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For a local MCP server, use stdio: the MCP client starts the server process and exchanges JSON-RPC messages through its standard input and output. A simple example is npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-everything. For a server that clients must reach over a network, use Streamable HTTP instead. The right command depends on which transport the server and client support.
Choose the transport before choosing the command
MCP servers do not all start or communicate in the same way. For a local integration, a client typically spawns the server as a child process and speaks MCP over stdin and stdout. For remote access, the server listens over HTTP and a client connects to it. These are different operating arrangements, not interchangeable command-line flags.
| Transport | Who starts the server? | How the client connects | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| stdio | The MCP client starts the process. | Newline-delimited JSON-RPC through stdin/stdout. | A local client and server on the same machine, with the client configured to launch the server. |
| Streamable HTTP | You or a service operator starts the server. | Over HTTP; optional server-to-client notifications can use SSE. | Clients need to connect to a server over a network. |
| HTTP+SSE | You or a service operator starts the server. | Using the older HTTP and SSE arrangement. | Compatibility with a client or server that requires the legacy transport. |
The MCP TypeScript SDK describes stdio as the choice for local integrations where the client spawns the server, and Streamable HTTP as the choice for remote servers. Its guide labels HTTP+SSE deprecated for new implementations. Confirm the transport supported by your particular client and server before exposing a service.
Run a local stdio server with npx
With Node.js and npm’s npx available, this command starts the example server in its default stdio mode:
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npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-everythingThe repository also documents selecting stdio explicitly:
npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-everything stdioThe -y option in the first command tells npx to proceed without an interactive package-install confirmation. On first use, npx may need to download the package, so network access and permission to fetch npm packages are needed. The command starts a server process; it does not provide a general-purpose interactive shell for invoking MCP tools. The MCP client is responsible for launching it and exchanging protocol messages.
Configure the client to spawn the process
Use the client’s server configuration mechanism to provide the executable and arguments from the command above. The exact configuration file, field names, and restart procedure vary by client, so use that client’s documentation rather than copying a configuration format from another application. If the client supports environment variables or a working directory for the server, set only the values the server actually needs.
When launched correctly, the client should complete the MCP initialization exchange and make the server’s advertised capabilities available. A terminal that remains occupied while the server is running is normal: the client owns the child process for the duration of the connection. Do not type arbitrary text into its terminal streams; those streams carry protocol data.
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Run the example server over Streamable HTTP
To start the example server in Streamable HTTP mode, run:
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-everything streamableHttpThis is the option to consider when a client must connect over HTTP rather than spawn a local process. The server must be reachable at the address and port it binds to, and the client must be configured for the endpoint that the server exposes. Check the server’s own output and documentation for its actual bind address and endpoint; do not assume every MCP server uses the same port or path.
For deployments reachable beyond the same machine, also check the server’s authentication and TLS requirements, network access controls, and whether it is safe to expose its tools to those clients. These details depend on the selected server and deployment; the transport choice alone does not secure a service.
Run from a source checkout
If you have checked out the example repository and want to run its Streamable HTTP entry point from source, the documented commands are:
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cd src/everything
npm install
npm run start:streamableHttpRun these from the repository location where src/everything exists. npm install installs the project dependencies; the final command starts the Streamable HTTP example. For the repository’s legacy SSE mode, it lists:
npm run start:sseChoose that legacy entry point only when your client or server integration needs HTTP+SSE compatibility. For a new remote integration, the SDK’s current guidance is Streamable HTTP.
Bridge a stdio server to HTTP
Some MCP servers support only stdio, while a client or deployment needs an HTTP endpoint. Supergateway can run the local process and bridge its stdio transport to Streamable HTTP:
npx -y supergateway
--stdio "npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ./my-folder"
--outputTransport streamableHttp
--port 8000In this example, Supergateway launches the filesystem server with ./my-folder as its target and listens on port 8000. Its documented default endpoint for Streamable HTTP is /mcp. A client connecting to this bridge therefore needs the bridge’s reachable host, port, and endpoint, rather than a local stdio process configuration.
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Limit the filesystem server to the directory it needs. The command above grants it a relative folder, not the whole machine. Before making a bridge reachable to other machines, decide who may connect and verify the authentication and TLS behavior of the server and deployment. The example does not by itself establish those protections.
Supergateway also documents stdio-to-SSE using explicit paths:
npx -y supergateway
--stdio "npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ./my-folder"
--outputTransport sse
--ssePath /sse
--messagePath /message
--port 8000Use this form only if the client requires the older SSE arrangement. If instead you need a remote Streamable HTTP server to appear as a local stdio server, Supergateway documents the reverse direction with --streamableHttp URL; consult its documentation for the full command and required URL details.
Package the bridge in Docker
Docker is optional: it packages the bridge so you do not need a local Node.js setup for this documented image command. The example publishes port 8000 and runs a filesystem server:
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--stdio "npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /"
--port 8000The example grants the filesystem server access to /, which is broader than most tasks require. Mount a narrower host directory and point the server at that mounted path when it only needs selected files. Review what the container can access before starting it, and make sure the MCP server’s tools are appropriate for the users who can reach the published port.
Keep stdio sessions valid
In stdio mode, stdout is not a place for ordinary status messages. The MCP transport specification says the server must not write anything to stdout that is not a valid MCP message. A debug line, banner, progress message, or incidental output from a wrapper can break the client’s JSON-RPC stream.
- Send human-readable logs and diagnostics to stderr.
- Keep protocol messages on stdout in the format expected by the transport.
- Do not try to use the same stdout stream for both shell output and MCP traffic.
- When a client starts the process, let that client manage the session instead of manually piping unrelated input into it.
Client shutdown is also managed at the process level. In the TypeScript SDK, StdioClientTransport.close() closes stdin and then attempts SIGTERM and, if necessary, SIGKILL. A server that does not exit immediately when a client disconnects may therefore be terminated by the client’s cleanup behavior.
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Troubleshoot common startup and connection problems
The client cannot start the server
- Cause: The client cannot find
npx, the package download fails, or its launch configuration points to the wrong command or working directory. - Fix: Confirm Node.js/npm and
npxare installed in the environment the client uses, check network access for the initial package download, then test the exact command in a terminal. Make sure the client’s executable, arguments, and working directory match the working command.
The server starts, but the client reports a protocol or JSON error
- Cause: Non-protocol output has reached stdout, or the client is using a different transport from the server.
- Fix: Route logs to stderr, remove startup banners from stdout, and confirm both sides use stdio or both connect using the same HTTP transport and endpoint.
An HTTP client cannot connect
- Cause: The server is not running in HTTP mode, the client has the wrong host, port, or path, or the endpoint is not reachable from the client’s network.
- Fix: Verify the server’s startup output and its documented endpoint, check the published port and network route, and ensure the client is configured for Streamable HTTP. If using Supergateway’s documented Streamable HTTP default, check the
/mcppath.
An older client rejects Streamable HTTP
- Cause: Its implementation may require the legacy HTTP+SSE transport.
- Fix: Check the client’s supported transports. If it requires SSE, use the server’s documented SSE mode or a compatible bridge; do not switch a new integration to a deprecated transport without a compatibility reason.
The server does not stop cleanly
- Cause: The client may be closing the child process after the session ends, including escalating termination if needed.
- Fix: Check server cleanup behavior and logs on stderr. Avoid running unmanaged duplicate server processes; restart through the client or supervisor that owns the session.
The Docker bridge exposes too much or cannot be reached
- Cause: The filesystem command may target a broad path, the required directory may not be mounted, or the port mapping may not match the bridge listener.
- Fix: Mount and target only the necessary directory, verify the container’s listening port against
-p, and check the client’s host and endpoint. Restrict access to the published port according to your deployment’s security needs.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
There are no comparable performance or reliability figures established here for these commands, so choose based on how the server needs to be launched and reached rather than assuming one transport is faster. A local stdio process avoids setting up a network endpoint, but it depends on the client being able to launch and manage the executable. Streamable HTTP suits network access, but introduces endpoint reachability and deployment configuration to manage. A bridge adds another process between the client and server; Docker adds packaging and port/mount configuration.
For repeatable use, pin and manage package versions according to your project’s operational needs, rather than relying indefinitely on an unqualified package command. Test startup and shutdown through the actual MCP client, not only by observing that a process launches. The npm page for @modelcontextprotocol/server identifies v2 as the stable release line implementing the MCP specification dated 2026-07-28; that statement concerns that package and specification, not a guarantee that every example server or client supports the same versions.
Quick Recap
Checklist before connecting a client
- Choose stdio for a client-spawned local process, or Streamable HTTP for network access.
- Confirm that the specific client and server support the same transport.
- For stdio, keep stdout protocol-only and direct logs to stderr.
- For HTTP, verify the listener, endpoint, network reachability, and the deployment’s security controls.
- For a bridge or container, restrict filesystem access and expose only the required port and tools.
- Test initialization, tool availability, and clean shutdown using the intended client.
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