MCP Server with macOS Native Containers

Secure, lightweight AI tool execution without Docker

Deploy Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers using macOS's built-in sandboxing capabilities—no virtualization overhead, no Docker required. Ideal for running AI-powered development tools with strong OS-level isolation.

Why Native Containers?

Traditional containerization adds extra layers and resource overhead on macOS. This native approach leverages Apple's security framework to provide:

• No virtualization layer for near-native performance
• Minimal resource usage with no background daemons
• macOS Sandbox profiles for granular permissions
• Instant startup without image pulls

Quick Start

# Install the MCP manager
npm install -g @autodevops/mcp-manager

# One-command setup and deployment
mcp-manager setup

Your MCP server is now running securely!

Architecture

Key Components

Use Cases

AI-Powered Development Tools

• Code analysis and generation
• Automated testing and documentation
• Security scanning with sandboxed execution
• Build automation without container overhead

Secure Tool Execution

• File system isolation with read/write restrictions
• Network access control
• Resource consumption limits
• Audit-compliant process isolation

Local Development Environments

• Fast iteration without Docker rebuilds
• Direct file system access for development
• Native performance for resource-intensive tools
• Simple debugging with standard macOS tools

Configuration

Sandbox Permissions

Customize ~/.mcp/config/mcp.sb for your security requirements:

(version 1)
(deny default)
(allow file-read* (subpath "/Users/yourname/projects"))
(allow network-outbound)
(allow process-exec (literal "/usr/local/bin/node"))

Resource Limits

Configure via Launch Agent (~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.mcp.server.plist):

<key>HardResourceLimits</key>
<dict>
    <key>NumberOfProcesses</key>
    <integer>10</integer>
    <key>ResidentSetSize</key>
    <integer>536870912</integer>
</dict>

Performance Comparison

Metrics based on internal benchmarks; results may vary.

Management Commands

mcp-manager setup      # Initial setup and configuration
mcp-manager start      # Start the MCP server
mcp-manager stop       # Stop the MCP server
mcp-manager status     # Check server status and resources
mcp-manager logs       # View real-time logs
mcp-manager uninstall  # Complete removal

Security Features

• Process isolation via macOS Sandbox
• Explicit file system permissions
• Granular network access control
• CPU, memory and process count limits
• Runs entirely in user space
• Audit logs stored in ~/.mcp/data/logs/

Integration Example

Claude Desktop Configuration

Automatically configured during setup, or add manually to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "native-container": {
      "command": "/usr/bin/sandbox-exec",
      "args": ["-f", "~/.mcp/config/mcp.sb", "node", "~/.mcp/server/server.js"],
      "env": { "NODE_ENV": "production" }
    }
  }
}

Custom Tool Development

server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (request) => {
  const { name, arguments: args } = request.params;
  switch (name) {
    case 'custom_analysis':
      return analyzeCode(args.path);
    case 'security_scan':
      return runSecurityCheck(args.target);
  }
});

Benefits for autodevops.ai Users

1. Instant deployment with simple npm install
2. No Docker Desktop licensing costs
3. Faster pipelines with native execution
4. One less abstraction layer to manage
5. OS-level sandboxing for better security

Resources

• GitHub Repository
• MCP SDK Documentation
• macOS Sandbox Guide
• TypeScript Implementation

Requirements

• macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
• Node.js 18+
• 100MB disk space
• No Docker required