Nemeton MCP Server
Control native macOS virtual machines from Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or any MCP client.
This is the official Model Context Protocol bridge for Nemeton — a native macOS app that creates and manages Linux and macOS VMs using Apple's Virtualization.framework (no Parallels, no VMware, no subscriptions).
You need the Nemeton app installed and running. This MCP server is a thin stdio→HTTP bridge — the actual VM logic lives in the app. Get Nemeton at store.juergenkoller.software/apps/nemeton.
What you can do
"Claude, spin up an Ubuntu 24.04 VM with 4 CPUs and 8 GB RAM, install Docker, and tell me when it's ready."
The MCP server exposes 50+ tools across these categories:
| Category | Tools |
|---|---|
| VM Lifecycle | list_vms, get_vm, create_vm, update_vm, clone_vm, delete_vm, reorder_vms, stop_all |
| VM Control | start_vm, stop_vm, force_stop_vm, pause_vm, resume_vm, suspend_vm, get_suspend_status |
| Snapshots (CoW on APFS) | list_snapshots, create_snapshot, restore_snapshot, delete_snapshot |
| Console | send_console, read_console, console_execute, take_screenshot |
| Networking & Files | vm_ip, ssh_execute, file_upload, file_download, file_list |
| GUI Control | gui_launch, gui_windows, vscode_command, select_vm |
| Clipboard Bridge | clipboard_read, clipboard_write |
| Host Info | get_host_info, get_metrics |
| Storage | resize_disk, export_vm, import_vm |
| Distros | list_distros (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch — auto-download ISOs) |
| Display | fullscreen_enter, fullscreen_exit, fullscreen_toggle |
| Webhooks | list_webhooks, register_webhook, delete_webhook |
| Runtime | vm_runtime, vm_errors, list_downloads |
Each tool returns structured JSON with VM state, snapshot metadata, console output, or operation result.
Installation
Prerequisites
- macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later — required for
Virtualization.frameworkfeatures. - Nemeton app installed and running — get it here.
- Swift 5.9+ (Xcode 15+) if you want to build from source. Pre-built binaries are also available.
Build from source
git clone https://github.com/juergenkoller-software/nemeton-mcp.git
cd nemeton-mcp
swift build -c release
# Binary: .build/release/NemetonMCP
Pre-built binary
Download the latest NemetonMCP binary from the Releases page.
Configuration
Claude Desktop
Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"nemeton": {
"command": "/path/to/NemetonMCP",
"env": {
"NEMETON_PORT": "22100",
"NEMETON_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
}
}
}
}
Get NEMETON_TOKEN from Nemeton → Settings → API & Integrations.
Claude Code
Add to ~/.claude/mcp.json (or via claude mcp add):
claude mcp add nemeton /path/to/NemetonMCP \
--env NEMETON_PORT=22100 \
--env NEMETON_TOKEN=your-token-here
Cursor / other MCP clients
Same pattern: configure NemetonMCP as a stdio MCP server with the two environment variables above.
How it works
┌────────────────┐ JSON-RPC stdio ┌────────────────┐ HTTP+Bearer ┌────────────────┐
│ Claude/Cursor │ ───────────────► │ NemetonMCP │ ─────────────► │ Nemeton.app │
│ (MCP client) │ ◄─────────────── │ (this repo) │ ◄───────────── │ (port 22100) │
└────────────────┘ └────────────────┘ └────────────────┘
The bridge reads JSON-RPC 2.0 requests from stdin, forwards them to Nemeton's local HTTP server at 127.0.0.1:22100/mcp, and writes responses back to stdout. All authentication, VM logic, and tool dispatch happens inside the Nemeton app.
This split lets us keep the MCP wire format open-source (so you can audit it, fork it, or run it through any sandboxing layer you prefer) while the VM internals stay in the app.
Environment variables
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
NEMETON_PORT | 22100 | Port of Nemeton's local HTTP server |
NEMETON_TOKEN | (none) | Bearer token from Nemeton Settings (required for write operations) |
Errors and trace logs are written to stderr so they don't pollute the JSON-RPC stdout channel.
About Nemeton
Nemeton is a native macOS app for creating and managing virtual machines using Apple's Virtualization.framework. Highlights:
- No subscription — one-time purchase, €389
- Linux & macOS VMs with automatic ISO/IPSW download
- CoW snapshots on APFS — save VM states without wasting disk
- REST API + WebSocket events (42 endpoints) for automation
- MCP server (this repo) for Claude/AI agents
- Native performance — uses Apple's framework directly, no QEMU overhead
- 100% local — no cloud, no telemetry
→ Get Nemeton at store.juergenkoller.software
License
MIT — see LICENSE. The bridge is open source; the Nemeton app itself is commercial.
Issues & support
- Bridge bugs: open an issue
- App support: support@juergenkoller.software
Built by Juergen Koller Software GmbH.