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The m87 CLI includes a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, enabling AI agents to interact with your edge devices and use all m87 platform commands as tools.

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Overview

The MCP integration exposes m87’s functionality to AI agents, allowing them to:
  • Query device status and metrics
  • Execute commands on remote devices
  • Manage deployments
  • Forward ports
  • Access logs and audit trails
  • Transfer files
  • And more
This enables natural language device management through AI assistants like Claude.

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Setup

1

Verify m87 Installation

Ensure m87 is installed and accessible in your PATH:
which m87
If not installed, follow the installation guide.
2

Configure Your MCP Client

Add m87 to your MCP client configuration. The configuration varies by client:

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Claude Desktop / Claude Code

Edit your MCP settings file:macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonLinux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonAdd the following configuration:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "m87": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "m87",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}
3

Authenticate

Ensure you’re logged in to m87:
m87 login
The MCP server will use your existing authentication.
4

Restart Your MCP Client

Restart Claude Desktop or your MCP client to load the new configuration.

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Configuration Options

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Using Absolute Path

If m87 is not in your PATH, specify the full path to the binary: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "m87": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/m87",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}
To find the full path: 
which m87

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Custom Environment Variables

You can pass environment variables to the MCP server: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "m87": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "m87",
      "args": ["mcp"],
      "env": {
        "RUST_LOG": "debug"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Usage Examples

Once configured, you can interact with your devices through natural language in your AI assistant:

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Device Management

"List all my connected devices"

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Remote Execution

"Run 'systemctl status nginx' on production-server"

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Logs and Monitoring

"Show me the latest logs from my edge-device-01"

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Deployments

"Show me the deployment status for production-server"

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Available MCP Tools

The m87 MCP server exposes all platform commands as tools, including:
  • Device Management: List devices, check status, approve devices
  • Remote Access: Execute commands, open shells, forward ports
  • File Operations: Copy files, sync directories
  • Container Management: Docker passthrough, view containers
  • Monitoring: View logs, metrics, audit trails
  • Deployments: Deploy compose files, check deployment status
  • Serial Access: Forward serial mounts
The AI agent will automatically select and use the appropriate tools based on your requests.

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Supported MCP Clients

The m87 MCP server works with any MCP-compatible client:

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Troubleshooting

  • Verify the configuration file path is correct for your operating system
  • Ensure the JSON syntax is valid
  • Restart your MCP client after making changes
  • Check that m87 is accessible (run which m87 or use absolute path)
Make sure you’re logged in:
m87 login
The MCP server uses your existing m87 credentials.
If you see errors about m87 not being found:
  1. Find the full path: which m87
  2. Use the absolute path in your configuration:
{
  "command": "/full/path/to/m87",
  "args": ["mcp"]
}
You can test the MCP server directly:
m87 mcp
This will start the server in stdio mode. Press Ctrl+C to exit.

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Security Considerations

  • The MCP server uses your existing m87 authentication
  • All operations are subject to your device permissions
  • Audit logs track all device interactions, including those via MCP
  • The MCP server runs with the same privileges as your user account

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