Information
# ⭐⭐ mcp-webcam 0.2.0 - the 50 Star Update ⭐⭐
In celebration of getting 52 GitHub stars, \`mcp-webcam 0.2.0\` is here! Now supports streamable-http!! No installation required! - try it now at [\`https://webcam.fast-agent.ai/\`](https://webcam.fast-agent.ai/). You can specify your own UserID by adding \`?user=\` after the URL. Note this shared instance is for fun, not security - see below for instructions how to run your own copy locally.
In streamable-http mode multiple clients can connect simultaneously, and you can choose which is used for Sampling.
If we get to 100 stars I'll add another feature .
## Multi-user Mode
When run in Streaming mode, if you set an MCP_HOST environment variable the host name is used as a prefix in URL construction, and 5 character UserIDs are automatically generated when the User lands on the webpage.
## mcp-webcam
MCP Server that provides access to your WebCam. Provides \`capture\` and \`screenshot\` tools to take an image from the Webcam, or take a screenshot. The current image is also available as a Resource.
### MCP Sampling
\`mcp-webcam\` supports "sampling"! Press the "Sample" button to send a sampling request to the Client along with your entered message.
> [!TIP]
> Claude Desktop does not currently support Sampling. If you want a Client that can handle multi-modal sampling request, try https://github.com/evalstate/fast-agent/ or VSCode (more details below).
## Installation and Running
### NPX
Install a recent version of [NodeJS](https://nodejs.org/en/download) for your platform. The NPM package is \`@llmindset/mcp-webcam\`.
To start in **STDIO** mode: \`npx @llmindset/mcp-webcam\`. This starts the \`mcp-webcam\` UI on port 3333. Point your browser at \`http://localhost:3333\` to get started.
To change the port: \`npx @llmindset/mcp-webcam 9999\`. This starts \`mcp-webcam\` the UI on port 9999.
For **Streaming HTTP** mode: \`npx @llmindset/mcp-webcam --streaming\`. This will make the UI available at \`http://localhost:3333\` and the MCP Server available at \`http://localhost:3333/mcp\`.
### Docker
You can run \`mcp-webcam\` using Docker. By default, it starts in **streaming mode**:
\`\`\`bash
docker run -p 3333:3333 ghcr.io/evalstate/mcp-webcam:latest
\`\`\`
#### Environment Variables
- \`MCP_TRANSPORT_MODE\` - Set to \`stdio\` for STDIO mode, defaults to \`streaming\`
- \`PORT\` - The port to run on (default: \`3333\`)
- \`BIND_HOST\` - Network interface to bind the server to (default: \`localhost\`)
- \`MCP_HOST\` - Public-facing URL for user instructions and MCP client connections (default: \`http://localhost:3333\`)
#### Examples
\`\`\`bash
# STDIO mode
docker run -p 3333:3333 -e MCP_TRANSPORT_MODE=stdio ghcr.io/evalstate/mcp-webcam:latest
# Custom port
docker run -p 8080:8080 -e PORT=8080 ghcr.io/evalstate/mcp-webcam:latest
# For cloud deployments with custom domain (e.g., Hugging Face Spaces)
docker run -p 3333:3333 -e MCP_HOST=https://evalstate-mcp-webcam.hf.space ghcr.io/evalstate/mcp-webcam:latest
# Complete cloud deployment example
docker run -p 3333:3333 -e MCP_HOST=https://your-domain.com ghcr.io/evalstate/mcp-webcam:latest
\`\`\`
## Clients
If you want a Client that supports sampling try:
### fast-agent
Start the \`mcp-webcam\` in streaming mode, install [\`uv\`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) and connect with:
\`uvx fast-agent-mcp go --url http://localhost:3333/mcp\`
\`fast-agent\` currently uses Haiku as its default model, so set an \`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY\`. If you want to use a different model, you can add \`--model\` on the command line. More instructions for installation and configuration are available here: https://fast-agent.ai/models/.
To start the server in STDIO mode, add the following to your \`fastagent.config.yaml\`
\`\`\`yaml
webcam_local:
command: "npx"
args: ["@llmindset/mcp-webcam"]
\`\`\`
### VSCode
VSCode versions 1.101.0 and above support MCP Sampling. Simply start \`mcp-webcam\` in streaming mode, and add \`http://localhost:3333/mcp\` as an MCP Server to get started.
### Claude Desktop
Claude Desktop does **NOT** support Sampling. To run \`mcp-webcam\` from Claude Desktop, add the following to the \`mcpServers\` section of your \`claude_desktop_config.json\` file:
\`\`\`json
"webcam": \{
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@llmindset/mcp-webcam"
]
\}
\`\`\`
Start Claude Desktop, and connect to \`http://localhost:3333\`. You can then ask Claude to \`get the latest picture from my webcam\`, or \`Claude, take a look at what I'm holding\` or \`what colour top am i wearing?\`. You can "freeze" the current image and that will be returned to Claude rather than a live capture.
You can ask for Screenshots - navigate to the browser so that you can guide the capture area when the request comes in. Screenshots are automatically resized to be manageable for Claude (useful if you have a 4K Screen). The button is there to allow testing of your platform specific Screenshot UX - it doesn't do anything other than prepare you for a Claude intiated request. NB this does not **not** work on Safari as it requires human initiation.
## Other notes
That's it really.
This MCP Server was built to demonstrate exposing a User Interface on an MCP Server, and serving live resources back to Claude Desktop.
This project might prove useful if you want to build a local, interactive MCP Server.
Thanks to https://github.com/tadasant for help with testing and setup.
Please read the article at [https://llmindset.co.uk/posts/2025/01/resouce-handling-mcp](https://llmindset.co.uk/posts/2025/01/mcp-files-resources-part1/) for more details about handling files and resources in LLM / MCP Chat Applications, and why you might want to do this.