Docker MCP by QuantGeekDev
docker-mcp
Docker MCP: an agent creates containers, deploys Docker Compose stacks from YAML, reads logs and lists containers. Runs through uvx for Claude Desktop
- 504 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Broad access
Why this level
- The agent runs any images and Compose stacks with published ports on your Docker, and access to the Docker daemon is effectively control of the machine
- Deploying a stack deletes the volumes of a project with the same name along with the data in them
- Container log output goes to the agent's model and may contain application secrets
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add mcp/docker-mcpDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- The agent runs any images and Compose stacks with published ports on your Docker, and access to the Docker daemon is effectively control of the machine
- Deploying a stack deletes the volumes of a project with the same name along with the data in them
- Container log output goes to the agent's model and may contain application secrets
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Docker MCP is a small Python server that gives an agent four tools for Docker. It starts with `uvx docker-mcp` over stdio and works with a local Docker Desktop or Docker Engine. The server creates containers through the python-on-whales library and deploys Compose stacks with `docker compose` calls. The `create-container` tool takes an image, a name, a port mapping and environment variables. If the image is not on the machine, the server pulls it first and then starts the container in the background. `deploy-compose` takes a project name and YAML text, saves it to a temporary file in the `docker_compose_files` folder next to the server's working folder, runs `down --volumes`, then `up -d` and shows the services with `ps`. Afterwards the file is deleted. `get-logs` returns the last 100 lines of a container's log, and `list-containers` prints all containers with short IDs, names and state. A `deploy-stack` prompt ships with the server and takes two arguments, a description of the stack and a project name. It asks the agent to decide whether one container is enough or a Compose file is needed and to pick the matching tool.
Who it is for. For developers who ask Claude Desktop to start a test container or a Compose stack and look at its logs without opening a terminal.
Good fit when
- You need a container from a ready image, such as a database or a web server, started quickly with a port mapped
- The agent wrote a Compose file for the project and it has to be deployed in one step without copying it to a terminal
- A container crashed or behaves oddly, and the agent should read the last log lines and explain the cause
- You want to see which containers exist on the machine and their state, stopped ones included
- It is easier to describe a stack in words through the deploy-stack prompt than to write YAML by hand
Not a fit when
- You need to stop and remove containers, manage images, networks and volumes or work with a remote host over SSH: the server has just four tools, and the mcp-server-docker card covers that set
- You need to search images and tags in Docker Hub: the server only talks to the local daemon, and hub-mcp handles that
- The machine has no Python 3.12, uv or Docker and you cannot install them
- The project must be actively developed: the last commit in the repository dates from December 2024
Example request
Start an nginx container on port 8080 and show me its latest logs in a minuteMCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
Limitations
- An unofficial project with no tie to Docker, the company. The license is MIT, the package version is 0.1.0, and the last change in the repository was made on December 14, 2024.
- Before starting a stack, `deploy-compose` always runs `down --volumes` for the project with that name. Volumes of a previous stack with the same name are deleted along with its containers.
- The author lists what the server lacks: volume and network management, health checks, restart policies and resource limits. The tools also include no stopping or removing of containers.
- `get-logs` returns only the last 100 lines with no choice of period. Container creation is aborted if the image takes longer than 200 seconds to pull and start.
- Tool replies append debug output, and for `deploy-compose` it includes the full YAML text and command output.
- On Windows the server looks for `docker.exe` in `C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\bin`, on other systems it looks for `docker` in PATH.
How to disable. Remove the docker-mcp block from claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop. Containers and stacks the agent has already created keep running: stop them with docker stop and docker compose down.
FAQ
How do I connect Docker MCP to Claude Desktop?
Add an mcpServers block with the docker-mcp server to claude_desktop_config.json, command uvx and args docker-mcp, then restart the app. The file sits in ~/Library/Application Support/Claude on macOS and in %APPDATA%/Claude on Windows. The author also offers another route: npx @smithery/cli install docker-mcp --client claude.
How do I deploy a Docker Compose stack through Claude with docker-mcp?
Ask the agent to deploy the stack and name the project. It calls deploy-compose with the project name and the YAML text. The server saves the file, runs down --volumes and up -d, shows the services with ps and deletes the temporary file.
What happens to data if I deploy a stack again?
Before starting, deploy-compose runs down --volumes for the project with that name, so the volumes of the previous stack are deleted. If they hold data you need, back it up first or give the new stack a different name.
Can I stop or remove a container through docker-mcp?
There are no such tools: the server creates a container, deploys a Compose stack, reads logs and lists containers. Stopping and removing is done by hand in a terminal.
How many log lines does get-logs return?
The last 100 lines of a container's log. You cannot choose a period or a line count. The container is given by name, and the agent takes the list of names from list-containers.
What do I need to install for Docker MCP?
The uv package manager, Python 3.12 or newer, Docker Desktop or Docker Engine and Claude Desktop. You do not download the server by hand: uvx installs it from the docker-mcp package.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Entries that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Entry | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP by QuantGeekDev (this entry) | no | not required | 504 | |
| Docker MCP server | no | not required | 749 | also manages images, networks and volumes and connects to a remote host over SSH, while its prompt builds a plan and applies it after confirmation |
| Docker Hub MCP Server | yes | key is optional | 171 | Docker's official server for searching images and tags in Docker Hub, built for lookup rather than running containers |
| Docker MCP Gateway | yes | not required | 1,616 | the docker mcp gateway and plugin that runs MCP servers from the Docker catalog in separate containers |
README in short
The repository describes the four tools with example JSON calls, Claude Desktop configurations for the production and development modes, and installation through Smithery. Debugging in MCP Inspector and a list of limitations are covered separately. Two demo videos show a Compose stack deployment and a container log analysis. The repository has no tests, and the code is a few files in the `src/docker_mcp` folder.