asif-nvc/e2b-sandbox-mcp
29 tools for creating isolated Linux VMs, cloning repos, running commands, managing files, and performing git operations without touching the local machine.
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E2B Sandbox MCP Server
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that connects Claude Code with E2B cloud sandboxes, giving you isolated Linux VMs to work on any GitHub repository without touching your local machine.
What It Does
This server provides Claude Code with 29 tools to create cloud sandboxes, clone repos, run commands, manage files, and perform git operations — all in a secure, disposable Linux environment.
Your local machine stays untouched. Every operation happens inside an E2B sandbox VM.
Token Savings
Running commands through E2B sandboxes instead of local Bash reduces the tokens consumed per conversation. Tool outputs are structured and truncated (100KB per stream, 200KB total), so large build/test outputs don't flood your context window.
| Project Size | Example | Local Bash Tokens | E2B Sandbox Tokens | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Express API, ~10 files | ~15K-25K | ~10K-18K | ~20-30% |
| Medium | Next.js app, 50-100 files | ~50K-100K | ~25K-45K | ~40-55% |
| Large | Monorepo, 500+ files | ~200K-500K+ | ~60K-120K | ~60-75% |
Why it scales: A local npm install on a monorepo can dump 10K+ lines into context. A full test suite adds thousands more. With E2B, those outputs are capped and structured. Background processes (sandbox_exec_background) return only a process ID — zero streaming output. Directory listings are capped at 1000 entries. The result: your context window stays available for actual work instead of being consumed by terminal noise.
Use Cases
Work on Any GitHub Repo Remotely
Clone any repository into a sandbox, run its build and test suite, make changes, and push — without ever installing the project locally.
You: "Clone github.com/fastify/fastify, run the tests, and find why test X fails"
Claude Code:
→ sandbox_create
→ sandbox_git_clone "https://github.com/fastify/fastify"
→ sandbox_exec "npm install"
→ sandbox_exec "npm test"
→ sandbox_file_read (inspect failing test)
→ sandbox_file_write (apply fix)
→ sandbox_exec "npm test" (verify)
Safe Experimentation
Try risky changes — dependency upgrades, major refactors, migration scripts — in a throwaway environment. If it breaks, sandbox_kill and start fresh.
Persistent Development Sessions
Pause a sandbox when you're done for the day, resume it tomorrow with all your files and state intact. No more rebuilding environments from scratch.
You: "Pause this sandbox, I'll continue tomorrow"
Claude Code:
→ sandbox_pause (saves state)
Next day:
→ sandbox_resume (picks up where you left off)
Preview Dev Servers
Start a web app in a sandbox and get a public URL to preview it in your browser — no port forwarding or tunneling needed.
You: "Start the dev server and give me a URL to preview it"
Claude Code:
→ sandbox_exec_background "npm run dev"
→ sandbox_get_url 3000
→ Returns: https://abc123-3000.e2b.dev
Multi-Repo Parallel Work
Spin up multiple sandboxes, clone different repos, work on all of them simultaneously. Each sandbox is fully isolated.
Clean CI-Like Testing
Run your full test suite in a fresh Linux environment. Catch "works on my machine" issues before pushing to CI.
Open Source Contributions
Fork a repo, clone it in a sandbox, make your changes, commit, and push to your fork — all without local project setup.
Code Review in a Live Environment
Clone a PR branch into a sandbox, run the tests, inspect the changes, and verify the behavior — without checking out the branch locally.
Getting Started
Prerequisites
- Node.js >= 18
- Claude Code CLI installed
- E2B API key (free tier available)
- GitHub Personal Access Token (optional, for private repos and push)
1. Register with Claude Code
No separate install needed — just point Claude Code at the npm package with npx:
claude mcp add e2b-sandbox -s user \
-e E2B_API_KEY=your-e2b-api-key \
-e GITHUB_TOKEN=your-github-token \
-- npx -y e2b-sandbox-mcp
Restart Claude Code after adding the server.
Alternative: global install
If you prefer a global install instead of npx:
npm install -g e2b-sandbox-mcp
claude mcp add e2b-sandbox -s user \
-e E2B_API_KEY=your-e2b-api-key \
-e GITHUB_TOKEN=your-github-token \
-- e2b-sandbox-mcp
2. Use It
Start Claude Code and ask it to work on any repo:
"Create a sandbox, clone https://github.com/expressjs/express, and run the test suite"
Claude Code will call the MCP tools automatically.
Available Tools
Sandbox Lifecycle
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
sandbox_create | Create a new cloud sandbox (Linux VM) |
sandbox_list | List all active sandboxes |
sandbox_info | Get details about a specific sandbox |
sandbox_kill | Terminate and destroy a sandbox |
sandbox_keep_alive | Extend a sandbox's timeout |
sandbox_pause | Pause a sandbox, preserving its state for later |
sandbox_resume | Resume a previously paused sandbox |
Networking & File Transfer
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
sandbox_get_url | Get a public URL for a port (preview dev servers in browser) |
sandbox_upload_url | Get a presigned URL to upload files to the sandbox |
sandbox_download_url | Get a presigned URL to download files from the sandbox |
Command Execution
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
sandbox_exec | Run a shell command and get stdout/stderr/exit code |
sandbox_exec_background | Start a background process (dev servers, watchers) |
sandbox_process_list | List all running processes with PIDs |
sandbox_process_kill | Kill a running process by PID |
File Operations
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
sandbox_file_read | Read file contents |
sandbox_file_write | Write/create a file |
sandbox_file_list | List directory contents |
sandbox_file_mkdir | Create a directory |
sandbox_file_remove | Delete a file or directory |
sandbox_file_info | Get file metadata (size, type, permissions) |
sandbox_file_exists | Check if a file or directory exists |
sandbox_file_rename | Rename or move a file or directory |
Git Operations
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
sandbox_git_clone | Clone a repository (supports private repos with GITHUB_TOKEN) |
sandbox_git_status | Get working tree status |
sandbox_git_commit | Stage files and commit |
sandbox_git_push | Push commits to remote |
sandbox_git_pull | Pull latest changes from remote |
sandbox_git_branch | List, create, or switch branches |
sandbox_git_init | Initialize a new git repository |
Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
E2B_API_KEY | Yes | Your E2B API key from e2b.dev/dashboard |
GITHUB_TOKEN | No | GitHub personal access token for private repo access and git push |
Architecture
src/
├── index.ts # MCP server entry point (stdio transport)
├── types.ts # Shared types and error helpers
├── services/
│ └── sandbox-manager.ts # Sandbox registry (tracks active VMs)
└── tools/
├── sandbox.ts # Lifecycle tools
├── commands.ts # Command execution tools
├── filesystem.ts # File operation tools
└── git.ts # Git operation tools
The server manages a registry of active sandbox instances. Each tool references sandboxes by ID, allowing concurrent work across multiple isolated environments.
Important Notes
- Sandboxes are real VMs. Commands execute on actual Linux machines in E2B's cloud.
- Git push is real. Pushing from a sandbox pushes to the actual remote repository.
- Sandboxes auto-expire. Default timeout is 5 minutes. Use
sandbox_keep_aliveto extend. - E2B usage has costs. Check E2B pricing for details. Free tier is available.
- Sandboxes are isolated from your machine, but not from the internet. Network requests, git pushes, and npm publishes are real.
License
MIT