LabTether MCP
A self-hosted homelab hub with a built-in MCP server: the agent gets 32 tools limited by per-key API scopes
- 126 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- Apache-2.0
Broad access
Why this level
- The hub can open a terminal and remote desktop, move files, restart services and update packages on the lab's machines
- The MCP API key gives the agent access within its scopes, so start with read-only
- The hub holds keys for connected systems and a log, and its ports should stay closed to the outside network
Install
- Works in
Manual install
LABTETHER_VERSION=vX.Y.Z bash install-labtether.shFirst download the script from https://labtether.com/install.sh, read it and substitute the version from the latest release. Requires Docker with Compose 2.33.1+.
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- The hub can open a terminal and remote desktop, move files, restart services and update packages on the lab's machines
- The MCP API key gives the agent access within its scopes, so start with read-only
- The hub holds keys for connected systems and a log, and its ports should stay closed to the outside network
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
LabTether gathers the machines, VMs and containers of a homelab into one hub that runs on your own hardware and starts with Docker Compose. One screen shows nodes with CPU, memory, disk, network and temperature next to their VMs and containers, alerts and logs. From any machine you can open a terminal or a remote desktop over VNC, RDP, SPICE or WebRTC. Node agents need no SSH keys. The hub connects to Proxmox VE, Proxmox Backup Server, TrueNAS, Portainer and Home Assistant with an API key and installs nothing on those systems. Docker hosts need the agent. The hub has alert rules with routes and maintenance silences, incidents, a dependency map, file transfer between machines, service restarts, log search, package updates with a dry run and saved commands on a schedule. The built-in MCP server gives an agent 32 tools for the lab. The connection address for Claude, Cursor or another MCP client is `https://your-hub:8443/mcp`. Each API key has its own scopes, so the agent touches only what you allow. Other entry points: a CLI, a REST API with an OpenAPI reference and a Home Assistant integration. Security covers HTTPS from first boot, 2FA, OIDC single sign-on, owner, admin, operator and viewer roles and an audit log.
Who it is for. Homelab owners on Proxmox, TrueNAS and Docker who want to ask Claude or Cursor about machine state and hand them routine jobs.
Good fit when
- A disk failed overnight and instead of five tabs you want to ask an agent what happened on the nodes and in the logs
- Routine such as restarting a service or updating packages with a dry run goes to an agent with a narrow key scope
- You want the big picture: what goes down with a node if you reboot it, from the dependency map
- Lab data must stay on your network and remote access runs through Tailscale with no open ports
- Agent rules are easy to set through API key scopes: read for one key, actions for another
Not a fit when
- You manage a single Proxmox without a hub: separate MCP servers for Proxmox exist for that
- The lab runs FreeBSD: the platform is planned, and for now such a host is added as a manual device over SSH
- You need a native iPhone and iPad app: it is still on the way
- You want cloud services without your own hardware: the hub is meant to be self-run
Example request
Through the LabTether MCP show nodes with high disk load over the last hour and find in the logs what the service wrote before the errorMCP
- Transport
- http
- Authentication
- API key
Limitations
- Installation needs Docker with Compose 2.33.1 or newer. The installer verifies release checksums and starts pinned images. You are advised to read the script first and run it afterwards.
- The Windows agent is partial: metrics and terminal work, the rest is in progress. FreeBSD is planned. The agent is ready for Linux on amd64 and arm64 and macOS 13 or newer.
- A Docker host needs the agent, while Proxmox, TrueNAS, Portainer and Home Assistant connect with an API key and no install.
- Because access is wide (terminal, files, commands), limit the MCP key's scopes in advance. A KNOWN_ISSUES.md file lists known problems.
How to disable. Revoke the API key given to the agent and remove the LabTether entry from the MCP client config. The hub itself stops with docker compose down in the install folder.
FAQ
How do I connect Claude or Cursor to LabTether?
Give the MCP client your hub's address `https://your-hub:8443/mcp` and an API key with the scopes you need. The built-in server has 32 tools for the lab.
How do I limit what the agent can do?
With API key scopes. Each key gets its own scopes, so the agent touches only what you allow. Hub roles are owner, admin, operator and viewer.
What does LabTether do besides MCP?
It shows nodes, VMs and containers on one screen, opens a terminal and remote desktop, runs alerts and incidents, builds a dependency map, moves files and runs saved commands on a schedule.
How do I install LabTether?
You need Docker with Compose 2.33.1 or newer. Download `install-labtether.sh`, read it and run it with `LABTETHER_VERSION` from the latest release, then open http://localhost:3000 for the setup wizard.
What does LabTether connect to with no install?
Proxmox VE, Proxmox Backup Server, TrueNAS, Portainer and Home Assistant: an API key is enough. Docker hosts connect through the agent.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LabTether (this card) | yes | API key | 126 | |
| ProxmoxMCP-Plus | no | key is optional | 649 | an MCP server for Proxmox VE only, while LabTether covers a hub, terminal, alerts and several systems |
| Docker MCP by QuantGeekDev | no | not required | 504 | Docker container management, while here the whole fleet with VMs, alerts and roles |
README in short
The page states the problem of scattered homelab dashboards and describes the hub: unified overview, connectors, terminal and remote desktop, alerts, daily jobs, a dependency map, automation and a built-in MCP. Then come installation through Docker Compose, adding machines (connectors and agents), a platform table and other entry points: CLI, MCP, REST API and Home Assistant.