Console Automation MCP Server

Production-Ready Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to fully interact with console applications, monitor output, detect errors, and automate terminal workflows - similar to how Playwright works for web browsers.

# Production Status ✅

This server is fully production-ready with:

• ✅ No native compilation required (removed node-pty dependency)
• ✅ Full cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• ✅ Streaming support for long-running processes
• ✅ Multiple console type support (cmd, PowerShell, bash, zsh, sh)
• ✅ Resource management and automatic cleanup
• ✅ Comprehensive error handling and recovery
• ✅ Easy installation scripts for all major MCP clients
• ✅ All tests passing (see test-functionality.js)

# Features

# # 🚀 Core Capabilities

• Full Terminal Control: Create and manage up to 50 concurrent console sessions
• Multi-Protocol Support: Local shells (cmd, PowerShell, pwsh, bash, zsh, sh) and remote SSH connections
• Interactive Input: Send text input and special key sequences (Enter, Tab, Ctrl+C, etc.)
• Real-time Output Monitoring: Capture, filter, and analyze console output with advanced search
• Streaming Support: Efficient streaming for long-running processes with pattern matching
• Automatic Error Detection: Built-in patterns to detect errors, exceptions, and stack traces across languages
• Cross-platform: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux without native dependencies

# # 🔐 SSH & Remote Connections

• Full SSH Support: Password and key-based authentication with passphrase support
• SSH Options: Custom ports, connection timeouts, keep-alive settings
• Connection Profiles: Save and reuse SSH configurations for quick access
• Cloud Platform Support: Azure, AWS, GCP, Kubernetes connections via saved profiles
• Container Support: Docker and WSL integration for containerized workflows

# # ✅ Test Automation Framework

• Automated Test Cases: Built-in assertion tools for console output validation
• Output Assertions: Verify output contains, matches regex, or equals expected values
• Exit Code Validation: Assert command exit codes for success/failure detection
• Error-Free Validation: Automatically check for errors in command output
• State Snapshots: Save and compare session states before/after operations
• Test Workflows: Chain assertions for comprehensive testing scenarios

# # 🔄 Background Job Execution

• Async Command Execution: Run long-running commands in background with full output capture
• Priority Queue System: Prioritize jobs (1-10 scale) for optimal resource utilization
• Job Monitoring: Track status, progress, and completion of background jobs
• Job Control: Cancel, pause, or resume background operations
• Result Retrieval: Get complete output and exit codes from completed jobs
• Resource Management: Automatic cleanup of completed jobs with configurable retention

# # 📊 Enterprise Monitoring & Alerts

• System-Wide Metrics: CPU, memory, disk, and network usage tracking
• Session Metrics: Per-session performance monitoring and resource consumption
• Real-time Dashboards: Live monitoring data with customizable views
• Alert System: Performance, error, security, and anomaly alerts with severity levels
• Custom Monitoring: Configure monitoring intervals, metrics, and thresholds per session
• Diagnostics: Built-in error analysis and session health validation

# # 📁 Profile Management

• Connection Profiles: Save SSH, Docker, WSL, and cloud platform connections
• Application Profiles: Store common command configurations (Node.js, Python, .NET, Java, Go, Rust)
• Quick Connect: Instantly connect using saved profiles with override support
• Environment Variables: Store environment configurations per profile
• Working Directory Management: Set default directories for each profile

# # 🔍 Advanced Output Processing

• Regex Filtering: Search output with regular expressions (case-sensitive/insensitive)
• Multi-Pattern Search: Combine multiple patterns with AND/OR logic
• Pagination: Get specific line ranges, head, or tail of output
• Time-based Filtering: Filter output by timestamp (absolute or relative: '5m', '1h', '2d')
• Output Streaming: Real-time output capture for long-running processes
• Buffer Management: Clear output buffers to reduce memory usage

# Quick Installation

# # Windows (PowerShell as Administrator)

git clone https://github.com/ooples/console-automation-mcp.git
cd console-automation-mcp
.\install.ps1 -Target claude  #  or google, openai, custom, all

# # macOS/Linux

git clone https://github.com/ooples/console-automation-mcp.git
cd console-automation-mcp
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh - -target claude  #  or google, openai, custom, all

# # Manual Installation

git clone https://github.com/ooples/console-automation-mcp.git
cd console-automation-mcp
npm install - -production
npm run build

# Configuration

# # For Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "console-automation": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mcp/console-automation"],
      "env": {
        "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
      }
    }
  }
}

# # For other MCP clients

#  Start the server with new name
console-automation-mcp - -log-level info

#  Or with backward compatible name
mcp-console - -log-level info

#  Or with npx
npx console-automation-mcp - -log-level info

# Available Tools (40 Total)

This MCP server provides 40 comprehensive tools organized into 6 categories:

# # 📚 Complete Documentation

• Complete Tools Reference - Detailed documentation for all 40 tools
• Practical Examples - Real-world usage examples and patterns
• Publishing Guide - How to list this server in registries

# # Tool Categories

# # # 🖥️ Session Management (9 tools)

• console_create_session - Create local or SSH console sessions
• console_send_input - Send text input to sessions
• console_send_key - Send special keys (Enter, Ctrl+C, etc.)
• console_get_output - Get filtered/paginated output with advanced search
• console_get_stream - Stream output from long-running processes
• console_wait_for_output - Wait for specific patterns
• console_stop_session - Stop sessions
• console_list_sessions - List all active sessions
• console_cleanup_sessions - Clean up inactive sessions

# # # ⚡ Command Execution (6 tools)

• console_execute_command - Execute commands with output capture
• console_detect_errors - Analyze output for errors
• console_get_resource_usage - Get system resource stats
• console_clear_output - Clear output buffers
• console_get_session_state - Get session execution state
• console_get_command_history - View command history

# # # 📊 Monitoring & Alerts (6 tools)

• console_get_system_metrics - Comprehensive system metrics
• console_get_session_metrics - Session-specific metrics
• console_get_alerts - Active monitoring alerts
• console_get_monitoring_dashboard - Real-time dashboard data
• console_start_monitoring - Start custom monitoring
• console_stop_monitoring - Stop monitoring

# # # 📁 Profile Management (4 tools)

• console_save_profile - Save SSH/app connection profiles
• console_list_profiles - List saved profiles
• console_remove_profile - Remove profiles
• console_use_profile - Quick connect with saved profiles

# # # 🔄 Background Jobs (9 tools)

• console_execute_async - Execute commands asynchronously
• console_get_job_status - Check job status
• console_get_job_output - Get job output
• console_cancel_job - Cancel running jobs
• console_list_jobs - List all background jobs
• console_get_job_progress - Monitor job progress
• console_get_job_result - Get complete job results
• console_get_job_metrics - Job execution statistics
• console_cleanup_jobs - Clean up completed jobs

# # # ✅ Test Automation (6 tools)

• console_assert_output - Assert output matches criteria
• console_assert_exit_code - Assert exit codes
• console_assert_no_errors - Verify no errors occurred
• console_save_snapshot - Save session state snapshots
• console_compare_snapshots - Compare state differences
• console_assert_state - Assert session state

# # Quick Start Examples

# # # Create a Local Session

const session = await console_create_session({
  command: "npm",
  args: ["run", "dev"],
  detectErrors: true
});

# # # Connect via SSH

const session = await console_create_session({
  command: "bash",
  consoleType: "ssh",
  sshOptions: {
    host: "example.com",
    username: "user",
    privateKeyPath: "~/.ssh/id_rsa"
  }
});

# # # Run Tests with Assertions

const session = await console_create_session({
  command: "npm",
  args: ["test"]
});

await console_assert_output({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  assertionType: "contains",
  expected: "All tests passed"
});

# # # Background Job Execution

const job = await console_execute_async({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  command: "npm run build",
  priority: 8
});

const status = await console_get_job_status({
  jobId: job.jobId
});

For more examples, see docs/EXAMPLES.md

# Use Cases

# # 1. Running and monitoring a development server

// Create a session for the dev server
const session = await console_create_session({
  command: "npm",
  args: ["run", "dev"],
  detectErrors: true
});

// Wait for server to start
await console_wait_for_output({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  pattern: "Server running on",
  timeout: 10000
});

// Monitor for errors
const errors = await console_detect_errors({
  sessionId: session.sessionId
});

# # 2. Interactive debugging session

// Start a Python debugging session
const session = await console_create_session({
  command: "python",
  args: ["-m", "pdb", "script.py"]
});

// Set a breakpoint
await console_send_input({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  input: "b main\n"
});

// Continue execution
await console_send_input({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  input: "c\n"
});

// Step through code
await console_send_key({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  key: "n"
});

# # 3. Automated testing with error detection

// Run tests
const result = await console_execute_command({
  command: "pytest",
  args: ["tests/"],
  timeout: 30000
});

// Check for test failures
const errors = await console_detect_errors({
  text: result.output
});

if (errors.hasErrors) {
  console.log("Test failures detected:", errors);
}

# # 4. Interactive CLI tool automation

// Start an interactive CLI tool
const session = await console_create_session({
  command: "mysql",
  args: ["-u", "root", "-p"]
});

// Enter password
await console_wait_for_output({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  pattern: "Enter password:"
});

await console_send_input({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  input: "mypassword\n"
});

// Run SQL commands
await console_send_input({
  sessionId: session.sessionId,
  input: "SHOW DATABASES;\n"
});

# Error Detection Patterns

The server includes built-in patterns for detecting common error types:

• Generic errors (error:, ERROR:, Error:)
• Exceptions (Exception:, exception)
• Warnings (Warning:, WARNING:)
• Fatal errors
• Failed operations
• Permission/access denied
• Timeouts
• Stack traces (Python, Java, Node.js)
• Compilation errors
• Syntax errors
• Memory errors
• Connection errors

# Development

# # Building from source

npm install
npm run build

# # Running in development mode

npm run dev

# # Running tests

npm test

# # Type checking

npm run typecheck

# # Linting

npm run lint

# Architecture

The server is built with:

• node-pty: For creating and managing pseudo-terminals
• @modelcontextprotocol/sdk: MCP protocol implementation
• TypeScript: For type safety and better developer experience
• Winston: For structured logging

# # Core Components

1. ConsoleManager: Manages terminal sessions, input/output, and lifecycle
2. ErrorDetector: Analyzes output for errors and exceptions
3. MCP Server: Exposes console functionality through MCP tools
4. Session Management: Handles multiple concurrent console sessions

# Requirements

• Node.js >= 18.0.0
• Windows, macOS, or Linux operating system
• No additional build tools required!

# Testing

Run the included test suite to verify functionality:

node test-functionality.js

# Troubleshooting

# # Common Issues

1. Permission denied errors: Ensure the server has permission to spawn processes
2. node-pty compilation errors: Install build tools for your platform
3. Session not responding: Check if the command requires TTY interaction
4. Output not captured: Some applications may write directly to terminal, bypassing stdout

# Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

# License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

# Support

For issues, questions, or suggestions, please open an issue on GitHub:
https://github.com/ooples/console-automation-mcp/issues

# Roadmap

• Add support for terminal recording and playback
• Implement session persistence and recovery
• Add more error detection patterns for specific languages
• Support for terminal multiplexing (tmux/screen integration)
• Web-based terminal viewer
• Session sharing and collaboration features
• Performance profiling tools
• Integration with popular CI/CD systems