Helmdeck — Claude Code MCP server: sandbox, browser, code
A self-hosted MCP server that hands an agent typed capability packs for browser, desktop, git and code work. Useful when the agent runs on a local model or inside your own network.
claude mcp add helmdeck -e HELMDECK_URL=<HELMDECK_URL> -e HELMDECK_TOKEN=<HELMDECK_TOKEN> -- npx -y @helmdeck/mcp-bridgeWhat Helmdeck does
Helmdeck runs on your own hardware and answers the agent with one-shot JSON calls instead of an open-ended tool surface. Each call is a capability pack: browser, desktop, git, code edits, PDF parsing. A small model fills in the contract rather than working out the steps itself.
One script brings it up. ./scripts/install.sh checks for docker, node ≥20, go ≥1.26, make, openssl and curl, writes fresh secrets to deploy/compose/.env.local, builds the Management UI, the Go binaries and the browser sidecar image, then starts the Compose stack and prints the URL with a generated admin password. No docker on the machine means no install. Flags --reset and --no-build are there for reinstalls and quick restarts.
A running stack does nothing on its own — you still wire a client to it. For Claude the bridge starts with npx -y @helmdeck/mcp-bridge, and HELMDECK_URL plus HELMDECK_TOKEN go into the environment. The binary ships 57 packs, 21 built-in pipelines and a pack marketplace.
What it helps with
- give an agent browser and desktop access without leaving the VPC
- run a code-edit loop on a local model
- turn a PDF into structured Markdown
- let an agent log into SaaS without seeing credentials
- break one prompt into an ordered step plan
Example prompts for the agent
- Route this task to the right pack: fetch a page and post a GitHub comment
- Decompose this request with
helmdeck.planand show me the steps - Store in memory that I work on the
release/1.2branch
How to install Helmdeck
Platform CLI
claude mcp add helmdeck -e HELMDECK_URL=<HELMDECK_URL> -e HELMDECK_TOKEN=<HELMDECK_TOKEN> -- npx -y @helmdeck/mcp-bridgeReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add helmdeck --env HELMDECK_URL=<HELMDECK_URL> --env HELMDECK_TOKEN=<HELMDECK_TOKEN> -- npx -y @helmdeck/mcp-bridgeReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"helmdeck": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@helmdeck/mcp-bridge"
],
"env": {
"HELMDECK_URL": "<HELMDECK_URL>",
"HELMDECK_TOKEN": "<HELMDECK_TOKEN>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"helmdeck": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@helmdeck/mcp-bridge"
],
"env": {
"HELMDECK_URL": "<HELMDECK_URL>",
"HELMDECK_TOKEN": "<HELMDECK_TOKEN>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e HELMDECK_URL=<HELMDECK_URL> -e HELMDECK_TOKEN=<HELMDECK_TOKEN> helmdeck npx -y @helmdeck/mcp-bridgeReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Helmdeck
How do I install Helmdeck in Claude Code?
Bring up the stack first: git clone https://github.com/tosin2013/helmdeck, then cd helmdeck and ./scripts/install.sh. Then add the bridge with claude mcp add helmdeck -e HELMDECK_URL=<HELMDECK_URL> -e HELMDECK_TOKEN=<HELMDECK_TOKEN> -- npx -y @helmdeck/mcp-bridge.
What does Helmdeck do?
It exposes capability packs to the agent — typed JSON calls for browser, desktop, git, code edits and document parsing. Meta-packs cover routing, planning and memory.
What do I need to run Helmdeck?
The installer checks for docker, node ≥20, go ≥1.26, make, openssl and curl. Connecting a client takes the stack URL and a token, passed as HELMDECK_URL and HELMDECK_TOKEN.
