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HostsKeeper

HostsKeeper

by AtagyanAG
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
Python
Local

HostsKeeper

Local credential vault + human-gated SSH tabs for MCP/AI — not a generic remote desktop.

HostsKeeper keeps host credentials and shell scripts on your Windows PC. You open SSH sessions in tabs. An AI client (e.g. Cursor) attaches only to tabs you enable for MCP — it never opens SSH itself and never receives passwords, keys, or host addresses.

For

Ops / SRE / admins who use Cursor (or another MCP client) against real servers, but want secrets and connect decisions to stay human-side

Not for

Replacing Termius/mRemoteNG as a general-purpose remote manager, or unattended bot SSH into production

How it works

  1. Unlock a local encrypted vault (hosts, addresses, credentials, scripts).

  2. Open an SSH Tab yourself (or launch installed PuTTY / WinSCP).

  3. Turn MCP on for that tab; once: toolbar Copy MCP config → paste into Cursor mcp.json.

  4. The model uses session_list → session_attach(alias=…), then read / subscribe. Approve (off by default) is required for write / script run.

Secrets and IPs stay out of MCP payloads. Human and AI share one PTY per tab:

  • Approve off (default): the model may still read / subscribe to the terminal scrollback; it cannot session_write or scripts_run.

  • Approve on: the model may write; every command it sends appears in the same tab you see — there is no hidden side channel.

Related MCP server: termmirror

MCP over HTTP (not just local stdio)

HostsKeeper exposes MCP primarily as an HTTP endpoint with a stable app key (toolbar Copy MCP config → http://<safe-host>:8765/mcp?key=…). That is wider than a typical stdio MCP server glued to one local IDE process:

  • The AI client can run on the same PC (127.0.0.1) or on another machine that can reach the vault PC.

  • Credentials and SSH stay on the safe host; the client only sees enabled tabs (and scripts) under your MCP rules.

Trusted network only. Intended for LAN or a VPN / tunnel you operate yourself (VPN setup is out of scope for this project). Do not expose the MCP port to the open internet without such a tunnel. stdio remains available as a same-machine alternative (no URL/key).

Download

Windows single-file build: Releases (HostsKeeper.exe).
SmartScreen may warn — the binary is unsigned. Optional: install PuTTY / WinSCP for external launchers.

Development

Windows, Python ≥ 3.11:

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install -e ".[dev]"
python -m hostskeeper --version
pytest
python -m hostskeeper

Build exe: .\scripts\build_exe.ps1 → dist\HostsKeeper.exe (see doc/dev-setup.md).

Optional live SSH tests: set HOSTSKEEPER_TEST_SSH_KEY (and host/user if needed). Never commit vaults, keys, or .env.

Docs

License

MIT. Third-party notices: NOTICE.

HostsKeeper is not affiliated with PuTTY, WinSCP, or other products named in the UI or docs. Those tools are optional externals you install yourself; they are not redistributed here.

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

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