Docker MCP Server

A fully functional, feature-rich, industry-standard compliant MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server that enables communication with Docker daemon. This server allows AI assistants like GitHub Copilot and Claude to interact with Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes through a standardized interface.

Quick Start

Features

• ✅ Complete Docker Operations: Create, run, start, stop, remove containers

• ✅ Proper Array Handling: Correctly handles command, entrypoint, and environment variables as arrays

• ✅ Image Management: Pull images, list images with detailed information

• ✅ Container Inspection: Get detailed container information and logs

• ✅ Network & Volume Support: List Docker networks and volumes

• ✅ VS Code Integration: Works seamlessly with GitHub Copilot and VS Code

• ✅ Industry Standard Compliant: Uses MCP SDK and follows best practices

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or higher

• Docker installed and running

• npm or yarn package manager

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

2. Install dependencies:

3. Build the project:

Usage

Standalone Mode

Run the server directly:

VS Code Integration

To integrate with VS Code and GitHub Copilot, add the following to your MCP settings file:

For VS Code (~/.vscode/mcp-settings.json or in your workspace settings):

For Claude Desktop (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS):

Alternative using npx (after publishing to npm):

Available Tools

Container Operations

list_containers

List all Docker containers (running or all)

create_container

Create a new Docker container

run_container

Create and start a container (recommended)

start_container

Start a stopped container

stop_container

Stop a running container

remove_container

Remove a container

inspect_container

Get detailed container information

container_logs

Get container logs

Image Operations

list_images

List Docker images

pull_image

Pull an image from registry

Network & Volume Operations

list_networks

List Docker networks

list_volumes

List Docker volumes

Key Features: Array Handling

This MCP server correctly handles arrays for:

• Command: Passed as an array of strings ["python", "app.py", "--port", "8000"]

• Entrypoint: Passed as an array of strings ["/bin/bash", "-c"]

• Environment Variables: Passed as an array of KEY=VALUE strings ["NODE_ENV=production", "PORT=3000"]

• Volume Bindings: Passed as an array of bind strings ["/host/path:/container/path"]

This resolves the common "array issue" where MCP servers incorrectly expect strings instead of arrays, causing errors when integrated with VS Code and GitHub Copilot.

Development

Scripts

• npm run build - Compile TypeScript to JavaScript

• npm run watch - Watch mode for development

• npm start - Run the compiled server

• npm run dev - Build and run

Project Structure

Troubleshooting

Docker Connection Issues

If you get "Cannot connect to Docker daemon" errors:

• Ensure Docker is running: docker ps

• Check Docker socket permissions

• On Linux: Add your user to the docker group: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

VS Code Integration Issues

If the MCP server doesn't appear in VS Code:

• Verify the path to dist/index.js is absolute

• Check that the server builds successfully: npm run build

• Restart VS Code after updating MCP settings

• Check VS Code Output panel for MCP-related errors

Array-Related Errors

This server is specifically designed to handle arrays correctly. If you encounter array errors:

• Ensure you're passing arrays for command, entrypoint, and env fields

• Verify JSON formatting in tool arguments

• Check that arrays contain string items

Contributing

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

For detailed usage examples, see EXAMPLES.md.

For configuration help, see CONFIGURATION.md.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Author

Swartdraak (eternusprocer@gmail.com)