Skip to content

Operation

Updates

The server keeps itself up to date:

cco-mcp-server update --check   # Is there a new version covered by the license?
cco-mcp-server update           # Install the new version + refresh the license

update downloads the binary for your platform from the portal, verifies it via SHA-256 and replaces the running installation atomically. It also refreshes the license key. After the update, restart your MCP client or session so the new version runs.

On Windows, a running program cannot overwrite itself. There, update places the new binary next to the old one as <path>.new and tells you to move the file into place once the process has exited. Running the install one-liner again (see Installation) takes care of that as well.

Alternatively, the install one-liner updates to the latest or a specific version (--version) at any time.

Portal connection

cco-mcp-server login connects the device to your portal account: the command shows a URL and a short code, and you confirm the code in the browser. An account token is stored in ~/.cco-mcp-server/portal-token; the current license comes along directly.

  • The installer has usually already connected the device; login is only needed on a new device or after the token has been revoked.
  • The token can be revoked at any time in the portal. After that, update reports the token as invalid; a new login fixes it.
  • In scripts or CI, the environment variable CCO_MCP_PORTAL_TOKEN overrides the stored token.

License

The server only starts with a valid license key and shows a banner with the licensee on startup. The check runs offline; the server needs no connection to the portal during operation.

The CCO MCP Server is free for every registered portal account. No purchase or maintenance subscription is required. The portal issues your free license at download and refreshes it on updates. The key covers releases up to its cutoff date; an already covered version keeps running after that date. If the key is missing or too old for an update, run the installer again or use cco-mcp-server update.

The server looks for the key in this order:

  1. Environment variable CCO_MCP_LICENSE (the key itself)
  2. Environment variable CCO_MCP_LICENSE_FILE (path to the key file)
  3. ~/.cco-mcp-server/license.key (created by the installer)

Keys in the old CCOMCP1- format are no longer accepted since 0.6.0; existing users get a new key free of charge through their portal account, see FAQ.

Logs

The server writes status messages (license banner, connected Managers, errors) to stderr. Where they end up is decided by the MCP client: Claude Code and Claude Desktop collect the output of their MCP servers in their respective log files. When started by hand in a terminal, for example to test the configuration, the messages appear directly.

Troubleshooting

Message / symptom Cause and remedy
no manager configured on startup Neither CCOM_URL nor a managers file present. Run cco-mcp-server add-manager or set environment variables, see Configuration.
License error on startup Key missing or does not cover the version. cco-mcp-server update refreshes the license; refreshing it is free for registered portal accounts.
401 on every access (Cloud Edition) The automatically created Technical User is missing its role in the Manager, see Configuration.
Portal token invalid or revoked The token was revoked or is invalid. Run cco-mcp-server login again.
Write tool is rejected The profile or the server runs read-only (readOnly or CCO_MCP_READONLY=true). Intended? Otherwise adjust the configuration.
MCP client does not show the server After installation, an update or a configuration change, restart the client or the session.

If you get stuck, support is available at stefan.baust@stefanbaust.de.