MCP
This reference provides a list of commands, arguments, and flags you can use to work with Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers in Blackbird.
blackbird mcp catalog
Description
Lists available MCP servers in the Blackbird MCP catalog. This command retrieves the catalog of MCPs and displays them in a structured format.
Optional Flags
-n, --name=STRING
Filters the catalog by MCP name.
-o, --output=STRING
Renders the output from the command in the requested format. Supported values include json, yaml, and table. If not specified, defaults to table.
Examples
The following example lists all available MCP servers.
The following example lists the details of a specific MCP server.
The following example outputs the MCP catalog in JSON.
blackbird mcp create
Description
Containerizes and deploys code to a hosted environment.
Required Arguments
name
The name of the MCP server you want to create.
Required Flags
-d, --dockerfile=DOCKERFILE
The path to a Dockerfile.
-c, --context=STRING
The path to the source code directory to include in the image.
Optional Flags
-e, --envfile=ENVFILE
The path to a .env file that contains lines of KEY=VALUE pairs.
-n, --image-name=STRING
The name of the image you want to deploy.
-p, --port=PORT
The port on which the container is listening for requests. If not specified, defaults to port 80.
-t, --protocol=STRING
The protocol you want to use for the deployment. Supported values include HTTP and TCP. The default is HTTP.
-r, --registry=STRING
The registry URL where deployment images are pushed.
--apikey-header=STRING
The name of an API key header you want to enable for this deployment.
-w, --wait
Waits for the operation to complete. If not specified, defaults to true.
Examples
The following example creates a new MCP server using the default settings.
The following example creates an MCP server with a custom portal and protocol.
The following example creates an MCP server with environment variables.
blackbird mcp delete
Description
Deletes an MCP deployment from the Blackbird catalog.
Required Arguments
name
The name of the MCP server you want to delete.
Examples
The following example deletes an MCP server called my-mcp from the Blackbird catalog.
blackbird mcp export
Description
Generates connection details for an MCP server. This command retrieves the connection details for the specified MCP server and displays them in a structured format that you can import into your MCP client.
Optional Flags
-n, --name=STRING
The name of one or more MCP servers for which you want to create connection details.
-p, --path=STRING
The path to save the MCP configuration file.
-s, --style=STRING
The style of the configuration file you want to generate. Supported values include vscode, cursor, and claude. If not specified, defaults to vscode.
Examples
The following example exports connection details for a single MCP server.
The following example exports connection details for multiple MCP servers, including my-mcp1 and my-mcp2.
The following example exports the connection details with a custom style and saves it to a specified path.
blackbird mcp list
Description
Lists all MCP deployments.
Optional Flags
-o, --output=STRING
Renders the output from the command in the requested format. Supported values include json, yaml, and table. If not specified, defaults to table.
Examples
The following example lists all MCP servers.
The following example lists all MCP servers using JSON format.
blackbird mcp run
Description
Runs a new MCP server from the catalog. This command deploys a new MCP server with specified parameters and configurations.
Required Arguments
name
The name of the MCP server you want to run.
Optional Flags
-i, --image=STRING
The name of the MCP image you want to create.
-p, --=STRING
Key=value deployment variable parameters. Can be specified multiple times.
-s, --secure
Enables secure mode for the MCP server. If not specified, defaults to true.
Note: If this isn't specified, your MCP server will be publicly available.
-w, --wait
Waits for the operation to complete. If not specified, defaults to true.
Examples
The following example runs a new MCP server with the default settings.
The following example runs a new MCP server with custom parameters.
The following example runs a new MCP server with a custom image.
blackbird mcp update
Description
Updates an existing MCP deployment in the hosted environment.
Required Arguments
name
The name of the MCP server you want to update.
Required Flags
-d, --dockerfile=DOCKERFILE
The path to a Dockerfile.
-c, --context=STRING
The path to the source code directory you want to include in the image.
Optional Flags
-e, --envfile=ENVFILE
The path to as .env file containing KEY=VALUE pairs.
-p, --port=PORT
The port on which the container is listening for requests. If not specified, defaults to port 80.
-t, --protocol=STRING
The protocol you want to use for the deployment. Supported values include HTTP and TCP. The default is HTTP.
-r, --registry=STRING
The registry URL where deployment images are pushed.
--apikey-header=STRING
The name of an API key header you want to enable for this deployment.
Examples
The following example updates an MCP server with new code.
The following example updates an MCP server with new environment variables.
The following example updates an MCP server with a new port and protocol.
Help
Display all available MCP subcommands and flags.
End-to-End usage example
This example demonstrates a complete workflow for using MCP servers to integrate with external services like GitHub, Slack, and PostgreSQL.
Discover which MCP servers are available in the catalog.
Deploy servers for GitHub, Slack, and PostgreSQL with their specific configurations.
Exmport the connection details for each service.
(Optional) Update the configurations
Monitor the status of your MCP servers at any time.
When you're ready, delete the servers.
This completes the full lifecycle of MCP servers for common service integrations.
Consider the following when managing MCP servers:
- Always use secure mode in production environments.
- Keep your API keys and tokens secure.
- Use environment variables for sensitive information.
- Clean up unused MCP servers to avoid unnecessary costs.
- Export configuration details before making significant changes.
- Consider using different MCP servers for different environments (dev/staging/prod).