STDIO Servers (MCP)

Standard Input/Output (STDIO) servers represent a method of communication where the client (ChatFrame) and the server communicate over the server's standard input and standard output streams. This is often used for local, in-process, or locally launched servers.

STDIO in MCP

For local MCP servers, communication can be established by launching the server as a subprocess and routing the data:

  • Communication: ChatFrame writes JSON-RPC requests to the server's Standard Input (stdin).
  • Response: The server reads the request from stdin, processes it, and writes the JSON-RPC response to its Standard Output (stdout).

Advantages

  • Simplicity: Eliminates the need for network configuration (ports, addresses).
  • Local Performance: Extremely fast communication for servers running on the same machine as ChatFrame.
  • Ease of Launch: ChatFrame can directly launch and manage the lifecycle of an STDIO-based MCP server.

Configuration in ChatFrame

When configuring an STDIO-based MCP server, you would typically provide the path to the server's executable file and any necessary command-line arguments.

  1. Model Context Protocol. Specification. https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-03-26