Serve MCP over HTTPS for the Claude Desktop connector

Claude Desktop's custom connector only accepts https URLs. Added an optional TLS listener (HTTPS_ADDR + TLS_CERT_FILE/TLS_KEY_FILE) alongside HTTP; docker-compose publishes 127.0.0.1:8443 and mounts a local mkcert cert from certs/ (git-ignored). Best-effort: a missing cert logs a warning and stays HTTP-only. Verified the Windows store trusts the mkcert cert and MCP initialize succeeds over https://127.0.0.1:8443/mcp.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
2026-09-20 07:40:21 -04:00
parent 2d7f814a23
commit f23f2f2b30
7 changed files with 78 additions and 4 deletions
+14
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@@ -7,6 +7,20 @@
# authentication (AGENT.md §0). Only bind to a non-local interface deliberately.
LISTEN_ADDR=127.0.0.1:8080
# HTTPS (optional, but REQUIRED for the MCP connector — Claude Desktop only
# accepts https:// URLs). When HTTPS_ADDR and both cert/key are set, an HTTPS
# listener starts alongside HTTP. docker-compose sets these to the mounted certs.
# Generate a locally-trusted cert on the HOST with mkcert (installs a local CA
# your OS — and Claude Desktop — will trust), from the project root:
# winget install FiloSottile.mkcert
# mkcert -install # trust step (adds the local CA)
# mkdir certs
# mkcert -cert-file certs/localhost.pem -key-file certs/localhost-key.pem localhost 127.0.0.1 ::1
# Then connect Claude Desktop to https://localhost:8443/mcp
HTTPS_ADDR=
TLS_CERT_FILE=
TLS_KEY_FILE=
# Roots to scan for Git repositories, comma-separated (absolute paths).
# Inside Docker these must be the *container* paths that the host roots are
# mounted to (see docker-compose.yml). Example: /repos,/work/other
+3
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@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ gitmanager.exe
# Logs
*.log
# Local TLS certificates (generated with mkcert; never commit)
/certs/
# Editor / OS
.DS_Store
.idea/
+12 -3
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@@ -345,6 +345,13 @@ obeys the safety rules (§1.4).
`github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk`. Claude Desktop connects to it as a
**custom connector**. Like the rest of the app it is **localhostbound and
unauthenticated** (Section 0) — do not expose it offhost without asking.
- **The connector requires `https://`** (Claude Desktop rejects plain `http`).
So `/mcp` is also served over **TLS on localhost** with a **locallytrusted
cert** (mkcertgenerated; the app just reads the cert/key files). Installing the
local CA into the OS trust store is a **host setup step the user performs**, not
something the app or Claude does (it is a securitysettings change). Do **not**
reach for a public tunnel to get HTTPS — that would expose an unauthenticated
repomanagement app to the internet.
- MCP **tools are thin adapters** over the service layer — no Git/forge logic in
the tool handlers (§1.7). Expected tools (grow as features land):
- Read: `list_repos`, `get_repo`, `get_active_project`, `get_activity`,
@@ -507,9 +514,11 @@ silently guess.)*
- ✅ **RESOLVED 2026-09-19:** **Project handoff is cooperative** — user requests a
switch, Claude finishes to a safe checkpoint, switches, and the user is notified;
pullfirst, not autonomous (Section 8.3).
- **MCP connector setup:** confirm this Claude Desktop build supports adding a
local StreamableHTTP custom connector (`http://127.0.0.1:8080/mcp`); if not,
fall back to a stdio shim.
- ✅ **RESOLVED 2026-09-20:** Claude Desktop's custom connector **requires
`https://`**. Resolved with **local TLS via mkcert** — connect to
`https://localhost:8443/mcp` (HTTP dashboard stays on `:8080`). The user runs
`mkcert -install` + cert generation on the host (§8.1); the stdioshim fallback
is no longer needed.
- **Idletrigger for handoff:** the pull model syncs at Claude's turn boundaries.
If Claude is idle when the user switches, decide the nudge (user's next message,
a heartbeat/poll, or a host push if available) — do not assume instant wake.
+15
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@@ -69,3 +69,18 @@ Append-only running history of all changes (AGENT.md §9.1). Newest last.
- **Gotcha:** Docker-on-Windows bind mounts do NOT deliver filesystem events, so
air's watch-based reload silently never fired. Fixed by enabling air polling
(`poll = true`, `poll_interval = 500` in `.air.toml`).
## 2026-09-20 — HTTPS for the MCP connector (local TLS via mkcert)
- **What:** Added an optional HTTPS listener alongside HTTP. New config
`HTTPS_ADDR`, `TLS_CERT_FILE`, `TLS_KEY_FILE`; when set, `cmd/server` starts
`e.StartTLS` on the same Echo app (best-effort — a missing cert logs a warning
and stays HTTP-only). docker-compose publishes `127.0.0.1:8443` and points the
TLS vars at `certs/localhost.pem` (mounted via the existing source mount).
`.gitignore` ignores `/certs/`; `.env.example` documents the mkcert steps.
- **Why:** Claude Desktop's custom MCP connector only accepts `https://` URLs.
Local TLS with an mkcert-trusted cert lets `https://localhost:8443/mcp` work
without exposing the unauthenticated app via a public tunnel (AGENT.md §8.1).
- **Affects:** `internal/config`, `cmd/server/main.go`, `docker-compose.yml`,
`.gitignore`, `.env.example`, `AGENT.md` (§8.1, §11).
- **Host setup (user-run):** the local CA install (`mkcert -install`) is a
security-settings change performed by the user, not the app.
+16
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@@ -110,6 +110,22 @@ func main() {
}()
log.Info("listening", "addr", cfg.ListenAddr)
// Optional HTTPS listener (same Echo app). Required for the MCP connector,
// which only accepts https:// URLs (§8.1). Best-effort: a missing/unreadable
// cert logs a warning and leaves the app running over HTTP.
if cfg.HTTPSAddr != "" && cfg.TLSCertFile != "" && cfg.TLSKeyFile != "" {
if _, err := os.Stat(cfg.TLSCertFile); err != nil {
log.Warn("HTTPS requested but cert not readable — serving HTTP only", "cert", cfg.TLSCertFile, "err", err)
} else {
go func() {
if err := e.StartTLS(cfg.HTTPSAddr, cfg.TLSCertFile, cfg.TLSKeyFile); err != nil && err != http.ErrServerClosed {
log.Error("TLS server error", "err", err)
}
}()
log.Info("listening (https)", "addr", cfg.HTTPSAddr)
}
}
quit := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
signal.Notify(quit, os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
<-quit
+7
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@@ -12,10 +12,17 @@ services:
# Bind all interfaces INSIDE the container so the published port reaches
# it; the `ports` mapping below still keeps it localhost-only on the HOST.
- LISTEN_ADDR=0.0.0.0:8080
# HTTPS for the MCP connector (Claude Desktop only accepts https URLs).
# Certs are generated on the host with mkcert (see README/.env.example)
# and mounted read-only below.
- HTTPS_ADDR=0.0.0.0:8443
- TLS_CERT_FILE=/app/certs/localhost.pem
- TLS_KEY_FILE=/app/certs/localhost-key.pem
# The scanner looks here; matches the volume mount below.
- GIT_REPO_ROOTS=/repos
ports:
- "127.0.0.1:8080:8080"
- "127.0.0.1:8443:8443"
volumes:
# Source, for hot reload.
- .:/app
+11 -1
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@@ -14,7 +14,14 @@ import (
// Config is the typed application configuration.
type Config struct {
ListenAddr string // address the HTTP server binds to
ListenAddr string // address the plain HTTP server binds to
// TLS: when HTTPSAddr and both cert/key files are set, an HTTPS listener is
// started in addition to the HTTP one. Claude Desktop's MCP connector only
// accepts https:// URLs, so /mcp must be reachable over TLS (AGENT.md §8.1).
HTTPSAddr string // address the HTTPS server binds to ("" disables TLS)
TLSCertFile string // PEM cert (e.g. an mkcert leaf trusted by the OS store)
TLSKeyFile string // PEM private key
RepoRoots []string // roots to scan for git repositories
GitBin string // path to the git binary
@@ -38,6 +45,9 @@ func Load() (Config, error) {
c := Config{
ListenAddr: env("LISTEN_ADDR", "127.0.0.1:8080"),
HTTPSAddr: env("HTTPS_ADDR", ""),
TLSCertFile: env("TLS_CERT_FILE", ""),
TLSKeyFile: env("TLS_KEY_FILE", ""),
RepoRoots: splitList(env("GIT_REPO_ROOTS", "")),
GitBin: env("GIT_BIN", "git"),
ScanMaxDepth: envInt("SCAN_MAX_DEPTH", 4),