OpenFang
Open-source Agent Operating System
What is OpenFang?
OpenFang is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to open-source agent operating system
Open-source Agent Operating System
This server falls under the Business Applications category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Open-source Agent Operating System
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx openfangConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use OpenFang
OpenFang is an open-source Agent Operating System built in Rust that lets you run persistent, autonomous AI agents capable of handling web automation, research, social media, lead generation, OSINT, and forecasting tasks. It exposes 53 tools and an MCP-compatible interface alongside an OpenAI-compatible REST API, and includes 40 messaging adapters and 7 autonomous 'Hands' — specialized agent roles that run continuously on schedules. Developers and power users deploy OpenFang when they need a self-hosted, production-grade agent runtime that goes beyond one-shot LLM queries, supporting multi-step workflows, credential vaults, and long-running background agents.
Prerequisites
- A Linux, macOS, or Windows system with curl available for the installer
- An LLM API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, or compatible provider) for agent reasoning
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Code or Cursor (for MCP integration)
- At minimum 2 GB RAM for running the OpenFang binary
- Optional: messaging platform credentials for WhatsApp, Slack, or other adapters
Install OpenFang via the official installer
Download and run the OpenFang installer script. This fetches the latest binary for your platform and places it in your PATH.
curl -fsSL https://openfang.sh/install | shInitialize your OpenFang workspace
Run the init command to create the default configuration directory and generate a starter config file with credential vault setup.
openfang initConfigure your LLM provider
Edit the generated config to point at your LLM provider and API key. OpenFang uses an AES-256-GCM credential vault to store secrets securely.
export OPENFANG_URL=http://127.0.0.1:4200
export OPENFANG_DEFAULT_AGENT=assistantStart the OpenFang server
Launch the OpenFang runtime. It starts the local API server on port 4200 and activates configured agents. The MCP endpoint and OpenAI-compatible API are both served from this process.
openfang startActivate an agent Hand and begin chatting
Activate one of the built-in autonomous Hands (e.g., 'researcher') and interact with it via the CLI or your MCP client.
openfang hand activate researcher
openfang chat researcherOpenFang Examples
Client configuration
MCP client configuration to connect to the locally running OpenFang MCP endpoint. OpenFang must be started with 'openfang start' before connecting.
{
"mcpServers": {
"openfang": {
"url": "http://127.0.0.1:4200/mcp"
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts to use with OpenFang's researcher and assistant agents via MCP or the CLI chat interface.
- "What are the emerging trends in AI agent frameworks?"
- "Research the top 5 open-source MCP servers and summarize their capabilities"
- "Find recent news about Rust-based infrastructure tools"
- "Generate a lead list of AI startups founded in 2024"
- "Monitor this GitHub repo and alert me to new releases"Troubleshooting OpenFang
openfang start fails with 'address already in use' on port 4200
Another process is using port 4200. Set the OPENFANG_URL environment variable to a different port (e.g., http://127.0.0.1:4201) and restart.
Agents respond but cannot access the web or external tools
Check that your LLM API key is correctly configured in the credential vault. Run 'openfang init' again if the vault was not set up, and verify network connectivity from the server host.
WhatsApp gateway not connecting
Ensure WHATSAPP_WEB_GATEWAY_URL and WHATSAPP_GATEWAY_PORT environment variables are set. The gateway requires a separately running WhatsApp Web session — consult the OpenFang docs at openfang.sh/docs for gateway setup.
Frequently Asked Questions about OpenFang
What is OpenFang?
OpenFang is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that open-source agent operating system It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install OpenFang?
Follow the installation instructions on the OpenFang GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with OpenFang?
OpenFang works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is OpenFang free to use?
Yes, OpenFang 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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