Octave
OCTAVE protocol - structured AI communication with 3-20x token reduction. MCP server with lenient-to-canonical pipeline and schema validation.
What is Octave?
Octave is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to octave protocol - structured ai communication with 3-20x token reduction. mcp server with lenient-to-canonical pipeline and schema validation.
OCTAVE protocol - structured AI communication with 3-20x token reduction. MCP server with lenient-to-canonical pipeline and schema validation.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- OCTAVE protocol - structured AI communication with 3-20x tok
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx octaveConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Octave
OCTAVE MCP Server implements the OCTAVE (Opinionated Canonical Text for AI Verified Exchange) protocol — a structured document format for AI communication that achieves 3-20x token reduction compared to plain prose by using deterministic canonicalization, inline schemas, and explicit compression tiers. The server exposes four tools for validating documents, writing canonical output, generating alternative views (executive summary, developer, template), and compiling grammar rules for constrained LLM generation, making it useful for teams that need reproducible, auditable AI communication at scale.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.11 or higher
- pip or uv for installation
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- Familiarity with structured document formats and schema validation concepts
Install octave-mcp via pip
Install the OCTAVE MCP server package from PyPI.
pip install octave-mcpVerify the installation
Confirm the CLI tools are available after installation.
octave --help
octave-mcp-server --versionConfigure Claude Desktop or Claude Code
Add octave-mcp to your MCP client config. The server uses stdio transport by default with no required environment variables.
{
"mcpServers": {
"octave": {
"command": "octave-mcp-server"
}
}
}Optional: run as an HTTP server
For remote or multi-client deployments, start the server in HTTP mode on a specified port.
octave-mcp-server --transport http --port 8080Use the CLI for standalone document processing
The octave CLI can validate, write, and eject documents outside of MCP, useful for testing schemas and checking output before integrating with AI workflows.
# Validate a document
octave validate document.oct.md
# Write/normalize a document from stdin
octave write output.oct.md --stdin
# Eject an executive summary in markdown
octave eject document.oct.md --mode executive --format markdownOctave Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop or Claude Code configuration for the OCTAVE MCP server using the installed octave-mcp-server binary.
{
"mcpServers": {
"octave": {
"command": "octave-mcp-server"
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts using the four OCTAVE tools: validate, write, eject, and compile_grammar.
- "Use octave_validate to check my document.oct.md for schema errors and suggest fixes"
- "Use octave_write to canonicalize this project status document and save the output"
- "Eject an executive summary view of the migration plan document"
- "Generate a developer-focused view of this architecture document using octave_eject"
- "Use octave_compile_grammar to generate GBNF grammar rules for constrained output from this schema"Troubleshooting Octave
octave-mcp-server command not found after pip install
Ensure pip installed the package into the Python environment that is on your PATH. Try 'python -m octave_mcp' as an alternative, or install with 'pip install --user octave-mcp' and add ~/.local/bin to your PATH.
octave_validate reports schema errors on documents that seem correct
OCTAVE documents use inline schemas — the schema definition must appear within the document itself. Review the schema section of your .oct.md file and ensure all required fields are defined. Use 'octave validate --verbose' for field-level error details.
Token counts are not reduced as expected compared to plain text
Token reduction requires using OCTAVE's compressed notation (e.g. 'auth_service[3_sprints]' instead of verbose descriptions). Use octave_write with mode=normalize to apply compression, then choose between LOSSLESS, CONSERVATIVE, or AGGRESSIVE compression tiers based on your acceptable information loss.
Frequently Asked Questions about Octave
What is Octave?
Octave is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that octave protocol - structured ai communication with 3-20x token reduction. mcp server with lenient-to-canonical pipeline and schema validation. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Octave?
Follow the installation instructions on the Octave GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Octave?
Octave works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Octave free to use?
Yes, Octave is open source and available under the Apache-2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Quick Config Preview
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