# CLI Reference
Stata-MCP provides a command-line interface (CLI) for various operations including starting MCP servers, running agent mode, and installing to different AI clients.
## Installation
Verify your installation:
```bash
stata-mcp --version
```
Check system compatibility:
```bash
stata-mcp --usable
```
## Commands
### Start MCP Server
Start the MCP server with different transport methods:
```bash
# Start with stdio transport (default)
stata-mcp
# Explicitly specify transport method
stata-mcp -t stdio
stata-mcp -t sse
stata-mcp -t http
```
**Transport Options:**
- `stdio` - Standard input/output (default)
- `sse` - Server-Sent Events
- `http` - HTTP transport (automatically converted to streamable-http)
### Agent Mode
Run Stata-MCP in interactive agent mode:
```bash
# Start agent in current directory
stata-mcp agent run
# Start agent in specific directory
stata-mcp agent run --work-dir /path/to/project
```
### Install to AI Clients
Install Stata-MCP to various AI coding assistants:
```bash
# Install to Claude Desktop (default)
stata-mcp install
# Install to specific client
stata-mcp install -c claude # Claude Desktop
stata-mcp install -c cc # Claude Code
stata-mcp install -c cursor # Cursor
stata-mcp install -c cline # Cline
stata-mcp install -c codex # Codex
```
**Supported Clients:**
- `claude` - Claude Desktop
- `cc` - Claude Code
- `cursor` - Cursor Editor
- `cline` - Cline (VSCode extension)
- `codex` - Codex
### Docker-based Installation (sandbox-install)
Install Docker-based Stata-MCP to AI clients. Requires Docker and a valid Stata license.
```bash
# Basic usage with default settings (StataNow 19.5 MP)
uvx stata-mcp sandbox-install -l /path/to/stata.lic
# Specify Stata version and edition
uvx stata-mcp sandbox-install \
--version 19_5 \
--edition mp \
-l /path/to/stata.lic \
-c claude
# With resource limits
uvx stata-mcp sandbox-install \
-V 18 \
-e se \
-l /path/to/stata.lic \
--cpus 2 \
--memory 4g
```
**Stata Versions:** `19_5`, `18_5`, `18`
**Stata Editions:** `mp` (Multi-processor), `se` (Standard), `be` (Basic)
## Options
### Global Options
| Option | Short | Description |
|--------|-------|-------------|
| `--version` | `-v` | Show version information |
| `--help` | `-h` | Show help message |
| `--usable` | `-u` | Check system compatibility |
| `--transport` | `-t` | MCP transport method (stdio/sse/http) |
### Agent Options
| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `--work-dir` | Working directory for agent (default: current directory) |
### Install Options
| Option | Short | Description |
|--------|-------|-------------|
| `--client` | `-c` | Target client (default: claude) |
### Sandbox-Install Options
| Option | Short | Default | Description |
|--------|-------|---------|-------------|
| `--version` | `-V` | `19_5` | Stata version (19_5, 18_5, 18) |
| `--edition` | `-e` | `mp` | Stata edition (mp, se, be) |
| `--tag` | | `latest` | Docker image tag |
| `--license-file` | `-l` | (required) | Path to Stata license file |
| `--client` | `-c` | `claude` | Target client |
| `--work-dir` | | `./` | Working directory |
| `--cpus` | | (none) | CPU core limit |
| `--memory` | | (none) | Memory limit (e.g., 4g) |
## Examples
### Basic Usage
```bash
# Check if Stata-MCP can run on your system
stata-mcp --usable
# Start MCP server for Claude Desktop
stata-mcp
# Start with SSE transport
stata-mcp -t sse
```
### Development Workflow
```bash
# 1. Check system compatibility
stata-mcp --usable
# 2. Install to Claude Desktop
stata-mcp install
# 3. Run agent for interactive analysis
stata-mcp agent run
```
### Using with uvx
If you prefer not to install Stata-MCP globally, you can use `uvx`:
```bash
# Check version
uvx stata-mcp --version
# Check compatibility
uvx stata-mcp --usable
# Run agent
uvx stata-mcp agent run
# Install to client
uvx stata-mcp install -c cursor
```
## Exit Codes
- `0` - Success
- `1` - Error (invalid client, system incompatibility, etc.)
- `2` - Command line argument error
## Environment Variables
Stata-MCP behavior can be configured through environment variables. See [Configuration](configuration.md) for details.
Key environment variables:
- `STATA_MCP_CWD` - Working directory for Stata operations
- `STATA_MCP_LOGGING_ON` - Enable/disable logging
- `STATA_MCP__IS_GUARD` - Enable security guard validation
- `STATA_MCP__IS_MONITOR` - Enable RAM monitoring
See the [Configuration](configuration.md) document for the complete list.
## Troubleshooting
### "Stata not found" Error
Ensure Stata is installed and accessible:
```bash
stata-mcp --usable
```
This will check if Stata can be found on your system.
### Permission Errors
Some operations may require appropriate permissions:
- Installing to Claude Desktop may need admin/user privileges
- Working directories must be writable
### Transport Issues
If you encounter issues with specific transport methods:
- Default to `stdio` for most use cases
- Use `--transport stdio` explicitly if auto-detection fails
## See Also
- [Usage Guide](usage.md) - Detailed usage examples
- [Configuration](configuration.md) - Environment variables and settings
- [Security](security.md) - Security guard and validation
- [Monitoring](monitoring.md) - Resource monitoring configuration
