Docker MCP

Overview

Docker MCP provides direct access to Docker, enabling AI agents to manage containers, images, networks, and volumes. Perfect for container debugging, development workflows, and managing Docker-based infrastructure.

Features

• Container Management: Run, stop, start, restart, and remove containers
• Image Operations: Pull, build, list, and remove Docker images
• Log Access: View container logs in real-time
• Exec Commands: Run commands inside running containers
• Network Management: List and manage Docker networks
• Volume Management: List, create, and remove volumes
• System Info: Get Docker system information and events

Installation

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-docker

Configuration

Add to your Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-docker"]
    }
  }
}

Permission Requirements

The MCP server needs access to the Docker socket. On Linux, this typically requires adding your user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

On macOS (with Docker Desktop), the socket is available by default.

Available Tools

Tool	Description
list_containers	List running containers
create_container	Create a new container
start_container	Start a stopped container
stop_container	Stop a running container
remove_container	Remove a container
exec_container	Run a command in a container
logs_container	Get container logs
list_images	List Docker images
pull_image	Pull a Docker image
build_image	Build an image from Dockerfile
remove_image	Remove a Docker image
list_networks	List Docker networks
list_volumes	List Docker volumes
system_info	Get Docker system information

Usage Examples

Container Management

List all running containers

Stop container "my-app-1"

Start container "my-app-1"

Remove container "old-container"

Run Commands in Containers

Execute "ls -la" in container "my-app-1"

Execute "npm test" in container "my-app-1"

View Logs

Get last 100 lines of logs from container "my-app-1"

Follow logs from container "my-app-1" (real-time)

Image Operations

List all Docker images

Pull image "nginx:latest"

Build image from Dockerfile in current directory

Run a New Container

Run container from image "python:3.11" with command "python app.py"

Run container "redis" with port mapping 6379:6379

Claude Desktop Setup

1. Ensure Docker is running
2. Install the MCP server
3. Add configuration to claude_desktop_config.json
4. Restart Claude Desktop
5. The Docker tool will appear in your available tools

Security Considerations

• Docker socket access gives root-equivalent privileges
• Only enable Docker MCP on trusted development machines
• Consider using read-only access for inspection-only workflows
• Be cautious when executing commands in containers

Pros

• ✅ Full Docker CLI functionality
• ✅ Great for container debugging
• ✅ Can run and manage containers directly
• ✅ Real-time log access
• ✅ No additional dependencies

Cons

• ❌ Requires Docker to be installed and running
• ❌ Docker socket access is powerful (security consideration)
• ❌ No built-in Docker Compose support
• ❌ Container operations can affect local development

Resources

• Docker Documentation
• MCP Server Source