Nemeton MCP

What juergenkoller-software/nemeton-mcp MCP server does

The juergenkoller-software/nemeton-mcp MCP server exposes Nemeton's virtual-machine management API through the Model Context Protocol. Nemeton is a native macOS application built on Apple's Virtualization.framework, and the app—not this bridge—performs the VM operations.

You can use an MCP client to create, update, clone, start, stop, pause, resume, suspend, and delete VMs. The available operations also cover Linux and macOS guest systems, VM IP lookup, console interaction, screenshots, file transfers, SSH commands, disk resizing, VM import and export, and display fullscreen controls.

The bridge also exposes APFS copy-on-write snapshot operations, host information and metrics, clipboard access, GUI-related actions, webhook management, runtime status, VM errors, and download status. Distribution support includes listing Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and Arch options, with automatic ISO downloads handled by Nemeton.

How it works

The juergenkoller-software/nemeton-mcp MCP server runs as a local stdio process. It reads JSON-RPC 2.0 messages from standard input and returns MCP responses on standard output. For each request, it sends an HTTP request to Nemeton's local endpoint at 127.0.0.1:22100/mcp using bearer-token authentication.

Nemeton remains responsible for tool dispatch, authentication, VM state, and interaction with Apple's virtualization APIs. This separation means the repository contains the MCP-to-HTTP bridge, while the native application supplies the virtualization functionality. Error and trace messages are written to standard error so they do not interfere with MCP responses.

Setup and configuration

Run the juergenkoller-software/nemeton-mcp MCP server on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, with the Nemeton app installed and running. Source builds require Swift 5.9 or newer, available with Xcode 15 or later. The repository also provides pre-built binaries through its Releases page.

The bridge uses two environment variables:

• NEMETON_PORT sets the port for Nemeton's local HTTP server and defaults to 22100.
• NEMETON_TOKEN supplies the bearer token obtained from Nemeton under Settings → API & Integrations. The token is required for write operations.

Configure the compiled NemetonMCP binary as a stdio MCP server in Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or another compatible MCP client. The configuration must provide the binary path and these environment variables. The README does not provide a package-manager installation command; building from source uses swift build -c release.

Tools and capabilities

The listed tool groups include:

• VM lifecycle and control, including creation, cloning, ordering, shutdown, pause, resume, and suspension.
• CoW snapshots on APFS, with listing, creation, restoration, and deletion.
• Console and guest access through console commands, console reads, SSH execution, screenshots, uploads, downloads, and file listings.
• Networking, GUI control, clipboard bridging, fullscreen display changes, and VS Code commands.
• Host metrics, runtime information, error reporting, storage resizing, VM transfer, distribution discovery, and webhook registration.

Tool responses use structured JSON containing VM state, snapshot information, console output, or an operation result.

Limitations and notes

The juergenkoller-software/nemeton-mcp MCP server is not a standalone hypervisor. Nemeton must be installed and running, and the actual app is commercial even though the bridge source is MIT-licensed. The implementation targets macOS and depends on Virtualization.framework; the documented minimum version is macOS 14.

The bridge communicates with a local Nemeton service rather than a hosted endpoint. Its behavior therefore depends on the Nemeton app, its local API, and the configured token. The README describes support for Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and generic MCP clients, but does not specifically document Windsurf or Cline configuration.