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Claude IPC MCP

by jdez427
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Python
MIT License
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🤖 Claude IPC MCP - AI-to-AI Communication

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"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:

# Option 1: Set for current session export IPC_SHARED_SECRET="your-secret-key-here" # Option 2: Set permanently (recommended) echo 'export IPC_SHARED_SECRET="your-secret-key-here"' >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc

⚠️ 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

  1. Install UV (if not already installed):
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
  1. Install the MCP:
cd claude-ipc-mcp uv sync # Install dependencies ./scripts/install-mcp.sh
  1. Restart Claude Code (to load MCP with security)
  2. Register your instance:(IMPORTANT- REMEMBER - you can name the AI assistant anything you want, the use of 'claude' below is just an example)
Register this instance as claude
  1. Start messaging:
Send a message to fred: Hey, need help with this React component Check my messages msg barney: The database migration is complete
  1. Enable auto-checking (optional):
Start auto checking 5

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!

  1. Configure MCP in your ~/.gemini/settings.json:
{ "mcpServers": { "ipc": { "command": "python3", "args": ["src/claude_ipc_server.py"], "cwd": "/path/to/claude-ipc-mcp", "trust": true, "timeout": 30000 } } }

Note: Gemini uses mcpServers as an object {}, not an array!

  1. Restart Gemini CLI (to load MCP configuration)
  2. Verify MCP is working:
/mcp

You should see IPC tools listed.

  1. Register and start messaging:
Register this instance as gemini Send to claude: Hello from Gemini with native MCP!

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!

Register this instance as gemini Send a message to claude: Hey, can you help with this? Check my messages

Option B: Direct Python Scripts (fallback method)

If natural language isn't working or you prefer direct execution:

# Make sure shared secret is set (see Step 1) echo $IPC_SHARED_SECRET # Should show your secret # First, ensure the code is installed in your AI's environment cd claude-ipc-mcp/tools # Then use the scripts directly (though natural language is preferred once installed) python3 ./ipc_register.py gemini python3 ./ipc_send.py claude "Hey Claude, can you review this?" python3 ./ipc_check.py

Note: Once the tools are in place, all Python-capable AIs can use natural language commands instead.

🎯 Real Examples from Production

Asynchronous Messaging

# Monday - User creates Barney Register this instance as barney Send to nessa: Welcome to the team! I'm Barney, the troubleshooter. # Wednesday - User creates Nessa Register this instance as nessa Check messages > "Welcome to the team! I'm Barney, the troubleshooter." (sent 2 days ago)

Gemini CLI as Server

# 8:00 AM - Gemini starts first [Gemini CLI] Register this instance as gemini > Registered as gemini (Server started on port 9876) # 8:05 AM - Claude connects [Claude Code] Register this instance as claude > Registered as claude (Connected to existing server) # Gemini is handling all message routing!

Live Renaming

# Fred needs to debug rename to fred-debugging # Messages to "fred" automatically forward to "fred-debugging" for 2 hours!

Large Message Handling

msg claude: [20KB of debug logs] # Claude receives: > "Debug output shows memory leak in... Full content saved to: > /ipc-messages/large-messages/20250106-143022_barney_claude_message.md"

📋 Natural Language Commands

The system accepts various command formats:

  • ✅ Register this instance as rose
  • ✅ check messages or msgs? or any messages?
  • ✅ msg claude: hello or send to claude: hello
  • ✅ broadcast: team meeting in 5
  • ✅ list instances or who's online?
  • ✅ start auto checking or start auto checking 5
  • ✅ stop auto checking
  • ✅ auto check status or is 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:

rm -rf venv/ .venv/ # Remove old virtual environments

Full Setup

  1. Clone this repository
  2. Install UV: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
  3. Set your shared secret: export IPC_SHARED_SECRET="your-secret-key"
  4. Run uv sync then ./scripts/install-mcp.sh
  5. Restart Claude Code completely
  6. 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

Quick References

🛠️ Development & Installation

Prerequisites

This project uses UV for fast, modern Python package management (BIG thanks to jzumwalt for leading the charge):

# Install UV (if not already installed) curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Installation from Source

# Clone the repository git clone https://github.com/jdez427/claude-ipc-mcp.git cd claude-ipc-mcp # Install dependencies with UV uv sync scripts/install-mcp.sh

Running the MCP Server

# Using uvx (recommended) uvx --from . claude-ipc-mcp # Or with uv run uv run python src/claude_ipc_server.py

Migration from pip/venv

If you previously used pip and venv:

  1. Remove old virtual environment: rm -rf venv/ .venv/
  2. Delete requirements.txt: No longer needed - dependencies are in pyproject.toml
  3. Install UV: See prerequisites above
  4. Run uv sync: This replaces pip 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!

Install Server
A
security – no known vulnerabilities
A
license - permissive license
A
quality - confirmed to work

How are these scores calculated?

local-only server

The server can only run on the client's local machine because it depends on local resources.

Tools

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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.

  1. 🎉 What's New in v2.0.0
    1. 🔐 Security First
      1. 🌟 Key Features
        1. 🚀 Quick Start
          1. 🔐 Step 1: Security Setup (REQUIRED)
          2. Step 2: For Claude Code Users
          3. Step 2b: For Google Gemini CLI Users
          4. Step 3: For Windsurf IDE Users
          5. Step 4: For Other AIs (Google Gemini, etc.)
        2. 🎯 Real Examples from Production
          1. Asynchronous Messaging
          2. Gemini CLI as Server
          3. Live Renaming
          4. Large Message Handling
        3. 📋 Natural Language Commands
          1. 🔧 Installation
            1. Requirements
            2. ⚠️ Important: Clean Installation
            3. Full Setup
          2. 🛡️ Security
            1. 🔧 Troubleshooting
              1. MCP Tools Not Available
              2. Old Installation Conflicts
              3. Messages Not Persisting
              4. "Connection Refused" Errors
            2. 📚 Documentation
              1. Essential Guides
              2. Quick References
            3. 🛠️ Development & Installation
              1. Prerequisites
              2. Installation from Source
              3. Running the MCP Server
              4. Migration from pip/venv
              5. Python Version
            4. 📜 License

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