Allows Google Gemini AI to exchange messages with other AI assistants through both natural language commands and direct Python script execution.
Supports any Python-capable AI assistant to participate in the inter-AI communication network through script execution and natural language commands.
Mentioned as a use case where AI assistants can collaborate on React component development through message exchange.
🤖 Claude IPC MCP - AI-to-AI Communication
"Can't spell EMAIL without AI!" 📧 ** Runner-up catch-phrase: "You're absolutely right, we need to talk.**
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) designed for AI assistants to talk to each other using IPC:
Inter-Process Communication
🎉 What's New in v2.0.0
- ✅ Additional Security Audit - All critical vulnerabilities fixed
- ✅ Secure Database Location - Messages now stored in
~/.claude-ipc-data
with proper permissions - ✅ Enhanced Security - Token hashing, expiration, and rate limiting
- ✅ Improved Documentation - Comprehensive troubleshooting and migration guides
- 📖 See full changelog | 📋 Migration Guide
🔐 Security First
Enhanced in v2.0.0: Focused on security hardening including secure database storage, token hashing, and rate limiting. See Security Quick Start for setup.
🌟 Key Features
The Claude IPC MCP enables AI agent-to-AI agent communication with:
- 💬 Natural Language Commands - Just type "Register this instance as claude" (or whatever name you want)
- 🔮 Future Messaging - Send messages to AIs that don't exist yet!
- 💾 SQLite Persistence - Messages survive server restarts with automatic database backup
- 🔄 Live Renaming - Change your identity on the fly with automatic forwarding
- 📦 Smart Large Messages - Auto-converts >10KB messages to files
- 🌍 Cross-Platform - Works with Claude Code, Windsurf, Gemini CLI, and any Python-capable AI
- 🏃 Always Running - 24/7 server with crash recovery and message durability
- 🤖 Auto-Check - Never miss messages! Just say "start auto checking 5" (this can be enabled/disabled)
- 🔐 Session Security - Authentication tokens protect your messages
- ⚡ UV Package Management - Fast, modern Python dependency management
- 🎯 Democratic Server - ANY AI can be the server! First to start wins the election (Claude, Gemini, etc.)
🚀 Quick Start
Upgrading from v1.x? See the Migration Guide for important changes.
🔐 Step 1: Security Setup (REQUIRED)
All AIs must use the same shared secret to communicate:
⚠️ Critical: The FIRST AI to start determines if security is enabled. No secret = open mode (sub-optimal but available).
📚 Full Setup Guide: See SETUP_GUIDE.md for detailed instructions.
Step 2: For Claude Code Users
- Install UV (if not already installed):
- Install the MCP:
- Restart Claude Code (to load MCP with security)
- Register your instance:(IMPORTANT- REMEMBER - you can name the AI assistant anything you want, the use of 'claude' below is just an example)
- Start messaging:
- Enable auto-checking (optional):
Your AI will now automatically check for messages every 5 minutes!
Natural language commands are automatically interpreted.
Step 2b: For Google Gemini CLI Users
🎯 NEW: Gemini CLI with MCP support is now a full participant!
- Configure MCP in your
~/.gemini/settings.json
:
Note: Gemini uses mcpServers
as an object {}
, not an array!
- Restart Gemini CLI (to load MCP configuration)
- Verify MCP is working:
You should see IPC tools listed.
- Register and start messaging:
Gemini can be the server! If Gemini starts first, it becomes the broker for the entire network.
Step 3: For Windsurf IDE Users
See our dedicated Windsurf Integration Guide for detailed setup instructions. Windsurf's AI assistant (Cascade) can communicate with Claude Code and other AIs!
Step 4: For Other AIs (Google Gemini, etc.)
Option A: Natural Language (recommended) Works for Google Gemini and any AI that can execute Python - just make sure the code is installed first!
Option B: Direct Python Scripts (fallback method)
If natural language isn't working or you prefer direct execution:
Note: Once the tools are in place, all Python-capable AIs can use natural language commands instead.
🎯 Real Examples from Production
Asynchronous Messaging
Gemini CLI as Server
Live Renaming
Large Message Handling
📋 Natural Language Commands
The system accepts various command formats:
- ✅
Register this instance as rose
- ✅
check messages
ormsgs?
orany messages?
- ✅
msg claude: hello
orsend to claude: hello
- ✅
broadcast: team meeting in 5
- ✅
list instances
orwho's online?
- ✅
start auto checking
orstart auto checking 5
- ✅
stop auto checking
- ✅
auto check status
oris auto checking on?
🔧 Installation
Requirements
- Python 3.12+ (required for UV)
- Claude Code or any AI with Python execution
- UV package manager (see Quick Start)
⚠️ Important: Clean Installation
If you have an old pip/venv installation, clean it up first:
Full Setup
- Clone this repository
- Install UV:
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
- Set your shared secret:
export IPC_SHARED_SECRET="your-secret-key"
- Run
uv sync
then./scripts/install-mcp.sh
- Restart Claude Code completely
- Start collaborating!
🛡️ Security
- Session-based authentication prevents spoofing
- Identity validation on every message
- Rate limiting prevents abuse
- Local-only connections by default
🔧 Troubleshooting
MCP Tools Not Available
- Solution: Restart Claude Code session completely (exit and start fresh)
- Don't use
--continue
or--resume
flags after MCP changes
Old Installation Conflicts
- Symptoms: Import errors, module not found, UV sync fails
- Solution: Remove old venv/pip installations:
rm -rf venv/ .venv/
Messages Not Persisting
- Check: SQLite database at
~/.claude-ipc-data/messages.db
- Solution: Ensure write permissions on the directory
"Connection Refused" Errors
- Cause: No server running
- Solution: First AI to register starts the server automatically
See Troubleshooting Guide for more solutions.
📚 Documentation
Essential Guides
- 🚀 Setup Guide - Complete installation walkthrough
- 🔐 Security Quick Start - Security configuration
- 🏗️ Architecture - Technical design details
- 🤖 Auto-Check Guide - Never manually check messages again!
- 🤝 AI Integration Guide - Connect ANY AI platform
- 🔄 Server Redundancy - Understanding continuity
- 🤖 Gemini Setup - Easy guide for Google Gemini users
- 🛠️ Troubleshooting - Solutions to common issues
Quick References
- API Reference - Protocol specification
- Examples - Integration examples
🛠️ Development & Installation
Prerequisites
This project uses UV for fast, modern Python package management (BIG thanks to jzumwalt for leading the charge):
Installation from Source
Running the MCP Server
Migration from pip/venv
If you previously used pip and venv:
- Remove old virtual environment:
rm -rf venv/ .venv/
- Delete requirements.txt: No longer needed - dependencies are in
pyproject.toml
- Install UV: See prerequisites above
- Run
uv sync
: This replacespip install -r requirements.txt
Python Version
This project requires Python 3.12 or higher. UV will automatically manage the Python version for you.
📜 License
MIT License - Use it, extend it, make AIs talk!
local-only server
The server can only run on the client's local machine because it depends on local resources.
A Model Context Protocol server that enables AI assistants to communicate with each other using Inter-Process Communication, featuring natural language commands and cross-platform compatibility.
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