arcane-rmcp

Arcane Docker and Compose management over MCP and CLI with authenticated stdio and HTTP.

It exposes one MCP tool, arcane, plus the rarcane CLI. Agents can inspect Arcane environments, manage compose projects, containers, images, networks, volumes, registries, GitOps syncs, image updates, vulnerability findings, and system operations through stdio MCP, Streamable HTTP MCP, or direct shell commands.

30-second path: set RARCANE_API_URL and RARCANE_API_KEY, then run npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane status -> start loopback HTTP with RARCANE_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane serve -> call tools/call with {"action":"status"}.

Status: operational RMCP upstream-client server. Write-capable; destructive Docker and Arcane operations require explicit confirmation. HTTP MCP supports loopback dev mode, static bearer tokens, and Google OAuth through lab-auth.

Not for: replacing Arcane, bypassing Docker or Arcane authorization, running arbitrary shell commands, storing registry or Git credentials, multi-tenant isolation, or passing Arcane API keys through MCP tool arguments.

Naming
Capabilities And Boundaries
Install
Quickstart
Client Configuration
Runtime Surfaces
MCP Tool Reference
CLI Reference
Configuration
Authentication
Safety And Trust Model
Architecture
Distribution Contract
Development
Verification
Deployment
Troubleshooting
Related Servers
Documentation
License

Naming

Surface	This repo
Repository	`arcane-rmcp`
Rust crate	`rarcane`
Binary / CLI	`rarcane`
npm package	`@dinglebear/rarcane`
npm binary alias	`rarcane`
MCP server name	`rarcane` in bundled plugin/client config
MCP tool	`arcane`
Config home	`~/.rarcane` on hosts, `/data` in containers
Env prefixes	`RARCANE_`, `RARCANE_MCP_`, `RARCANE_RMCP_*` for npm launcher controls

The repo and npm package use the upstream service name, while the shipped binary keeps the historical Rust CLI name rarcane. The MCP server may be registered as rarcane, but the tool clients call is arcane.

Capabilities And Boundaries

Read Arcane status plus Docker environment, project, container, image, network, volume, registry, GitOps, update, vulnerability, and system state.
Create, update, start, stop, restart, delete, prune, deploy, sync, scan, and back up supported Arcane resources through action/subaction dispatch.
Enforce action scopes and destructive-operation confirmation before forwarding write operations to Arcane.
Expose the quick_start prompt and rarcane://schema/mcp-tool resource for client-side discovery.
Provide setup, doctor, and watch commands for local plugin/runtime checks.

This repo owns	Arcane owns	Explicitly out of scope
MCP/CLI projection, request validation, auth policy, response shaping, setup checks, schema/resource exposure, and destructive gates.	Docker state, Arcane projects and environments, upstream authorization, registry credentials, GitOps secrets, vulnerability scanner output, and API semantics.	Direct Docker socket access, shell execution, credential storage, generic REST proxy behavior, multi-tenant sandboxing, scheduler behavior, and replacing the Arcane UI/API.

Install

Path	Command	Best for	Notes
npm / npx	`npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane --help`	Local MCP clients and quick trials.	Downloads the matching `rarcane` binary from GitHub Releases.
Release installer	`curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dinglebear-ai/rarcane/main/scripts/install.sh \| bash`	Host installs without Node.	Installs `rarcane` for the current Linux host.
Docker / Compose	`docker compose up -d`	Shared HTTP MCP deployments.	Reads `.env` and exposes container port `40110`.
Build from source	`cargo build --release`	Development and audits.	Produces `target/release/rarcane`.
Plugin	`claude plugin install plugins/rarcane`	Claude Code local plugin setup from this checkout.	Uses the packaged skill and monitor metadata. The plugin ships no lifecycle hooks — run `rarcane setup repair` once after install.

npm / npx

Run the stdio MCP server or CLI without a manual binary install:

Terminal

npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane --help
npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane mcp
npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane status

The npm package downloads rarcane during postinstall. Override download behavior only when testing packaging:

Variable	Purpose
`RARCANE_RMCP_SKIP_DOWNLOAD=1`	Skip postinstall binary download.
`RARCANE_RMCP_VERSION` or `RARCANE_RMCP_BINARY_VERSION`	Select the GitHub Release tag.
`RARCANE_RMCP_REPO`	Select the GitHub repo used for release downloads.
`RARCANE_RMCP_RELEASE_BASE_URL`	Select a custom release base URL.

Build From Source

bash

git clone https://github.com/dinglebear-ai/rarcane
cd rarcane
cargo build --release
./target/release/rarcane --help

Minimum supported Rust version: 1.90.

Quickstart

1. Configure Arcane

Point the bridge at an existing Arcane API server:

server.ts

export RARCANE_API_URL=https://arcane.example.com
export RARCANE_API_KEY=...

The API key is read from env or config only. Do not pass it in MCP tool arguments or CLI --params-json.

2. Run A Safe CLI Call

Terminal

npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane status

3. Start Loopback HTTP MCP

bash

RARCANE_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane serve

In another shell:

Terminal

curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:40110/health

4. Make A First MCP Call

Terminal

curl -s -X POST http://127.0.0.1:40110/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"arcane","arguments":{"action":"status"}}}'

Client Configuration

Claude Code Stdio

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rarcane": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "arcane-rmcp", "mcp"],
      "env": {
        "RARCANE_API_URL": "https://arcane.example.com",
        "RARCANE_API_KEY": "..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code HTTP

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rarcane": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:40110/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${RARCANE_MCP_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Codex / Labby Gateway

Register Arcane through Labby as an HTTP upstream when sharing one long-running server, or run it directly as stdio for local-only use.

toml

[mcp_servers.rarcane]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "arcane-rmcp", "mcp"]

Generic MCP JSON

config.json

{
  "command": "rarcane",
  "args": ["mcp"],
  "env": {
    "RARCANE_API_URL": "https://arcane.example.com"
  }
}

Do not put RARCANE_API_KEY, registry credentials, Git credentials, OAuth secrets, SSH keys, passwords, or upstream bearer tokens in MCP tool arguments. Use env, config files, or the MCP client's secret storage. MCP callers never provide credentials, tokens, keys, or secrets as action arguments.

Runtime Surfaces

Surface	Status	Entry point	Purpose
MCP stdio	Supported	`rarcane mcp`, `npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane mcp`	Local child-process MCP clients.
MCP HTTP	Supported	`rarcane serve`, `POST /mcp`	Streamable HTTP MCP for local or shared server deployments.
CLI	Supported	`rarcane <command>`	Scriptable parity and debugging.
Prompt	Supported	`quick_start`	Guides a client through `status` and public `help`.
Resource	Supported	`rarcane://schema/mcp-tool`	JSON schema for the `arcane` tool.
REST API	Not shipped	N/A	Arcane already owns the REST API.
Web UI	Not shipped	N/A	Arcane already owns the web UI.

MCP Tool Reference

One MCP tool is exposed: arcane. Pass the required action argument and, for most domains, a required subaction.

Action	Common subactions	Scope
`help`	action reference or domain-specific help	public
`status`	local bridge and Arcane config status	`rarcane:read`
`elicit_name`	MCP elicitation demonstration	`rarcane:read`
`scaffold_intent`	side-effect-free scaffold planning handoff	`rarcane:read`
`environment`	`list`, `get`, `create`, `update`, `delete`, `test`	read/write
`project`	`list`, `get`, `create`, `update`, `up`, `down`, `restart`, `pull`, `destroy`, `redeploy`, `build`	read/write
`container`	`list`, `get`, `create`, `start`, `stop`, `restart`, `update`, `delete`, `stats`	read/write
`image`	`list`, `get`, `pull`, `delete`, `prune`, `scan`	read/write
`network`	`list`, `get`, `create`, `delete`, `prune`	read/write
`volume`	`list`, `get`, `create`, `delete`, `prune`, `browse`, `list-backups`, `create-backup`, `delete-backup`, `restore`, `restore-files`	read/write
`system`	`docker-info`, `prune`, `start-all`, `stop-all`, `convert`	read/write
`image-update`	`check-all`, `check`, `check-batch`, `summary`	read
`vulnerability`	`summary`, `list`, `scanner-status`, `ignore`, `unignore`, `list-ignored`	read/write
`registry`	`list`, `get`, `create`, `update`, `delete`, `test`	read/write
`gitops`	`list`, `get`, `create`, `update`, `delete`, `sync`, `status`, `browse`	read/write

Action specs in src/actions.rs and the generated schema notes in docs/MCP_SCHEMA.md are the source of truth for required parameters.

Example read-only tool arguments:

config.json

{
  "action": "container",
  "subaction": "list",
  "envId": "default"
}

Example destructive operation:

config.json

{
  "action": "container",
  "subaction": "stop",
  "envId": "default",
  "id": "my-container",
  "params": {
    "confirm": true
  }
}

CLI Reference

rarcane exposes the same service layer as the MCP tool:

bash

rarcane status
rarcane help --domain container
rarcane call --action container --subaction list --env-id default
rarcane call --action system --subaction docker-info --env-id default
rarcane call --action container --subaction stop --env-id default --id my-container --confirm
rarcane doctor --json
rarcane watch --url http://127.0.0.1:40110
rarcane setup check
rarcane setup repair

--params-json accepts action-specific JSON payloads. Do not use it to pass credentials.

Configuration

Host installs read ~/.rarcane/.env, ~/.rarcane/config.toml, and process env. Containers read /data/.env, /data/config.toml, and process env.

Variable	Default	Purpose
`RARCANE_API_URL`	unset	Arcane API base URL.
`RARCANE_API_KEY`	unset	Arcane API key or bearer token.
`RARCANE_MCP_HOST`	`127.0.0.1`	HTTP bind host.
`RARCANE_MCP_PORT`	`40110`	HTTP bind port.
`RARCANE_MCP_SERVER_NAME`	`arcane-rmcp`	Advertised MCP server name.
`RARCANE_MCP_TOKEN`	unset	Static bearer token for HTTP MCP.
`RARCANE_MCP_NO_AUTH`	`false`	Disable auth only for loopback development.
`RARCANE_NOAUTH`	`false`	Trust an upstream gateway to enforce auth.
`RARCANE_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS`	unset	Extra accepted Host header values.
`RARCANE_MCP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS`	unset	Extra accepted CORS origins.
`RARCANE_MCP_PUBLIC_URL`	unset	Public base URL for OAuth issuer metadata.
`RARCANE_MCP_AUTH_MODE`	`bearer`	`bearer` or `oauth`.
`RARCANE_MCP_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE`	`false`	Bypass the per-call destructive confirmation gate. Do not set in shared deployments.
`RARCANE_HOME`	`~/.rarcane`	Config/appdata root override.
`RUST_LOG`	`info`	Log filter.

Authentication

Stdio MCP runs as a local trusted child process and does not use HTTP auth.

HTTP MCP auth policy:

State	Condition	Behavior
Loopback dev	Bound to `127.0.0.1`, `localhost`, or `[::1]`	Local unauthenticated development is allowed.
Mounted bearer	Non-loopback with `RARCANE_MCP_TOKEN`	Requires `Authorization: Bearer <token>` and action scopes.
Mounted OAuth	`RARCANE_MCP_AUTH_MODE=oauth`	Uses Google OAuth/JWT through `lab-auth`; static bearer remains supported.
Trusted gateway	`RARCANE_NOAUTH=true`	Assumes a reverse proxy or gateway already enforced auth.

OAuth mode uses the RARCANE_MCP_* Google OAuth variables documented in docs/CONFIG.md.

OAuth mode is single-replica: client/session state and signing keys are local to one host. Do not run multiple OAuth replicas until those stores are externalized or safely shared.

Safety And Trust Model

Arcane API credentials are loaded from config/env only.
MCP callers select actions and payloads, not upstream credentials.
Destructive subactions reject unless params.confirm=true or CLI --confirm is present.
Unknown actions, unknown subactions, missing environment IDs, missing IDs, and unsafe volume paths are rejected before upstream calls.
Non-loopback HTTP deployments must use bearer auth, OAuth, or a trusted authenticated gateway.
This bridge does not sandbox Arcane itself. Arcane remains responsible for Docker authorization and the effects of Docker operations.

Architecture

text

ArcaneClient  (src/arcane.rs)      HTTP transport and redacted errors
      |
ArcaneService (src/app.rs)         action validation, confirmation, response normalization
      |
MCP shim      (src/mcp/tools.rs)   JSON args -> service -> Value
CLI shim      (src/cli.rs)         argv -> service -> stdout

Distribution Contract

Cargo.toml, Cargo.lock, packages/arcane-rmcp/package.json, .release-please-manifest.json, and server.json must agree on the released version.
GitHub Releases publish the rarcane binary consumed by the npm launcher.
The npm package name is @dinglebear/rarcane; the installed binary alias is rarcane.
Docker/OCI metadata uses ghcr.io/dinglebear-ai/rarcane:<version>.
plugins/rarcane/.mcp.json must launch npx -y @dinglebear/rarcane mcp so stdio clients start the MCP transport rather than the HTTP server.
The root README is curated. Generated or source-of-truth details live in src/actions.rs, docs/MCP_SCHEMA.md, and the package/registry manifests.

Development

bash

cargo fmt --check
cargo test
cargo clippy -- -D warnings
cargo build --release
npm --prefix packages/arcane-rmcp run check

Verification

bash

just verify                 # fmt-check → lint → check → test
just template-check         # patterns, plugin layout, schema docs, scaffold contract
npm --prefix packages/arcane-rmcp run check
git diff --check

Runtime smoke:

bash

RARCANE_API_URL=https://arcane.example.com \
RARCANE_API_KEY=... \
rarcane status

HTTP smoke:

bash

RARCANE_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 rarcane serve
curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:40110/health

Deployment

Use loopback for local development:

bash

RARCANE_MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 rarcane serve

Use Docker Compose for shared HTTP deployment:

bash

cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d

When binding to a non-loopback address, configure RARCANE_MCP_TOKEN, RARCANE_MCP_AUTH_MODE=oauth, or RARCANE_NOAUTH=true behind an authenticated gateway.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
`RARCANE_API_URL is required`	Set `RARCANE_API_URL` in env or `~/.rarcane/.env`.
Arcane calls return unauthorized	Refresh `RARCANE_API_KEY` in Arcane and restart the bridge.
HTTP `/mcp` returns unauthorized	Set `RARCANE_MCP_TOKEN` and send `Authorization: Bearer <token>`.
Stdio client hangs or logs JSON errors	Ensure client config runs `arcane-rmcp mcp`, not the default HTTP server mode.
Destructive action is rejected	Add CLI `--confirm` or MCP `params.confirm=true` after verifying the target.
Port conflict	Set `RARCANE_MCP_PORT` or stop the process already using `40110`.

Related Servers

soma - RMCP runtime for provider-backed MCP servers.
unifi-rmcp - UniFi controller REST API bridge.
tailscale-rmcp - Tailscale API bridge for devices, users, and tailnet operations.
unraid - Unraid GraphQL bridge for NAS and server management.
apprise-rmcp - Apprise notification fan-out bridge for many delivery backends.
gotify-rmcp - Gotify push notification bridge for sends, messages, apps, and clients.
yarr - Media-stack bridge for Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr, Plex, and related services.
ytdl-rmcp - Media download and metadata workflow server.
synapse-rmcp - Local Synapse workflow server for scout and flux actions.
cortex - Syslog and homelab log aggregation MCP server.
axon - RAG, crawl, scrape, extract, and semantic search project.
labby - Homelab control plane and MCP gateway project.
lumen - Local semantic code search MCP server.

Documentation

docs/API.md is the curated action-contract overview.
docs/CONFIG.md is the curated configuration and auth reference.
docs/QUICKSTART.md is the curated smoke-test guide.
docs/MCP_SCHEMA.md is the generated/schema-drift contract for actions, resources, prompts, and validation rules.
plugins/rarcane/skills/rarcane/SKILL.md is the agent usage guide.

License

Original Dinglebear-authored portions of this project are licensed under AGPL-3.0-only. Separate commercial licensing is available for organizations that need terms outside the AGPL. Third-party material remains under its original license. See LICENSING.md.

Arcane RMCP README

arcane-rmcp

Contents

Naming

Capabilities And Boundaries

Install

npm / npx

Build From Source

Quickstart

1. Configure Arcane

2. Run A Safe CLI Call

3. Start Loopback HTTP MCP

4. Make A First MCP Call

Client Configuration

Claude Code Stdio

Claude Code HTTP

Codex / Labby Gateway

Generic MCP JSON

Runtime Surfaces

MCP Tool Reference

CLI Reference

Configuration

Authentication

Safety And Trust Model

Architecture

Distribution Contract

Development

Verification

Deployment

Troubleshooting

Related Servers

Documentation

License