Livebook Tools
Powertools for livebook.dev — AI Code Editing, MCP Servers, and Running Livebooks from the CLI
What is Livebook Tools?
Livebook Tools is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to powertools for livebook.dev — ai code editing, mcp servers, and running livebooks from the cli
Powertools for livebook.dev — AI Code Editing, MCP Servers, and Running Livebooks from the CLI
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Powertools for livebook.dev — AI Code Editing, MCP Servers,
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx livebook-toolsConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Livebook Tools
Livebook Tools is a command-line utility and MCP server for Elixir's Livebook interactive notebook platform that bridges AI coding assistants with live Livebook sessions. It enables AI agents to connect directly to a running Livebook node over distributed Erlang, read and modify notebook cells, execute code, and run .livemd files as CLI scripts. Elixir developers who use Livebook for data exploration, documentation, or machine learning workflows can use this tool to edit notebooks from AI-powered editors like Cursor without copy-pasting code.
Prerequisites
- Elixir 1.14+ and Mix installed (https://elixir-lang.org/install.html)
- Livebook installed and running — either via Livebook Desktop or 'mix livebook.server'
- LIVEBOOK_NODE and LIVEBOOK_COOKIE environment variables set to match your running Livebook instance
- An MCP-compatible client such as Cursor or Claude Desktop that supports stdio MCP servers
- mix escript.install support (standard in most Elixir installations)
Install livebook_tools as an Elixir escript
Install the tool directly from GitHub using Mix's escript installer. This compiles the project and places the binary in ~/.mix/escripts.
mix escript.install github thmsmlr/livebook_toolsAdd the escript directory to your PATH
Ensure the ~/.mix/escripts directory (or your asdf equivalent) is in your shell PATH so the livebook_tools command is available globally.
# Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
export PATH="$HOME/.mix/escripts:$PATH"
source ~/.zshrcConfigure Livebook connection environment variables
Set LIVEBOOK_NODE to the Erlang node name of your running Livebook instance and LIVEBOOK_COOKIE to the shared Erlang cookie. These allow distributed Erlang connectivity.
export LIVEBOOK_NODE="[email protected]"
export LIVEBOOK_COOKIE="secret"
# For Livebook Desktop, add these to ~/.livebookdesktop.shTest the connection by running a Livebook file
Verify the installation and connection by running a .livemd file as a CLI script. This confirms the tool can reach your Livebook node.
livebook_tools run path/to/notebook.livemdConfigure your MCP client to use the livebook_tools MCP server
Add livebook_tools as an MCP server in your client configuration. The server communicates over stdio and uses the same environment variables to connect to Livebook.
Livebook Tools Examples
Client configuration
Cursor or Claude Desktop configuration to run the livebook_tools MCP server with the required Livebook connection environment variables.
{
"mcpServers": {
"livebook-tools": {
"command": "livebook_tools",
"args": ["mcp"],
"env": {
"LIVEBOOK_NODE": "[email protected]",
"LIVEBOOK_COOKIE": "secret"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts to use once Livebook Tools MCP server is connected to your Livebook session.
- "List all open notebooks in my Livebook session"
- "Read the cells from my data_analysis.livemd notebook"
- "Add a new Elixir cell to my notebook that computes the mean of a list"
- "Run the notebook at ~/projects/etl_pipeline.livemd as a script"
- "Sync my current .livemd file to the open Livebook session"Troubleshooting Livebook Tools
livebook_tools command not found after installation
Ensure ~/.mix/escripts is in your PATH by running 'echo $PATH'. If using asdf for Elixir version management, add the asdf escript path: find ~/.asdf/installs/elixir -type d -name escripts and add it to PATH.
Connection to Livebook node fails with 'noconnection' or cookie error
Verify LIVEBOOK_NODE matches exactly the node name shown in Livebook's 'Runtime' settings (e.g., [email protected]). Ensure LIVEBOOK_COOKIE matches the cookie Livebook was started with. For Livebook Desktop, add both variables to ~/.livebookdesktop.sh and restart Livebook.
MCP client shows server as disconnected or times out on startup
Run 'livebook_tools mcp' directly in your terminal to check for errors. Ensure Livebook is running before starting the MCP server, as the tool requires an active Livebook node to connect to on startup.
Frequently Asked Questions about Livebook Tools
What is Livebook Tools?
Livebook Tools is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that powertools for livebook.dev — ai code editing, mcp servers, and running livebooks from the cli It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Livebook Tools?
Follow the installation instructions on the Livebook Tools GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Livebook Tools?
Livebook Tools works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Livebook Tools free to use?
Yes, Livebook Tools is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Livebook Tools in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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