mcp-synology

MCP server for Synology NAS devices. Exposes Synology DSM API functionality as MCP tools that Claude can use.

Migrating from synology-mcp

If you're upgrading from synology-mcp (v0.3.x or earlier), the package has been renamed. A migration script handles config, state, keyring entries, and Claude Desktop config automatically:

# Download and run the migration script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cmeans/mcp-synology/main/scripts/migrate-from-synology-mcp.py
python migrate-from-synology-mcp.py          # dry run — preview changes
python migrate-from-synology-mcp.py --apply  # apply changes

The script migrates:

• Config directory (~/.config/synology-mcp/ → ~/.config/mcp-synology/)
• State directory (~/.local/state/synology-mcp/ → ~/.local/state/mcp-synology/)
• Keyring credentials
• Claude Desktop claude_desktop_config.json (updates command and paths)

See CHANGELOG.md for full details on breaking changes.

Supported Modules

File Station

Browse, search, transfer, and manage files on your NAS. 15 tools across two permission tiers:

• READ — list_shares, list_files, list_recycle_bin, search_files, get_file_info, get_dir_size, download_file
• WRITE — create_folder, rename, copy_files, move_files, delete_files, restore_from_recycle_bin, upload_file, file_task

System

Monitor NAS health and resource utilization. 2 read-only tools:

• get_system_info — model, firmware version, RAM, temperature, uptime (works for all users)
• get_resource_usage — live CPU load, memory usage, disk I/O, network throughput (requires admin account)

Download Station

Manage the Download Station queue and settings. 12 tools across two permission tiers:

• READ — list_downloads, get_download_info, get_download_stats, get_download_config, get_schedule
• WRITE — create_download, delete_download, pause_download, resume_download, edit_download, set_download_config, set_schedule

Download Station is opt-in: mcp-synology setup only configures File Station. To turn it on:

1. Install Download Station on the NAS from Package Center, if it isn't installed already. Without the package the tools still appear, but every call fails with api_not_found.

2. Edit your config file. That's ~/.config/mcp-synology/config.yaml, or the per-NAS file such as home-nas.yaml if you use Multi-NAS. Add downloadstation inside the existing modules: section; don't add a second modules: key. Use permission: read for the read tools only, or permission: write for all 12:

   modules:
     filestation:          # already there
       enabled: true
       permission: write
     downloadstation:      # add this
       enabled: true
       permission: write   # or read
   

3. Check the config: mcp-synology check --config <your config file> reports YAML or validation mistakes and confirms the login still works.

4. Restart your MCP client (for example, Claude Desktop). The server reads its config only at startup. The Download Station tools (list_downloads and the rest) then appear alongside the File Station ones. Ask the assistant to "list my downloads" to try it.

If the account isn't an admin, read Accounts below first: a non-admin needs a one-time setup step before Download Station will run its tasks.

Accounts. An admin (Download Station manager) can use every tool. A non-admin account needs the Download Station application privilege (Control Panel → User & Group → [account] → Edit → Applications). It also has these limits, all enforced or reported by the tools:

• First-time setup. Download Station doesn't start a non-admin's tasks until that user has a default destination; until then they wait forever. A user who has never opened Download Station has none. Set it once with set_download_config(default_destination="<share>"), which DSM applies to that user only. Until then, create_download with an explicit destination still creates the task but warns that it won't start. Without a destination, it refuses and says what to set. That refusal applies to any account, admin included, whenever there's no default destination to fall back on.
• Own tasks only. list_downloads and the other task tools see only the user's own tasks.
• Settings. get_download_config shows the user's own view, not the NAS-wide settings. set_download_config can change only the user's own default_destination; the speed limits are NAS-wide and are refused, because DSM accepts and then silently ignores them from a non-admin.
• Schedule. The weekly plan and limited-speed rates in get_schedule / set_schedule need an admin. A non-admin can still turn the schedule on or off, and that switch is NAS-wide.

Torrent files. create_download with torrent_file_path uploads a local .torrent or .nzb file, and only from the allowed local folders: by default your Downloads folder. Anything else is refused before the file is read, including a link that points to another kind of file. To use another folder, list it in allowed_local_paths, either at the top level of the config (every module) or under this module's settings. A module's own list adds to the top-level list when that's set. Without a top-level list, it replaces the Downloads default, so include ~/Downloads if you still want it.

modules:
  downloadstation:
    enabled: true
    permission: write
    settings:
      allowed_local_paths:
        - ~/Downloads   # keep the default folder too
        - ~/Torrents

See Local path confinement under Features. Magnet links and URLs (uri) aren't affected.

Known limits:

• create_download returns no task IDs for URLs that use username / password.
• edit_download changes only the destination.
• There is no way to pick individual files inside a torrent.
• BT search and RSS feeds are not supported yet.
• delete_download(force_complete=true) doesn't reliably keep partial data: DSM discarded unfinished HTTP downloads anyway. DSM also refuses it for finished tasks, and the tool reports those as not removed.

Tested against DSM 7.1 (Download Station 3.9-4627) and DSM 7.2.2 (Download Station 4.1-5012).

Features

• Interactive setup — guided configuration that creates your config, stores credentials, handles 2FA, and emits a Claude Desktop snippet
• Permission tiers — READ or WRITE per module, enforced at tool registration. Tiers control what the server can do on the NAS; download_file, which writes on this machine, is annotated as destructive so your client can confirm it. A read-only connection tells the model which tools it withholds and how to enable them, so the model doesn't claim the server can't do it
• Long operations keep running — a large delete, copy, move or recycle-bin restore reports progress while the call waits, and if it's still running when the wait ends (30 s by default) the NAS keeps working on it: the reply gives a handle for file_task, which checks on it, lists running operations or stops one. See File Station settings
• Local path confinement — upload_file, download_file and create_download's torrent files only use local folders listed in allowed_local_paths, by default your Downloads folder. Set it at the top level of the config for every module, or per module in that module's settings. A module's own list adds to the top-level list when that's set. Without a top-level list, it replaces the Downloads default, so include ~/Downloads if you still want it. create_download only reads .torrent and .nzb files. Symlinks and .. are resolved first, so they can't lead outside. Set it to ["/"] to allow everything (macOS/Linux)
• 2FA support — auto-detected; device token bootstrap with automatic silent re-auth
• Secure credentials — OS keyring integration that works transparently on macOS, Windows, and Linux (including from Claude Desktop). See docs/credentials.md.
• Multi-NAS — manage multiple NAS devices with separate configs, credentials, and state

Quick Start

1. Run setup

uvx mcp-synology setup

Requires uv. uvx downloads and runs the latest version automatically — no separate install step needed.

Setup will prompt for your NAS host, credentials, and preferences. If your account has 2FA enabled, it will prompt for an OTP code and store a device token for automatic future logins.

At the end, it prints a Claude Desktop JSON snippet ready to copy-paste.

2. Add to Claude Desktop

Copy the snippet from setup into your claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop. It will look something like:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "synology-nas": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-synology", "serve", "--config", "~/.config/mcp-synology/nas.yaml"]
    }
  }
}

The config file name (e.g., nas.yaml) also serves as a natural identifier for the connection — you can name it to match your NAS (e.g., home-nas.yaml, office-nas.yaml).

On Linux, the server auto-detects the D-Bus session socket for keyring access. If auto-detection fails, add "env": {"DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS": "unix:path=/run/user/<uid>/bus"} to the Claude Desktop config. The setup command includes this in the generated snippet.

3. Verify

uvx mcp-synology check                # Validates credentials work
uvx mcp-synology setup --list         # Shows all configured NAS instances

Alternative: global install

If you prefer a persistent install (avoids download on each invocation). Requires uv — install with curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh (macOS/Linux) or see the installation guide for other options.

uv tool install mcp-synology
mcp-synology setup
mcp-synology check

Alternative: env-var-only mode

No config file needed if SYNOLOGY_HOST is set. This is useful for Docker or CI environments:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "synology": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-synology", "serve"],
      "env": {
        "SYNOLOGY_HOST": "192.168.1.100",
        "SYNOLOGY_USERNAME": "your_user",
        "SYNOLOGY_PASSWORD": "your_password"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or from the CLI:

SYNOLOGY_HOST=192.168.1.100 uvx mcp-synology check

2FA Support

mcp-synology fully supports DSM accounts with two-factor authentication. It's auto-detected — you don't need to configure anything special:

1. Bootstrap — mcp-synology setup detects 2FA, prompts for your OTP code, and stores a device token in the keyring
2. Silent re-auth — subsequent logins use the device token automatically (no OTP prompts)
3. Per-instance — each NAS config gets its own device token, so mixed 2FA/non-2FA setups work fine

Device tokens have no fixed lifetime: they last until the trusted device is removed in DSM (Personal > Security > Sign-in Activity) or DSM otherwise stops accepting it. If DSM rejects the stored token, the error says so; run mcp-synology setup again to sign in with a new 2FA code.

Keyring & Credentials

Credentials are stored in the OS keyring and accessed transparently:

Credential resolution order: env vars > config file > keyring. Explicit sources override the implicit default.

For environments without a keyring (Docker, CI), use environment variables or inline credentials in the config file.

See docs/credentials.md for keyring service names, multi-NAS setup, and how to inspect/remove stored credentials.

Updates

mcp-synology checks for updates and notifies you in your Claude Desktop conversation — the first tool response in each session will include a notice if a newer version is available on PyPI.

To manage updates from the CLI:

mcp-synology --check-update                 # Check for a newer version
mcp-synology --auto-upgrade enable           # Auto-upgrade on each interactive run
mcp-synology --revert                        # Roll back to previous version
mcp-synology --revert 0.1.0                  # Roll back to a specific version

To disable update notifications, add to your config (top level):

# ~/.config/mcp-synology/config.yaml
check_for_updates: false

Configuration

Interactive setup creates a config file for you. For manual configuration or advanced options, see examples/:

• config-minimal.yaml — simplest possible config
• config-power-user.yaml — HTTPS, custom timeouts, logging, instructions
• config-docker.yaml — environment-variable-driven

Multi-NAS

Each NAS gets its own config file, credentials, and Claude Desktop entry. The config file name serves as a natural identifier (e.g., home-nas.yaml, media-server.yaml).

Set alias to give Claude a display name for the connection:

# ~/.config/mcp-synology/home-nas.yaml
alias: HomeNAS

The alias appears in the MCP server name (e.g., synology-HomeNAS) so Claude knows which NAS it's talking to.

File Station settings

File Station settings go under settings: in the filestation module. All are optional:

modules:
  filestation:
    enabled: true
    permission: write
    settings:
      delete_timeout: 120        # wait up to 2 minutes before handing a delete off
      copy_move_timeout: 300     # copy, move and restore: 5 minutes
      async_timeout: 180         # search_files and get_dir_size
      allowed_local_paths:
        - ~/Downloads
        - ~/Media
      default_download_dir: ~/Downloads

Timeouts are in seconds (10–3600 accepted) and count wall-clock time:

For delete, copy, move and restore, the timeout is how long a call waits before handing off, not a limit on the operation. An operation that finishes within the wait returns its result as usual. One that's still running is left running on the NAS, and the reply gives a handle, such as delete:FileStation_…, to use with file_task: check its progress or final result, or stop it. file_task with no handle lists the operations still running. The wait is capped at 600 s whatever the setting, because an MCP client that gives up on a call cancels it, and a canceled call stops the operation.

Client timeouts. The MCP client has its own time limits. Claude Code aborts a tool call that sends no result and no progress notification for an idle window: 30 minutes by default for a stdio server like this one (5 minutes for HTTP servers). Raise it with the CLAUDE_CODE_MCP_TOOL_IDLE_TIMEOUT environment variable (milliseconds; 0 turns the check off), or for this server only with a timeout field (milliseconds) in its MCP config entry, which also sets a hard limit per call. See Claude Code's MCP docs. Delete, copy, move and restore send progress notifications while they wait, so they don't hit the idle limit. get_dir_size and search_files don't send progress yet (#252), so one that runs longer than the idle window can be aborted by the client; raise the client's limit, or narrow the path.

Other settings:

• allowed_local_paths — local folders upload_file and download_file may use, including subfolders (default: your Downloads folder). A top-level allowed_local_paths applies to every module, and this list adds to it. Without a top-level list, this list replaces the Downloads default. See Local path confinement under Features.
• default_download_dir — local folder download_file uses when no dest_folder is given. It's always allowed.
• default_upload_dir — NAS folder upload_file uses when no dest_folder is given.
• hide_recycle_in_listings — hide #recycle folders from list_files (default: false).
• file_type_indicator — emoji (default) or text markers in listings.

See docs/specs/config-schema-spec.md for the full schema, and examples/config-power-user.yaml for a complete config.

Custom Instructions

Custom instructions let you shape how Claude interacts with your NAS tools. This is useful when:

• Multiple NAS connections — tell Claude which connection to prefer for different tasks ("use this for media, use admin for cross-user operations")
• Safety guardrails — add rules like "always confirm before deleting" or "never touch /Backups"
• Context — explain what's on the NAS ("this is a media server, /video has our library sorted by genre")

Add context — custom_instructions is prepended to the built-in prompt (higher priority):

# ~/.config/mcp-synology/config.yaml
custom_instructions: |
  This is the admin NAS with elevated privileges.
  Prefer this connection for file operations requiring cross-user access.
  Never delete files from /Backups without explicit confirmation.

Full control — instructions_file replaces the built-in prompt entirely. Copy the built-in server.md as a starting point. A replacement file is used as written, apart from HTML comments, so it doesn't get the generated PERMISSIONS section, which tells the model which tools this connection withholds and how to enable them (custom_instructions keeps it):

# ~/.config/mcp-synology/config.yaml
instructions_file: ~/.config/mcp-synology/my-instructions.md

Both support template variables: {display_name}, {instance_id}, {host}, {port}.

HTML comments (<!-- ... -->) are removed from both before the text is sent, so they can hold notes for whoever edits the file. A comment on a line of its own is removed with that line.

Debugging

Two ways to enable debug logging:

mcp-synology check --verbose                          # --verbose flag on setup/check
SYNOLOGY_LOG_LEVEL=debug mcp-synology serve           # env var, works for all commands

Or set it persistently in your config file:

# ~/.config/mcp-synology/config.yaml
logging:
  level: debug
  file: ~/.local/state/mcp-synology/nas/server.log  # optional, logs to stderr by default

Debug output includes every DSM API request/response (passwords masked), credential resolution steps, config discovery, version negotiation, and module registration decisions.

Contributing

See DEVELOPMENT.md for build commands, testing, integration test setup, and design docs.

Acknowledgements

This project was built using a Spec-First Coding approach — a human-AI collaboration model where design precedes implementation and specs are the contract between the two.

Unlike vibe coding, where you describe what you want and let the AI generate code on the fly, spec-first coding treats design as a separate, deliberate phase. The four specs in docs/specs/ were developed through extended conversation — exploring trade-offs, rejecting alternatives, and documenting decisions with rationale. Implementation then used the specs as the source of truth across 11 build phases.

Live testing against real hardware revealed behaviors the specs couldn't anticipate (DSM API quirks, such as JSON-parsed parameter values that once looked like search-service throttling, and version format incompatibilities). These discoveries are documented in CLAUDE.md and the code, which is authoritative where specs diverge.

License

Apache 2.0