Tabby
A plugin for the Tabby terminal emulator that allows AI assistants to execute commands, manage SSH sessions, and read terminal buffers through the Model Context Protocol. It includes a pair programming mode with confirmation dialogs to ensure safe an
What is Tabby?
Tabby is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to plugin for the tabby terminal emulator that allows ai assistants to execute commands, manage ssh sessions, and read terminal buffers through the model context protocol. it includes a pair programming ...
A plugin for the Tabby terminal emulator that allows AI assistants to execute commands, manage SSH sessions, and read terminal buffers through the Model Context Protocol. It includes a pair programming mode with confirmation dialogs to ensure safe an
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A plugin for the Tabby terminal emulator that allows AI assi
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx tabby-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Tabby
The Tabby MCP server is a plugin for the Tabby terminal emulator that exposes active terminal sessions to MCP-compatible AI clients via an SSE endpoint. It allows AI assistants to list terminal tabs, execute shell commands, read terminal buffer content, and retrieve full command output, making it possible to do pair programming where the AI can see and interact with your real terminal sessions with optional confirmation dialogs for safety.
Prerequisites
- Tabby Terminal installed and running (https://tabby.sh)
- At least one terminal tab open in Tabby
- An MCP-compatible client that supports SSE transport, such as Claude Code, Cursor, or Windsurf
- Docker (optional, for local plugin builds from source)
Install the Tabby MCP plugin from the Plugin Store
Open Tabby, go to Settings → Plugins, search for 'Tabby MCP', and install it. Restart Tabby after installation.
Verify the MCP server is running
After restarting Tabby, confirm that the MCP server is active by calling the health endpoint. The server listens on port 3001 by default.
curl http://localhost:3001/health
# Expected output: OKConfigure the plugin settings (optional)
In Tabby, go to Settings → Plugins → MCP to review or customize the server settings. Key options include pair programming mode (shows confirmation dialogs before executing commands) and the server port.
Add the server to your MCP client configuration
Configure your MCP client to connect to the Tabby MCP server via SSE transport at http://localhost:3001/sse. For Claude Code, use the CLI command below; for other clients, use the JSON config.
# Claude Code CLI
claude mcp add --transport sse tabby-mcp http://localhost:3001/sseOr use the JSON SSE configuration for other clients
For Cursor, Windsurf, or other clients that use a JSON config file, add the SSE server entry as shown.
{
"mcpServers": {
"tabby-mcp": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "http://localhost:3001/sse"
}
}
}Tabby Examples
Client configuration
SSE-based MCP configuration for connecting to the Tabby terminal plugin. Use this in your client's mcp.json or claude_desktop_config.json.
{
"mcpServers": {
"tabby-mcp": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "http://localhost:3001/sse"
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts to use with the Tabby MCP server. The AI can see and interact with your terminal sessions.
- "List all my open terminal sessions"
- "Run 'ls -la' in my current terminal tab and show me the output"
- "Read the last 50 lines of the terminal buffer from tab 0"
- "What is the current directory in my terminal?"
- "Run the tests in my project and tell me if they pass"Troubleshooting Tabby
curl http://localhost:3001/health returns 'connection refused'
Ensure Tabby is running and the Tabby MCP plugin is installed and enabled. Go to Tabby Settings → Plugins → MCP and confirm 'enabled' is true and 'startOnBoot' is true, then restart Tabby.
AI client cannot connect to the SSE endpoint
Confirm your MCP client supports SSE transport. Check the firewall is not blocking port 3001. If you changed the default port in Tabby plugin settings, update the port number in your MCP client configuration accordingly.
Command execution fails or returns empty output
Make sure you have at least one terminal tab open and active in Tabby before invoking exec_command. Use get_ssh_session_list first to confirm the tab ID you are targeting exists. If pair programming mode is enabled, accept the confirmation dialog that appears in Tabby.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tabby
What is Tabby?
Tabby is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that plugin for the tabby terminal emulator that allows ai assistants to execute commands, manage ssh sessions, and read terminal buffers through the model context protocol. it includes a pair programming mode with confirmation dialogs to ensure safe an It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Tabby?
Follow the installation instructions on the Tabby GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Tabby?
Tabby works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Tabby free to use?
Yes, Tabby is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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