使用说明
tusk-mcp
PostgreSQL MCP server for AI agents. Exposes schema introspection and SELECT-only query execution over the Model Context Protocol, with write access opt-in per target.
Install
# npx (no install needed)
npx tusk-mcp --host db.example.com --database mydb
# or clone + run
bun install
bun run src/index.ts --host localhost --database mydb
Setup UI
Interactive browser-based setup that generates config for Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and OpenAI Codex.
npx tusk-mcp setup
Build standalone binary
bun run build # Windows
bun run build:linux # Linux
bun run build:macos # macOS ARM
Connection
Individual flags (recommended)
tusk-mcp --host db.example.com --port 5432 --user admin --password 'p@ss' --database mydb
Connection string
tusk-mcp --connection-string "postgres://admin:p%40ss@db.example.com:5432/mydb"
Unencoded special characters in passwords (@, #) are handled automatically.
Environment variables
PGHOST=db.example.com PGDATABASE=mydb tusk-mcp
Priority: flags > --connection-string > DATABASE_URL > PG* env vars
Multiple environments / databases
A config file defines named targets: environments (local/stage/prod) or entirely different databases within one app. tusk.config.jsonc or tusk.config.json in the working directory is picked up automatically when no connection flags are given; --config <path> (relative or absolute) loads an explicit file. Connection flags cannot be combined with a config file.
{
"defaultTarget": "local", // used when a tool call omits target
"defaults": { // merged under every target
"user": "app",
"database": "myapp"
},
"targets": {
"local": { "host": "localhost", "access": "write", "description": "dev" },
"stage": {
"host": "stage.db.internal",
"password": "${STAGE_DB_PASSWORD}", // env var interpolation
"ssl": true
},
"prod": {
"connectionString": "postgres://ro:${PROD_DB_PASSWORD}@10.0.0.5:5432/myapp",
"ssh": { "host": "bastion.example.com", "user": "deploy", "key": "~/.ssh/id_rsa" },
"access": "structure", // schema visible, queries disabled
"description": "production"
},
"analytics": { "host": "warehouse.db", "database": "events" }
}
}
Target fields mirror the CLI flags: host, port, user, password, passwordFile, passwordCmd, database, connectionString, ssl (true or {ca, cert, key} paths), ssh ({host, port, user, key, password}), access, description. structureOnly: true is still read as access: "structure"; setting both to different levels is a config error.
Priority: explicit fields > connectionString > defaults. ssh/ssl objects deep-merge, so defaults.ssh can hold the shared bastion and a target override just the port. ${VAR} interpolates from the environment in any string, so the file is safe to commit. Config-file targets ignore PG* env vars; use ${PGPASSWORD} explicitly if wanted.
With multiple targets every tool takes a target enum parameter (optional when defaultTarget is set, absent entirely with a single target), the target list is announced via MCP instructions, and compare-schemas becomes available. Connections are lazy per target: an unreachable bastion never blocks startup or the other targets.
Password security
# From file (Docker/K8s secrets)
tusk-mcp --host db --database mydb --password-file /run/secrets/db_pass
# From command (any secrets manager)
tusk-mcp --host db --database mydb --password-cmd 'vault kv get -field=password secret/db'
tusk-mcp --host db --database mydb --password-cmd 'op read op://vault/db/password'
SSL
Providing any certificate file automatically enables SSL.
tusk-mcp --host db --database mydb --ssl-ca /path/to/ca.crt # CA verification
tusk-mcp --host db --database mydb \ # mutual TLS
--ssl-ca ca.crt --ssl-cert client.crt --ssl-key client.key
SSH tunnel
tusk-mcp --host db-internal --database mydb \
--ssh-host bastion.example.com --ssh-user deploy --ssh-key ~/.ssh/id_rsa
Access levels
Each target has one access level, read by default.
access |
Tools | Connection |
|---|---|---|
structure |
overview, describe-tables |
read-only transactions |
read |
plus execute-query |
read-only transactions |
write |
plus execute-write |
writes allowed, through execute-write only |
tusk-mcp --host db --database mydb --structure-only # every target: structure
tusk-mcp --host db --database mydb --allow-writes # every target: write
The two flags are mutually exclusive. --structure-only also narrows a config file, but --allow-writes is rejected alongside one: escalating a target to writes has to be written in the file, where it is reviewable, rather than in an MCP client's command line.
execute-query cannot mutate on any target, write-enabled ones included: every query runs inside a READ ONLY transaction, so a SELECT that hides an INSERT behind a volatile function is refused by the server, not just by the SQL parser. read and structure connections additionally start with default_transaction_read_only. Writes therefore only ever happen through execute-write, which is registered only when some target allows them and whose target parameter lists write-enabled targets only.
execute-write takes one statement per call, reports the affected row count, and previews RETURNING rows. Beyond the target gate it does not filter SQL: on a write target the database role is the boundary, so give that role only the privileges the agent should have.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
overview |
All schemas with tables, views, and estimated row counts in one call (partitions filtered out) |
describe-tables |
Columns, types, PKs, FKs, and enum values for one or more tables per call |
execute-query |
Read-only SQL with limit (rejected on structure-only targets) |
execute-write |
One mutating statement with affected rows and RETURNING preview (write-enabled targets only) |
compare-schemas |
Structural diff of a schema between two targets (multi-target only) |
Output format
Tool results use compact text in content for the AI model and JSON-safe
preview data in structuredContent for clients that support structured MCP
output. Query text uses a tab-delimited preview with null=\N; strings are
JSON-quoted, so empty strings render as "" and the literal string "\\N" is
distinct from SQL null. With multiple targets, results start with a
target=<name> line.
MCP config
{
"mcpServers": {
"tusk": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "tusk-mcp", "--host", "localhost", "--database", "mydb"]
}
}
}
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport stdio tusk -- npx -y tusk-mcp --host localhost --database mydb
OpenAI Codex (~/.codex/config.toml)
[mcp_servers.tusk]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "tusk-mcp", "--host", "localhost", "--database", "mydb"]
All flags
| Flag | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
--config |
string | - | Multi-target config file (see above) |
--host |
string | localhost | PostgreSQL host |
--port |
number | 5432 | PostgreSQL port |
--user |
string | - | Database user |
--password |
string | - | Database password |
--password-file |
string | - | Read password from file |
--password-cmd |
string | - | Run command for password |
--database |
string | - | Database name |
--connection-string |
string | - | Full connection URL |
--ssl |
boolean | false | Enable SSL without certificate verification |
--ssl-ca |
string | - | CA certificate path (enables SSL) |
--ssl-cert |
string | - | Client certificate path (enables SSL) |
--ssl-key |
string | - | Client key path (enables SSL) |
--ssh-host |
string | - | SSH tunnel host |
--ssh-port |
number | 22 | SSH tunnel port |
--ssh-user |
string | - | SSH username |
--ssh-key |
string | - | SSH private key path |
--ssh-password |
string | - | SSH password |
--structure-only |
boolean | false | Schema only, no execute-query |
--allow-writes |
boolean | false | Add execute-write (no config file) |