mcp-box
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@mcp-boxCreate a small Linux box, runls -la /home, and show the file listing"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
mcp-box
Private MCP server that turns the ascii Box API into tools an external agent can drive. ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or Grok is the agent. The Box is the Linux machine.
POST /prompt is never used. Agents run shell and file tools only.
Install
npm install
cp .env.example .env # set BOX_API_KEY
npm run typecheck
npm testRelated MCP server: can-see
Run
stdio (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Grok local):
npm run start:stdio
# or
npx tsx src/stdio.tsStreamable HTTP (local Inspector, or behind tunnel-client):
npm run start:http
# listens on http://127.0.0.1:8787/mcp when PORT=8787 in .envChatGPT: use OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel, not a public Cloudflare URL. See docs/chatgpt.md.
# after tunnel-client is installed and CONTROL_PLANE_API_KEY is set
export CONTROL_PLANE_TUNNEL_ID=tunnel_6a7290ef51b88191af7b32deba8e0640
tunnel-client run \
--control-plane.tunnel-id "$CONTROL_PLANE_TUNNEL_ID" \
--mcp.server-url http://127.0.0.1:8787/mcpThen in ChatGPT: Criar app → Conexão Túnel → select mcp-box → Sem autenticação.
Environment
Variable | Default | Purpose |
| (required for live) | Box dashboard API key; never sent to the MCP client |
|
| API base |
|
|
|
|
| When |
|
| HTTP bind address |
|
| HTTP port |
| stderr (trusted) | Optional audit JSONL path |
See .env.example.
Trust modes
Mode |
| Account secrets | Audit log | Force stop |
isolated (default) | always | blocked | off | denied |
trusted | may be | allowed via | JSON lines | allowed with |
Isolated boxes cannot act on your account secrets. Use them for untrusted agent work.
Trusted mode records every tool call (timestamp, tool, boxId, outcome). Desktop URLs and tokens are redacted in logs.
Tools
Tool | Read-only | Notes |
| no | Default size small; TTL 3600s; waits until ready |
| yes | Optional state filter |
| yes | Desktop URL redacted in summary |
| no |
|
| no | Convention under |
| yes | Poll pid/exit/log tails |
| yes | Relative paths only |
| no | utf8 or base64 |
| yes | Base64, max ~2MB |
| yes | Secret URL; do not log full value |
| no | Requires |
| no | Wait until ready |
| no | Isolated forks are noEnv |
| no | Best-effort; prompt-oriented |
There is no box_prompt tool.
Background jobs
Box has no native shell job API. Background work is:
Write a launcher under
.mcp-box-jobs/<jobId>/nohupthe command; store pid and logsPoll with
box_job_status
Clients
Local JSON snippets: docs/clients.md
ChatGPT Developer Mode + tunnel: docs/chatgpt.md
Grok Build on a template box (OAuth sub): docs/grok-template.md
Box selected repos (go-zoen): docs/box-repos.md
Grok template
npm run grok:template # small box: grok CLI + OAuth + EnzoTironi/skills + zoen-skills/pstack
npm run grok:diagnose -- bx_… # resume + smoke; REARCHIVE=1 to stop againCurrent template: go-zoen / bx_sb5sbxzz (see docs/grok-template.md). Fork for ChatGPT work with Grok + skills + go-zoen.
ChatGPT write caveat
Full write MCP tools in ChatGPT generally need Business / Enterprise / Edu. Pro is often read-only for connectors. Confirm your plan before relying on ChatGPT as the primary write agent.
Security
Keep
BOX_API_KEYon the host only.Prefer isolated mode unless you intentionally need account secrets.
Redact desktop URLs (
_token) from logs and tickets.Bind HTTP to localhost unless you add auth (v1 has no OAuth).
Non-goals (v1)
Multi-tenant OAuth
Wrapping
POST /promptNative job queue
Cloudflare Workers deploy
Development
npm test
npm run typecheck
npm run smoke # fake client tools/list
LIVE_BOX=1 npm run smoke # live create → exec → write/read → stopLicense
Private / unlicensed unless you add one.
Maintenance
Resources
Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.
Looking for Admin?
If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.
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