Universal Host Manager MCP

A cross-platform Model Context Protocol server for administering a Linux or macOS host through MCP clients such as ChatGPT and Claude.

It uses FastMCP Streamable HTTP transport, Auth0 OAuth, bounded file tools, output limits and command timeouts.

Features

• Linux and macOS support
• Streamable HTTP endpoint
• Auth0 OAuth integration
• File reads, writes and directory listings constrained to MCP_WORKSPACE_DIR
• Configurable command timeouts and output truncation
• File-size limits and decoding fallback
• Fail-closed startup when authentication is not configured
• Example systemd and launchd services

Tools

The workspace boundary applies to the file tools. It does not sandbox run_command; commands retain all permissions of the service's OS user.

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• Linux or macOS
• Auth0 account for remote use
• HTTPS endpoint for remote MCP clients

Install

PyPI (recommended)

pip install universal-host-manager-mcp

Next: run uhm-setup to generate your .env — see Configure below.

uv / pipx

Without polluting a project environment:

uvx --from universal-host-manager-mcp uhm-setup

This installs into a throwaway environment, runs the setup wizard, and writes .env in the current directory. From then on, run the server itself the same way: uvx universal-host-manager-mcp.

From source (for development)

git clone https://github.com/Abktya/universal-host-manager-mcp.git
cd universal-host-manager-mcp
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .

Next: run uhm-setup to generate your .env — see Configure below.

Configure

The easiest way is the interactive setup wizard, installed alongside the server:

uhm-setup

Run it from the directory where you want to keep the configuration. The server must later be started from that same directory so it can find .env.

For a first test, choose 1 — Local-only test. Press Enter to accept the port 8765; the port prompt expects a number, not y or n. This mode:

• creates a separate workspace directory by default;
• listens only on 127.0.0.1, so other computers cannot connect;
• requires no domain, tunnel, or Auth0 account;
• enables unauthenticated access only for that local test.

The wizard also offers Cloudflare Tunnel, an ngrok static domain, and an existing HTTPS URL for remote use. Remote modes require Auth0 and will not write a misleading, unusable configuration if Auth0 is skipped. It validates domains and URLs, then writes .env with 600 permissions—backing up an existing file to .env.bak first.

If a virtual environment is active, install and run both commands through that environment:

python -m pip install universal-host-manager-mcp
uhm-setup
universal-host-manager-mcp

To verify that the command belongs to the active environment on macOS/Linux:

command -v uhm-setup
command -v universal-host-manager-mcp
python -m pip show universal-host-manager-mcp

The first two paths should normally point inside .venv/bin. If they point to /opt/homebrew/bin while a virtual environment is active, reinstall with python -m pip install universal-host-manager-mcp.

Prefer to do it by hand? Create a .env file (copy .env.example if you installed from source) with an explicitly restricted workspace:

HOST=127.0.0.1
PORT=8765
MCP_BASE_URL=https://mcp.example.com
MCP_WORKSPACE_DIR=/home/youruser/workspace

AUTH0_DOMAIN=your-tenant.eu.auth0.com
AUTH0_CLIENT_ID=replace_me
AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET=replace_me
AUTH0_AUDIENCE=https://mcp.example.com/

Never commit .env.

Auth0 setup

This project uses FastMCP's Auth0Provider fixed-client OAuth integration.

1. Open auth0.com, create an account, and open the Auth0 Dashboard.

2. Go to Applications → APIs → Create API.

3. Use your public MCP URL as its Identifier (audience), for example https://mcp.example.com/. Keep RS256 as the signing algorithm.

4. Go to Applications → Applications → Create Application, enter a name, select Regular Web Application, and create it.

5. Set Application Ownership to First-party. Open Application > API Access, select the API you created, and enable User-delegated Access.

6. On Auth0's Integrate into your application page, click Copy above the .env block. The wizard can import AUTH0_DOMAIN, AUTH0_CLIENT_ID, and AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET from your clipboard or from a pasted block. If Auth0 displays MASKED, reveal and copy the real Client Secret from the application's Settings tab; masked secrets are rejected.

7. Copy the API's Identifier into AUTH0_AUDIENCE when the wizard asks for it. It is intentionally separate because Auth0's application .env block does not contain the API audience.

8. In the Auth0 application's Settings, use the MCP server's public origin (without /mcp) as follows:

   Auth0 field	Value
   Application Ownership	First-party
   Application Type	Regular Web Application
   Application Login URI	Leave blank
   Allowed Callback URLs	https://mcp.example.com/auth/callback
   Allowed Logout URLs	https://mcp.example.com
   Allowed Web Origins	https://mcp.example.com
   Allowed Origins (CORS)	https://mcp.example.com
   Allow Cross-Origin Authentication	Off / disabled
   Cross-Origin Verification Fallback URL	Leave blank
   API Identifier / Audience	https://mcp.example.com/
   Signing Algorithm	RS256
   Application > API Access	User-delegated Access enabled for the created API
   MCP endpoint (entered in the AI client, not Auth0)	https://mcp.example.com/mcp

9. Save the Auth0 application settings, then run the wizard. Never share the Client Secret or commit .env to Git.

The callback above is FastMCP's fixed upstream callback. Do not put Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok callback URLs into Auth0: those products are downstream MCP clients and FastMCP validates their redirect URIs separately during MCP client registration. Connect each product to https://mcp.example.com/mcp.

Auth0's Python quickstart also shows AUTH0_SECRET, APP_BASE_URL, PORT, and sample Flask code. They belong to Auth0's standalone sample web application and are not used by this MCP server; the wizard safely ignores them when importing the copied block.

Client notes:

• ChatGPT supports MCP OAuth client registration with CIMD and DCR. The server allows https://chatgpt.com/connector_platform_oauth_redirect; add the public /mcp endpoint in ChatGPT developer mode.
• Claude custom connectors accept the public /mcp endpoint and start OAuth when you connect.
• Grok custom connectors accept a publicly reachable MCP server URL and complete any required authentication. Grok availability may depend on the current Grok plan and workspace controls.

FastMCP also supports an Auth0 MCP-native/DCR path through Auth0MCPProvider. This repository currently uses the manually managed, fixed-client Auth0Provider path.

Run

universal-host-manager-mcp

(Running from a source checkout with the .venv activated works the same way — the console script is installed by pip install -e ..)

With the default port, the Streamable HTTP endpoint is:

http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp

For an intentional local-only test without Auth0:

ALLOW_INSECURE_NO_AUTH=true universal-host-manager-mcp

Do not use insecure mode on a publicly reachable endpoint.

After starting the server (and the tunnel for remote mode), verify it:

curl -i https://mcp.example.com/mcp
# Expected without a token: HTTP 401

curl -i https://mcp.example.com/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server
# Expected: HTTP 200

The server and tunnel must remain running; closing either makes a tunneled endpoint unavailable.

Cloudflare Tunnel

Install cloudflared, authenticate it and create a named tunnel:

cloudflared tunnel login
cloudflared tunnel create universal-host-manager-mcp
cloudflared tunnel route dns universal-host-manager-mcp mcp.example.com

Create ~/.cloudflared/config.yml:

tunnel: YOUR_TUNNEL_ID
credentials-file: /home/youruser/.cloudflared/YOUR_TUNNEL_ID.json

ingress:
  - hostname: mcp.example.com
    service: http://127.0.0.1:8765
  - service: http_status:404

Validate and run it:

cloudflared tunnel ingress validate
cloudflared tunnel run universal-host-manager-mcp

Keep both universal-host-manager-mcp and cloudflared running. Closing either process takes the public endpoint offline. The setup wizard can create an executable uhm-enable-autostart.sh installer. It writes Linux systemd-user services or macOS LaunchAgents for both processes and shows one command to run.

Your remote MCP URL will be:

https://mcp.example.com/mcp

Set MCP_BASE_URL=https://mcp.example.com; do not include /mcp in MCP_BASE_URL.

No domain? Use ngrok's free static domain

Auth0 OAuth needs a stable HTTPS URL, but you don't need to own a domain to get one. Unlike ngrok's old random URLs (which changed every restart) or Cloudflare's login-free quick tunnels (same problem), ngrok's free tier includes one static subdomain per account that never changes, at no cost.

1. Create a free account at ngrok.com. On macOS install it with brew install ngrok/ngrok/ngrok; on Ubuntu use sudo snap install ngrok. Other Linux distributions can use ngrok's official download instructions.

2. Open the ngrok authtoken page, copy your token, and run:

   bashCopy

   ngrok config add-authtoken YOUR_NGROK_TOKEN
   

   Use the authtoken, not the domain ID. Never share it; reset it in the dashboard if it is exposed.

3. Claim your free static domain from the ngrok dashboard (Domains → New Domain). You'll get something like your-name.ngrok-free.dev.

4. Start universal-host-manager-mcp from the directory containing .env.

5. In a second terminal, start the tunnel:

   bashCopy

   ngrok http --url=your-name.ngrok-free.dev 8765
   

   Both processes must remain running. Closing either one takes the public endpoint offline. The wizard can create uhm-enable-autostart.sh, which installs Linux systemd-user services or macOS LaunchAgents for both processes.

6. Set MCP_BASE_URL=https://your-name.ngrok-free.dev in .env (keep HOST=127.0.0.1; ngrok forwards to the local port while the server listens only on loopback).

7. In Auth0, set the application's callback URL to https://your-name.ngrok-free.dev/auth/callback; set web origins and logout URLs to https://your-name.ngrok-free.dev (see Auth0 setup).

Your remote MCP URL is:

https://your-name.ngrok-free.dev/mcp

This is a good fit for personal use or a small number of clients. For production traffic at scale, ngrok's free tier applies connection/bandwidth limits — check their pricing page if you outgrow it, or switch to the domain-based Cloudflare Tunnel setup above.

AWS EC2 Deployment

These steps deploy the server on an EC2 instance and expose it safely to remote MCP clients.

1. Launch the instance

• AMI: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (the commands below are for Ubuntu/apt; on Amazon Linux 2023 use sudo dnf install -y python3-pip instead)
• Instance type: t3.micro/t3.small is enough for typical management workloads
• Security group: allow inbound SSH (22) from your own IP only. No other inbound port is required if you use the Cloudflare Tunnel option below.

2. Install the server

SSH into the instance, then install from PyPI:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y python3-pip python3-venv
python3 -m venv ~/uhm-venv
source ~/uhm-venv/bin/activate
pip install universal-host-manager-mcp

3. Configure

mkdir -p ~/workspace
cat > ~/.env << 'EOF'
HOST=127.0.0.1
PORT=8765
MCP_BASE_URL=https://mcp.example.com
MCP_WORKSPACE_DIR=/home/ubuntu/workspace

AUTH0_DOMAIN=your-tenant.eu.auth0.com
AUTH0_CLIENT_ID=replace_me
AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET=replace_me
AUTH0_AUDIENCE=https://mcp.example.com/
EOF
chmod 600 ~/.env

Keep HOST=127.0.0.1. The server should never listen directly on the instance's public interface — internet exposure is handled entirely by the tunnel or load balancer described below, not by opening the instance's own port.

4. Networking: get an HTTPS URL to the instance

Auth0 OAuth requires HTTPS. Pick one option:

Option A — Cloudflare Tunnel (recommended, no inbound port needed)

Run the steps from the Cloudflare Tunnel section above, from the EC2 instance. Because the tunnel is an outbound-only connection, you don't need to open any inbound port beyond SSH, don't need an Elastic IP, and the instance can even sit in a private subnet behind a NAT gateway.

Don't own a domain? Run the steps from No domain? Use ngrok's free static domain above instead — same outbound-only, no-inbound-port setup, just from the EC2 instance.

Option B — Application Load Balancer with an ACM certificate

• Request an ACM certificate for your domain and attach it to an ALB
• Create an HTTPS (443) listener on the ALB forwarding to the instance's PORT
• Security group on the instance: allow inbound PORT only from the ALB's security group, never from 0.0.0.0/0
• Point your DNS at the ALB and set MCP_BASE_URL to that hostname

5. Run as a systemd service

Reuse the included unit (see Background service below):

sudo cp examples/mcp-manager.service /etc/systemd/system/
# edit User=, WorkingDirectory=, EnvironmentFile= and ExecStart= to point at
# ~/uhm-venv/bin/universal-host-manager-mcp and ~/.env
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now mcp-manager
sudo systemctl status mcp-manager --no-pager

6. Elastic IP

Not required for either networking option. The Cloudflare Tunnel connects outbound regardless of the instance's address, and an ALB registers targets by instance ID or private IP, so it doesn't need one either. Only add an Elastic IP if something else in your setup depends on a fixed public IP for this instance.

ChatGPT and Claude

Add the public Streamable HTTP URL to the client's MCP/connector configuration:

https://mcp.example.com/mcp

Complete the Auth0 sign-in when the client opens the authorization flow. The exact settings screens and supported connector options can change, so follow the current client documentation rather than using legacy SSE instructions.

Multiple clients can connect to the same running HTTP server. Each client authenticates independently; no separate server process or port is required.

Background service

Linux systemd

Copy and edit the included unit:

sudo cp examples/mcp-manager.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now mcp-manager
sudo systemctl status mcp-manager --no-pager

The example uses systemd hardening directives. Adjust ReadWritePaths, ProtectHome, the user, paths and permissions to match the resources the MCP server genuinely needs.

macOS launchd

Edit paths in examples/com.user.mcpmanager.plist, then:

cp examples/com.user.mcpmanager.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
launchctl bootstrap gui/$(id -u) ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.mcpmanager.plist
launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/com.user.mcpmanager

macOS Remote Access Readiness Test

For a remote macOS installation, uhm-setup ends by asking:

Run macOS Remote Access Readiness Test now? [Y/n]

Run this while you are physically beside the Mac. Select only the capabilities you expect to use remotely. The wizard can test workspace read/write access, trigger a read-only Google Chrome Automation request, and open the exact macOS Privacy & Security panes for protected files, Accessibility, and Screen Recording. Opening an application or an ordinary URL does not itself require an extra privacy permission.

macOS deliberately requires the user to approve TCC privacy prompts. The wizard does not bypass or click them. It shows the exact server executable path, asks you to approve each selected permission, and prints a readiness report. If a permission is not prepared before unattended use, a later remote task can stop at a dialog that requires somebody at the Mac.

Full Disk Access, Automation, Accessibility, and similar grants may be tied to the executable or installation path involved. Recreating a virtual environment, switching Python versions, or reinstalling elsewhere can require approval again. After changing a privacy permission, restart the MCP LaunchAgent before relying on it remotely.

Configuration

Testing

pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytest tests/

CI runs the suite against fastmcp 2.13, 3.x and 4.x on every push (see the badge above), since @mcp.tool()'s return type changed between major versions and tests call tools through a small version-agnostic helper (tests/conftest.py::call_tool) to cover all three.

Download

Clone with Git:

git clone https://github.com/Abktya/universal-host-manager-mcp.git

Or use Code → Download ZIP on GitHub.

License

MIT