mcp-cli-exec MCP Server

A powerful CLI command execution MCP server that enables running shell commands with structured output. This package focuses specifically on command execution functionality, differentiating it from other MCP CLI tools.

Features

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#### cli-exec-raw
Execute a raw CLI command and return structured output
- Takes a command string and optional timeout (default: 5 minutes)
- Returns detailed execution results including stdout, stderr, exit code
- Handles errors gracefully with structured error responses

#### cli-exec
Execute one or more CLI commands in a specific working directory
- Supports single commands, && chained commands, or array of commands
- All commands execute in the specified working directory
- Returns detailed results for each command:
- Success/failure status
- Exit code
- stdout and stderr (ANSI codes stripped)
- Execution duration
- Working directory
- Stops on first command failure
- Optional timeout per command (default: 5 minutes)

Note: Due to execution context limitations, each command runs independently. Directory changes (cd) within commands do not affect subsequent commands. All commands execute in the initially specified working directory.

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Commands return structured results including:
- Success/failure status
- Exit code
- stdout and stderr (with ANSI codes stripped)
- Execution duration
- Working directory
- Detailed error information if applicable

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#### cli-exec-raw
Simple command execution:
``json
{
"command": "echo Hello World"
}
`

With timeout:
`json
{
"command": "long-running-script.sh",
"timeout": 300000
}
`

#### cli-exec
Single command in specific directory:
`json
{
"workingDirectory": "/path/to/project",
"commands": "npm install"
}
`

Multiple commands (all run in the same working directory):
`json
{
"workingDirectory": "C:\\project",
"commands": [
"dir /b",
"npm run build"
]
}
`

Installation

Optionally install from npm:

`bash
npm install -g mcp-cli-exec


or with pnpm


pnpm add -g mcp-cli-exec
`
Or just use npx in your configuration

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Add to %APPDATA%/Code - Insiders/User/globalStorage/rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json:

`json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-cli-exec": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-cli-exec"]
}
}
}
`

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Add to the appropriate config file:

Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
MacOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

`json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-cli-exec": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-cli-exec"]
}
}
}
`

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If you encounter the ENOENT spawn npx issue on Windows, use this alternative configuration that specifies the full paths:

`json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-cli-exec": {
"command": "C:\\Users\\jim\\AppData\\Roaming\\nvm\\v22.1.0\\node.exe",
"args": [
"C:\\Users\\jim\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npx-cli.js",
"-y",
"mcp-cli-exec"
]
}
}
}
`

Development

Install dependencies:
`bash
pnpm install
`

Build the server:
`bash
pnpm run build
`

For development with auto-rebuild:
`bash
pnpm run watch
`

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Since MCP servers communicate over stdio, debugging can be challenging. The MCP Inspector provides helpful debugging tools:

`bash
pnpm run inspector
``

This will provide a URL to access the inspector in your browser, where you can:
- View all MCP messages
- Inspect request/response payloads
- Test tools interactively
- Monitor server state

Error Handling

The server includes comprehensive error handling:
- Input validation for all tool parameters
- Structured error responses
- Command timeout handling
- Working directory validation
- ANSI code stripping for clean output

Technical Details

- Built with TypeScript and the MCP SDK
- Uses execa for reliable command execution
- Default command timeout: 5 minutes
- Supports Windows and Unix-like systems (use appropriate commands for your OS, e.g., 'dir' vs 'ls')
- Executes commands sequentially, stopping on first failure
- Each command runs independently in the specified working directory