[BUG]: Have to launch from command-line for MCP server connections to not fail

[inspiredearth]

It's great that AnythingLLM now supports MCP servers. This opens up a world of possibilities. Thank you. However, I'm having a hard time getting it to work as expected.

How are you running AnythingLLM?

AnythingLLM desktop app

What happened?

My installation of AnythingLLM (v1.8.2) for macOS (v15.5) can only connect to MCP servers (both local and remote) if I launch AnythingLLM it from the command-line.

I don't have this issue with Claude desktop app and BoltAI app, using the same servers.

It suggests to me that there's something particular about AnythingLLM that is resulting in it having an incomplete Node/npx environment when launched as an app.

Front-end Errors are:

Failed to start MCP server: desktop-commander [-32000] MCP error -32000: Connection closed
Failed to start MCP server: monday-api-mcp-hosted [-32000] MCP error -32000: Connection closed
etc.

Related logs:

{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Failed to start MCP server: iMCP {\"error\":\"spawn /private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D3E2387F-2F04-42B1-BFD2-82A30E386F32/d/iMCP.app/Contents/MacOS/imcp-server ENOENT\",\"code\":\"ENOENT\",\"syscall\":\"spawn /private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D3E2387F-2F04-42B1-BFD2-82A30E386F32/d/iMCP.app/Contents/MacOS/imcp-server\",\"path\":\"/private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D3E2387F-2F04-42B1-BFD2-82A30E386F32/d/iMCP.app/Contents/MacOS/imcp-server\",\"stack\":\"Error: spawn /private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D3E2387F-2F04-42B1-BFD2-82A30E386F32/d/iMCP.app/Contents/MacOS/imcp-server ENOENT\\n    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:283:19)\\n    at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:476:16)\\n    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:82:21)\"}","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Attempting to start MCP server: monday-api-mcp-hosted","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Failed to start MCP server: monday-api-mcp-hosted {\"error\":\"MCP error -32000: Connection closed\",\"code\":-32000,\"stack\":\"McpError: MCP error -32000: Connection closed\\n    at Client._onclose (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/shared/protocol.js:101:23)\\n    at _transport.onclose (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/shared/protocol.js:73:18)\\n    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/client/stdio.js:97:77)\\n    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:513:28)\\n    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1091:16)\\n    at Socket.<anonymous> (node:internal/child_process:449:11)\\n    at Socket.emit (node:events:513:28)\\n    at Pipe.<anonymous> (node:net:322:12)\"}","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Attempting to start MCP server: monday-api-mcp","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Failed to start MCP server: monday-api-mcp {\"error\":\"MCP error -32000: Connection closed\",\"code\":-32000,\"stack\":\"McpError: MCP error -32000: Connection closed\\n    at Client._onclose (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/shared/protocol.js:101:23)\\n    at _transport.onclose (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/shared/protocol.js:73:18)\\n    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/client/stdio.js:97:77)\\n    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:513:28)\\n    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1091:16)\\n    at Socket.<anonymous> (node:internal/child_process:449:11)\\n    at Socket.emit (node:events:513:28)\\n    at Pipe.<anonymous> (node:net:322:12)\"}","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Successfully started 0 MCP servers: []","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Attempting to start MCP server: desktop-commander","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Failed to start MCP server: desktop-commander {\"error\":\"MCP error -32000: Connection closed\",\"code\":-32000,\"stack\":\"McpError: MCP error -32000: Connection closed\\n    at Client._onclose (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/shared/protocol.js:101:23)\\n    at _transport.onclose (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/shared/protocol.js:73:18)\\n    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/client/stdio.js:97:77)\\n    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:513:28)\\n    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1091:16)\\n    at Socket.<anonymous> (node:internal/child_process:449:11)\\n    at Socket.emit (node:events:513:28)\\n    at Pipe.<anonymous> (node:net:322:12)\"}","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Attempting to start MCP server: iMCP","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Failed to start MCP server: iMCP {\"error\":\"spawn /private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D3E2387F-2F04-42B1-BFD2-82A30E386F32/d/iMCP.app/Contents/MacOS/imcp-server ENOENT\",\"code\":\"ENOENT\",\"syscall\":\"spawn /private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D3E2387F-2F04-42B1-BFD2-82A30E386F32/d/iMCP.app/Contents/MacOS/imcp-server\",\"path\":\"/private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D3E2387F-2F04-42B1-BFD2-82A30E386F32/d/iMCP.app/Contents/MacOS/imcp-server\",\"stack\":\"Error: spawn /private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D3E2387F-2F04-42B1-BFD2-82A30E386F32/d/iMCP.app/Contents/MacOS/imcp-server ENOENT\\n    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:283:19)\\n    at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:476:16)\\n    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:82:21)\"}","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Attempting to start MCP server: monday-api-mcp-hosted","service":"backend"}
{"level":"info","message":"\u001b[36m[r]\u001b[0m Failed to start MCP server: monday-api-mcp-hosted {\"error\":\"MCP error -32000: Connection closed\",\"code\":-32000,\"stack\":\"McpError: MCP error -32000: Connection closed\\n    at Client._onclose (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/shared/protocol.js:101:23)\\n    at _transport.onclose (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/shared/protocol.js:73:18)\\n    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/Applications/AnythingLLM.app/Contents/Resources/backend/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/dist/cjs/client/stdio.js:97:77)\\n    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:513:28)\\n    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1091:16)\\n    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:302:5)\"}","service":"backend"}

Please advise if there is some way to make AnythingLLM connect to MCP servers without to launch AnythingLLM via command line (i.e. when it is launched from the Desktop GUI)

Are there known steps to reproduce?

No response

[CesareIsHere]

I have the same problem

[timothycarambat]

This almost certainly has to do with ENV inheritance. What does your config for MCP look like. It is either the ENV or the execution permissions of the MCP command not being allow - the error message MCP gives back does not help that much with debugging.

Considering spawn /private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/ is trying to spawn form likely a userspace protected folder that is my current hunch.

[vitaliiivanovspryker]

The same issue
Applied configurations work fine for Claude and other MCP agents, but do not work for AnythingLLM
tested with various MCP servers both public and developed

[kingmohbil]

I'm having the same issue as well with multiple mcp servers, using python and npm

"mcpServers": {
      "kali_mcp": {
                  "command": "python",
                  "args": [
                      "/Users/mohammad/Projects/MCP-Kali-Server/mcp_server.py",
                      "--server",
                      "http://localhost:3002/"
                  ],
                  "type": "stdio"
              },
  }

{
  "mcpServers": {
      "playwright": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": [
          "@playwright/mcp@latest"
        ]
      }
  }
}

[expose]

I'm having the same issue with docker installed and working. Anything LLM just don't recognize this server. This one:

"context7": {
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"]
},

on the other hand works.

[abderrahmanskiredj]

Same issue

[enmanuelmag]

Same issue even with a local MCP (stdio)

[inspiredearth]

This almost certainly has to do with ENV inheritance. What does your config for MCP look like. It is either the ENV or the execution permissions of the MCP command not being allow - the error message MCP gives back does not help that much with debugging.

Considering spawn /private/var/folders/f5/xj8j7h19193_32dbgh9sfwgr0000gn/T/AppTranslocation/ is trying to spawn form likely a userspace protected folder that is my current hunch.

Thanks @timothycarambat . Since posting my Issue report, I've been busy with other projects, and I've not had time to look into this since then. But I wanted to acknowledge your response and suggestions. I will try this out as soon as I am able.
In the mean time, it appears other have encountering what might be the same issue. Perhaps they also have env issues in their MCP config?

[enmanuelmag]

I just tried with "empty" MCP server STDIO and still facing same error

Update: Only fails on MacOS, Windows works fine

[setuk]

Same problem here. Stops me from using your product. Want to connect to Notion and Jira.

[jmvalente]

I believe the problem is here

anything-llm/server/utils/MCP/hypervisor/index.js

Line 239 in b44cf21

let baseEnv = {

    let baseEnv = {
      PATH: process.env.PATH || "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin",
      NODE_PATH: process.env.NODE_PATH || "/usr/local/lib/node_modules",
    };

I have npm installed via homebrew, with homebrew's path in my zsh profile.

I'll have this issue launching from bash as well since the path isn't set.

I'm not too familiar with node but /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules is the NODE_PATH where npm is installed via homebrew.