A command-line utility for interacting with MCP servers.
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx cmcpConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Cmcp
cmcp is a command-line utility for interacting with MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers — described as 'curl for MCP servers'. It lets developers send raw MCP protocol requests to any STDIO or HTTP MCP server from the terminal, making it invaluable for testing, debugging, and exploring server capabilities without needing a full AI client. Developers can list tools, call them with JSON arguments, read resources, and get prompts from any MCP server directly from the shell, with a verbose mode that shows the full JSON-RPC request and response for protocol-level debugging.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.8 or higher
- pip for installation
- An MCP server to interact with (any STDIO or HTTP/SSE MCP server)
- Basic familiarity with MCP protocol methods (tools/list, tools/call, resources/read, prompts/list)
Install cmcp via pip
Install the cmcp package from PyPI. It has no external runtime dependencies beyond the standard MCP Python library.
pip install cmcpList tools on a STDIO MCP server
Use cmcp with the server launch command as the first argument and the MCP method as the second. This example lists all tools exposed by a local Python MCP server.
cmcp 'mcp run server.py' tools/listCall a tool with arguments
Pass simple string parameters with 'key=value' syntax, and JSON objects or arrays with 'key:=json' syntax. The arguments must match the tool's input schema.
# Simple string argument:
cmcp 'mcp run server.py' tools/call name=add arguments:='{"a": 1, "b": 2}'
# With environment variables for the server:
cmcp 'mcp run server.py' tools/call API_KEY:mykey name=search arguments:='{"query": "test"}'Interact with an HTTP MCP server
Point cmcp at an HTTP endpoint URL instead of a command. Use custom headers with 'Header:value' syntax.
# List tools on HTTP server:
cmcp http://localhost:8000 tools/list
# Call a tool on HTTP server:
cmcp http://localhost:8000 tools/call name=add arguments:='{"a": 1, "b": 2}'
# With auth header:
cmcp http://localhost:8000 tools/call Authorization:Bearer-token-here name=search arguments:='{"query": "test"}'Use verbose mode to debug JSON-RPC messages
Add the -v flag to see the full JSON-RPC request and response, useful for protocol-level debugging and understanding what the server receives and returns.
cmcp -v 'mcp run server.py' tools/list
cmcp -v http://localhost:8000/mcp tools/call name=myTool arguments:='{"param": "value"}'Cmcp Examples
Client configuration
cmcp is a CLI tool, not an MCP server itself — it does not require client configuration. Run it directly from your terminal. Example usage for a FastMCP Python server:
{
"_comment": "cmcp is a CLI testing tool, not registered as an MCP server in a client config.",
"_usage": "Run directly: cmcp 'mcp run server.py' tools/list",
"_http_usage": "Or: cmcp http://localhost:8000/mcp tools/list"
}Prompts to try
Example cmcp commands for exploring and debugging MCP servers.
- cmcp 'mcp run server.py' tools/list
- cmcp 'mcp run server.py' resources/list
- cmcp 'mcp run server.py' resources/read uri=config://app
- cmcp 'mcp run server.py' prompts/get name=review_code arguments:='{"code": "def hello(): pass"}'
- cmcp -v http://localhost:8000/mcp tools/call name=search arguments:='{"query": "example"}'Troubleshooting Cmcp
cmcp command not found after pip install
The pip install may have placed the binary in a location not on your PATH. Check with 'pip show cmcp' for the install location, then add the bin directory to your PATH. Using 'pip install --user cmcp' may require adding ~/.local/bin to your PATH.
STDIO server fails to start — 'mcp command not found'
The server command passed to cmcp must be a valid shell command. Ensure the Python MCP framework is installed in the same environment ('pip install mcp') and that 'mcp' is on your PATH. Test the server command independently first.
HTTP server returns unexpected protocol errors
Ensure the HTTP MCP server is started with streamable-http transport: 'mcp run server.py -t streamable-http'. Legacy SSE transport uses a different path. Use the -v flag with cmcp to inspect the exact JSON-RPC messages and diagnose protocol mismatches.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cmcp
What is Cmcp?
Cmcp is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that command-line utility for interacting with mcp servers. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Cmcp?
Follow the installation instructions on the Cmcp GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Cmcp?
Cmcp works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Cmcp free to use?
Yes, Cmcp is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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