Tunnel Manager

Receive File

tm_remote_receive_file

Receive a file from a remote host over SSH using shared connection settings, specifying remote and local paths to download it.

Instructions

Receive file (tm_remote). Single-host SSH operations with shared connection params.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`cfg`	No	SSH config path; unset uses ~/.ssh/config.
`cmd`	No	Shell command (run_command).
`key`	No	Key path (test_key_auth/setup_passwordless).
`host`	No	Inventory alias, or a raw hostname with an explicit user.
`lcfg`	No	Local SSH config (copy_ssh_config).
`port`	No	Port; unset uses the inventory alias, else 22.
`rcfg`	No	Remote SSH config (copy_ssh_config).	/root/.ssh/config
`user`	No	Username; unset uses the inventory alias.
`lpath`	No	Local file path (send_file/receive_file).
`proxy`	No	Teleport proxy; unset uses the alias.
`rpath`	No	Remote file path (send_file/receive_file).
`confirm`	No	Confirm a destructive action (remove_host_key) without elicitation.
`id_file`	No	Private key path; unset uses the alias.
`new_key`	No	New private key path (rotate_key).
`timeout`	No	Command timeout in seconds.
`key_type`	No	Key type: rsa or ed25519 (setup_passwordless/rotate_key).	ed25519
`certificate`	No	Teleport certificate; unset uses the alias.
`known_hosts`	No	Known hosts path (remove_host_key).	/root/.ssh/known_hosts
`password_ref`	No	Runtime secret reference for the SSH password; unset uses the alias.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed20 schema fields changedv3.4.6Oct 31, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / certificate / default
```
Previous value: -""New value: +null
```

changedInput schema / properties / certificate / description

Previous value: -"Teleport certificate."New value: +"Teleport certificate; unset uses the alias."

addedInput schema / properties / cfg / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedInput schema / properties / cfg / default

Previous value: -"/root/.ssh/config"New value: +null

changedInput schema / properties / cfg / description

Previous value: -"SSH config path."New value: +"SSH config path; unset uses ~/.ssh/config."

removedInput schema / properties / cfg / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```

addedInput schema / properties / confirm

Added value: +{
+  "default": false,
+  "description": "Confirm a destructive action (remove_host_key) without elicitation.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / host / description

Previous value: -"Remote host."New value: +"Inventory alias, or a raw hostname with an explicit user."

changedInput schema / properties / id_file / default

Previous value: -"/app/.ssh/id_ed25519"New value: +null

changedInput schema / properties / id_file / description

Previous value: -"Private key path."New value: +"Private key path; unset uses the alias."

changedInput schema / properties / password_ref / default
```
Previous value: -""New value: +null
```

changedInput schema / properties / password_ref / description

Previous value: -"Runtime secret reference for the SSH password."New value: +"Runtime secret reference for the SSH password; unset uses the alias."

addedInput schema / properties / port / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "type": "integer"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedInput schema / properties / port / default
```
Previous value: -22New value: +null
```

changedInput schema / properties / port / description

Previous value: -"Port."New value: +"Port; unset uses the inventory alias, else 22."

removedInput schema / properties / port / type
```
Removed value: -"integer"
```
changedInput schema / properties / proxy / default
```
Previous value: -""New value: +null
```

changedInput schema / properties / proxy / description

Previous value: -"Teleport proxy."New value: +"Teleport proxy; unset uses the alias."

changedInput schema / properties / user / default
```
Previous value: -""New value: +null
```

changedInput schema / properties / user / description

Previous value: -"Username."New value: +"Username; unset uses the inventory alias."

Addedv3.3.1Oct 21, 2026

TDQS

C2.3/5.0

Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=false, idempotentHint=false, destructiveHint=false, openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds nothing beyond that — it doesn't say whether an existing local file is overwritten (a non-idempotent write to disk), how partial transfers behave, or that credentials come from the shared SSH params. For a non-idempotent file write, an overwrite/clobber note would be the key context an agent needs.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Short and front-loaded, so it reads easily. But the second sentence is generic family boilerplate that doesn't earn its place in a tool-specific definition, and the space it occupies would have been better used on direction of transfer or overwrite behavior.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness2/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Nineteen parameters, no required fields, and an output schema mean the description should at minimum orient the agent: set rpath as source and lpath as destination, host as target, and warn that the local file may be overwritten. None of that is present, and direction of the transfer — the single most decision-relevant fact — is unstated. The schema fills the parameter gaps, but the core operational semantics are missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so lpath/rpath/host/user/port etc. are already documented in the schema, making 3 the baseline. The description's only parameter-adjacent claim — 'shared connection params' — doesn't add format, defaults, or constraints beyond the schema. It also doesn't point the agent at lpath/rpath as the operative parameters for this tool.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose2/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

"Receive file (tm_remote)" essentially restates the tool name and title without saying which direction data flows (remote→local download vs. local→remote upload). The second sentence, "Single-host SSH operations with shared connection params," is generic scope boilerplate that applies to the whole tm_remote family, not this tool. With tm_remote_send_file as a sibling, this leaves the agent to infer the direction of transfer.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

No when-to-use guidance at all: nothing distinguishes this from tm_remote_send_file or tm_inventory_receive_file, and no prerequisites (reachable host, existing key, target path writability) are stated. The only framing is generic 'single-host SSH operations' coverage which applies to every sibling.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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