mcpshim

Overview

MCPShim is a lightweight Go-based solution consisting of a daemon (mcpshimd) and CLI client (mcpshim) that bridges remote MCP servers with local shell workflows. It handles MCP lifecycle concerns including session management, discovery, retries, and OAuth flows in one place, while exposing MCP tools as standard CLI commands with flag-to-parameter mapping and structured JSON output. This eliminates the need for custom per-server wiring in scripts or agents.

Try asking AI

After installing, here are 5 things you can ask your AI assistant:

• status

  Display MCPShim daemon status

  Try:Check mcpshim statusTry:Is the MCPShim daemon running?
• servers

  List registered MCP servers

  Try:Show me all MCP serversTry:List connected MCP servers
• tools

  List tools for all or one server

  Try:Show me all available toolsTry:List tools for the GitHub server
• inspect--server s --tool t

  Show detailed schema of a specific tool

  Try:Inspect the search tool for notionTry:Show me details of the GitHub issue creation tool
• call--server s --tool t --arg value

  Execute a tool call with arguments

  Try:Search notion for project roadmapsTry:Create a GitHub issue with title 'Bug found'
• add--name s --url ... [--alias a]

  Register a new MCP endpoint

  Try:Add notion as an MCP serverTry:Register a new GitHub server
• set auth--server s --header K=V

  Set authentication headers for a server

  Try:Set auth headers for notion serverTry:Add API key for GitHub server
• remove--name s

  Remove a registered server

  Try:Remove the notion serverTry:Delete GitHub from MCP servers
• reload

  Reload daemon configuration

  Try:Reload MCPShim configurationTry:Restart daemon with new settings
• login--server s [--manual]

  Complete OAuth login flow for a server

  Try:Login to notion serverTry:Start OAuth for GitHub
• history[--server s] [--tool t] [--limit n]

  Show persisted call history

  Try:Show my recent MCP callsTry:Display notion search history
• script[--install] [--dir ~/.local/bin]

  Generate or install shell alias wrappers for tools

  Try:Create shell aliases for MCP toolsTry:Install MCP tools as local commands

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Installation

go install github.com/mcpshim/mcpshim/cmd/mcpshimd@latest
go install github.com/mcpshim/mcpshim/cmd/mcpshim@latest

mkdir -p ~/.config/mcpshim
cp configs/mcpshim.example.yaml ~/.config/mcpshim/config.yaml

mcpshimd

mcpshim servers
mcpshim tools --server notion
mcpshim call --server notion --tool search --query "projects"

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcpshim": {
      "command": "mcpshimd",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

FAQ

How does MCPShim handle authentication?

MCPShim centralizes authentication through the daemon. It supports OAuth flows and can automatically initiate login when receiving 401 responses. Auth headers are stored in the SQLite database.

Can I use MCPShim with any MCP server?

Yes, MCPShim is designed to work with any MCP server regardless of transport (HTTP, WebSocket) or authentication method. It registers servers with their specific URLs and transport protocols.

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