Scannable docs

How MCP Desk connects

Short reference for codes, hub, invite/connect, and the agent. Not a wall of text.

Your code (MAC → 9 digits)

Each machine gets a stable 9-digit code (xxx xxx xxx) derived from its MAC. Same MAC → same code.

  1. Normalize MAC → 12 lowercase hex digits
  2. Hash with the shared salt (hub + agent use the same algorithm)
  3. Map to a 9-digit display code

Local check: servermcp anyai-code --mac aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff

Hub

The hub is the invite/connect registry: register, heartbeat, resolve invites. Peers find each other by code, not by IP.

  • Public hub (HTTPS, live): https://hub.mcpdesk.io
  • Agent URL: https://hub.mcpdesk.io — agents connect over HTTPS with --hub-url.

Invite / connect

  1. Install agent → see code + short-lived OTP
  2. Share code (+ OTP when requesting access)
  3. Inviter sends invite by code
  4. Invited machine: Approve / Deny (who + from where)
  5. Session opens; heartbeat keeps the device online

Optional always-on service (Windows service / systemd) keeps the agent up after reboot. Each peer still needs Approve/Deny unless you opt into unattended access (see below).

Access & security

Every invite defaults to human approval on the Client. Unattended access is optional and file-gated — like SSH authorized_keys, not a hub account token.

  • Default: stable 9-digit code + rotating OTP. Every invite needs Approve/Deny on the Client. There is no silent accept.
  • Unattended (optional): only if <install_dir>/authorized_keys exists next to the Client binary. One public key per line (SSH-like format). Empty or missing file → OTP + Approve only.
  • Challenge / verify: the Client uses that file for key challenge. No file, or no matching key → fall back to OTP + Approve.
  • Hub account token alone does not grant unattended access — credential ≠ authorized_keys.

On the agent

servermcp --hub-url <hub> auto-registers on start and heartbeats about every 30s. MCP admin tools still work if the hub is briefly down. Per-machine MCP uses bearer auth. 

servermcp --hub-url https://hub.mcpdesk.io

The public HTTPS hub is live. Health check: https://hub.mcpdesk.io/health.

Accounts (optional)

Hub signup/login can track ownership. The machine code is still what you share for remote access. Web signup / login are live against the hub at https://hub.mcpdesk.io.