Mcp2cliSAFE

Turn any MCP, OpenAPI, or GraphQL server into a CLI — at runtime, with zero codegen

The instruction file, verbatim from the audited commit — this is the text the model reads, and the surface the audit's instruction layer examines. Quoted here so you can judge it without cloning anything.

---
name: mcp2cli
description: Turn any MCP server, OpenAPI spec, or GraphQL endpoint into a CLI. Use this skill when the user wants to interact with an MCP server, OpenAPI/REST API, or GraphQL API via command line, discover available tools/endpoints, call API operations, or generate a new skill from an API. Triggers include "mcp2cli", "call this MCP server", "use this API", "list tools from", "create a skill for this API", "graphql", or any task involving MCP tool invocation, OpenAPI endpoint calls, or GraphQL queries without writing code.
---

# mcp2cli

Turn any MCP server, OpenAPI spec, or GraphQL endpoint into a CLI at runtime. No codegen.

## Install

```bash
# Run directly (no install needed)
uvx mcp2cli --help

# Or install
pip install mcp2cli
```

## Core Workflow

1. **Connect** to a source (MCP server, OpenAPI spec, or GraphQL endpoint)
2. **Discover** available commands with `--list` (or filter with `--search`)
3. **Inspect** a specific command with `<command> --help`
4. **Execute** the command with flags

```bash
# MCP over HTTP
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse --list
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse create-task --help
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse create-task --title "Fix bug"

# MCP over stdio
mcp2cli --mcp-stdio "npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp" --list
mcp2cli --mcp-stdio "npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp" read-file --path /tmp/hello.txt

# OpenAPI spec (remote or local, JSON or YAML)
mcp2cli --spec https://petstore3.swagger.io/api/v3/openapi.json --list
mcp2cli --spec ./openapi.json --base-url https://api.example.com list-pets --status available

# GraphQL endpoint
mcp2cli --graphql https://api.example.com/graphql --list
mcp2cli --graphql https://api.example.com/graphql users --limit 10
mcp2cli --graphql https://api.example.com/graphql create-user --name "Alice"
```

## CLI Reference

```
mcp2cli [global options] <subcommand> [command options]

Source (mutually exclusive, one required):
  --spec URL|FILE       OpenAPI spec (JSON or YAML, local or remote)
  --mcp URL             MCP server URL (HTTP/SSE)
  --mcp-stdio CMD       MCP server command (stdio transport)
  --graphql URL         GraphQL endpoint URL

Options:
  --auth-header K:V       HTTP header (repeatable, value supports env:/file: prefixes)
  --base-url URL          Override base URL from spec
  --transport TYPE        MCP HTTP transport: auto|sse|streamable (default: auto)
  --env KEY=VALUE         Env var for stdio server process (repeatable)
  --root PATH|FILE_URI   Expose a filesystem root to an MCP server (repeatable)
  --complete SPEC       Complete an MCP prompt or resource-template argument
  --session-start NAME   Start a persistent session daemon (requires --mcp or --mcp-stdio)
  --session NAME         Route command through an existing session daemon
  --session-stop NAME    Stop a named session daemon (sends SIGTERM)
  --session-list         List all active sessions with PID and alive/dead status
  --oauth                 Enable OAuth (authorization code + PKCE flow)
  --oauth-client-id ID    OAuth client ID (supports env:/file: prefixes)
  --oauth-client-secret S OAuth client secret (supports env:/file: prefixes)
  --oauth-scope SCOPE     OAuth scope(s) to request
  --oauth-manual-callback Print the auth URL and read the redirect URL from stdin
                          (headless hosts: VPS over SSH, containers)
  --cache-key KEY         Custom cache key
  --cache-ttl SECONDS     Cache TTL (default: 3600)
  --refresh               Bypass cache
  --list                  List available subcommands
  --search PATTERN        Search tools by name or description (implies --list)
  --fields FIELDS         Override GraphQL selection set (e.g. "id name email")
  --pretty                Pretty-print JSON output
  --raw                   Print raw response body
  --json                  Force valid JSON for every command. --list emits a JSON array;
                          MCP calls emit the full envelope (structuredContent, isError).
  --toon                  Encode output as TOON (token-efficient for LLMs)
  --head N                Limit output to first N records (arrays)
  --version               Show version

Bake mode:
  bake create NAME [opts]   Save connection settings as a named tool
  bake list                 List all baked tools
  bake show NAME            Show config (secrets masked)
  bake update NAME [opts]   Update a baked tool
  bake remove NAME          Delete a baked tool
  bake install NAME         Create ~/.local/bin wrapper script
  @NAME [args]              Run a baked tool (e.g. mcp2cli @petstore --list)
```

Subcommands and flags are generated dynamically from the source.

## Patterns

### Authentication

**Always use `env:` or `file:` prefixes for secrets** — never pass credentials as literal values in CLI flags. Literal values are visible in process listings and shell history.

```bash
# Secret from environment variable (recommended — avoids exposing in process list)
mcp2cli --spec ./spec.json --auth-header "Authorization:env:API_TOKEN" list-items

# Secret from file
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse \
  --auth-header "x-api-key:file:/run/secrets/api_key" \
  search --query "test"
```

### OAuth authentication (MCP HTTP only)

```bash
# Authorization code + PKCE (opens browser)
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse --oauth --list

# Client credentials (machine-to-machine)
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse \
  --oauth-client-id env:OAUTH_CLIENT_ID --oauth-client-secret env:OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET \
  search --query "test"

# With scopes
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse --oauth --oauth-scope "read write" --list
```

Tokens are cached in `~/.cache/mcp2cli/oauth/` and refreshed automatically.

### Transport selection (MCP HTTP only)

```bash
# Default: tries streamable HTTP, falls back to SSE
mcp2cli --mcp https://mcp.example.com/sse --list

# Force SSE transport (skip streamable HTTP attempt)
mcp2c

SAFEgrade B · trust 89/100 Nothing in the source contradicts what it says it does. Grade A is reserved for packages that have also passed the behavioural sandbox.

What the source does

Filesystem

none-observed

Network

none-observed

Shell

none-observed

Dependencies

pinned

Secrets in source

none-found

Findings (0)

No findings outside the package's declared scope.

Gates applied: no_behavioural_pass.

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