Unterm vs SSH MCP Server
A side-by-side look at the Unterm and SSH MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Unterm for command line work; choose SSH MCP Server for command line as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Unterm when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Command Line domain.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
Choose SSH MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Command Line domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
ssh_exec, ssh_read_file, ssh_write_file.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Command Line | Command Line |
| Quality signal | 39/100 · Fair | 64/100 · Good |
| Install command | Not confirmed yet | Confirmed |
| Transport | — | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | API key required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 14 | 6 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | Not listed | 21 |
| Full listing | View Unterm | View SSH MCP Server |
Tools & capabilities
Unterm tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
SSH MCP Server tools 21
ssh_execExecute a command on a remote host via SSH. The command is interpreted by the remote login shell — pipes, redirects, globs, and other shell metacharacters work as expected. Returns up to three content blocks in this order: the status (`[exit code: N]`, plus the signal and any truncation), then `[stderr]`, then `[stdout]`. Status comes first so a proxy that cuts long results (Yaw MCP keeps about 100 KB) never drops the exit code; for big output, filter or page on the remote (head, tail, grep). Use `env` to set environment variables for this call without modifying the command string. Subject to SSH_MCP_COMMAND_WHITELIST / SSH_MCP_COMMAND_BLACKLIST if configured (policy is checked against the env-prefixed command).ssh_read_fileRead a file from a remote host via SFTP. A whole-file read is limited to 10 MB. For a large file -- or behind a proxy that caps results, such as Yaw MCP at about 100 KB -- read it in pages with `offset` and `length` (bytes): a paged read returns a status block first (`[bytes A-B of SIZE]` and the next offset) and then the text. If the connection pool is full (SSH_MCP_MAX_POOL_SIZE, default 100), waits up to 30s for a free slot before starting.ssh_write_fileWrite content to a file on a remote host via SFTP. Creates or overwrites the file. If the connection pool is full (SSH_MCP_MAX_POOL_SIZE, default 100), waits up to 30s for a free slot before starting. NOT gated by SSH_MCP_COMMAND_WHITELIST / SSH_MCP_COMMAND_BLACKLIST: command policy applies only to ssh_exec and ssh_multi_exec, so a blacklist such as `^rm` does NOT block this tool.ssh_uploadUpload a local file to a remote host via SFTP. Reads an arbitrary local file at an agent-chosen `localPath` -- any file readable by this process leaves the machine toward the remote host (the mirror direction of ssh_download's local write). If the connection pool is full (SSH_MCP_MAX_POOL_SIZE, default 100), waits up to 30s for a free slot before starting. NOT gated by SSH_MCP_COMMAND_WHITELIST / SSH_MCP_COMMAND_BLACKLIST: command policy applies only to ssh_exec and ssh_multi_exec, so a blacklist such as `^rm` does NOT block this tool.ssh_downloadDownload a file from a remote host to local filesystem via SFTP. If the connection pool is full (SSH_MCP_MAX_POOL_SIZE, default 100), waits up to 30s for a free slot before starting.ssh_lsList files in a directory on a remote host via SFTP. If the connection pool is full (SSH_MCP_MAX_POOL_SIZE, default 100), waits up to 30s for a free slot before starting.ssh_statGet metadata for a file or directory on a remote host via SFTP. Returns size, permissions (octal), uid/gid, mtime/atime, and the path type. Symlinks are reported as `symlink -> <target kind>`: the type describes the link itself while size/mode/mtime describe its TARGET, and a dangling symlink is reported rather than erroring. Use this instead of parsing `ls -la` output. If the connection pool is full (SSH_MCP_MAX_POOL_SIZE, default 100), waits up to 30s for a free slot before starting.ssh_mkdirCreate a directory on a remote host via SFTP. Set `recursive: true` to create parent directories as needed (like `mkdir -p`). Existing intermediate dirs are tolerated; an existing leaf path is still an error. Unlike the other SFTP tools, the path may be relative. If the connection pool is full (SSH_MCP_MAX_POOL_SIZE, default 100), waits up to 30s for a free slot before starting. NOT gated by SSH_MCP_COMMAND_WHITELIST / SSH_MCP_COMMAND_BLACKLIST: command policy applies only to ssh_exec and ssh_multi_exec, so a blacklist such as `^rm` does NOT block this tool.ssh_deleteDelete a file or empty directory on a remote host via SFTP. Auto-detects the path type and calls the right SFTP op (unlink for files/symlinks, rmdir for empty dirs). Recursive directory delete is intentionally NOT supported -- for that, use ssh_exec with `rm -rf` explicitly so the destructive intent is visible in the tool trace. If the connection pool is full (SSH_MCP_MAX_POOL_SIZE, default 100), waits up to 30s for a free slot before starting. NOT gated by SSH_MCP_COMMAND_WHITELIST / SSH_MCP_COMMAND_BLACKLIST: command policy applies only to ssh_exec and ssh_multi_exec, so a blacklist such as `^rm` does NOT block this tool.ssh_diagnoseDiagnose SSH connectivity issues. Checks ssh-agent status, loaded keys, known_hosts, SSH config, and attempts a test connection. Use this BEFORE attempting SSH operations if you suspect connectivity issues, or AFTER a failed SSH operation to understand why it failed.ssh_agent_ensureEnsure ssh-agent is running and reachable. Starts a new agent if needed and sets environment variables so subsequent SSH operations work. Use this FIRST when SSH operations fail with agent-related errors.ssh_key_listList all SSH private keys in ~/.ssh/ with their type, fingerprint, and whether they are loaded in the agent. Use this to find which keys are available and which ones need to be loaded. Reports isError only when ~/.ssh exists but could not be read -- an absent or empty ~/.ssh is a successful answer with a ssh-keygen hint.- +9 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Unterm
No confirmed install command for Unterm yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
SSH MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"ssh-mcp-server-2": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@yawlabs/ssh-mcp"
]
}
}
}