llnl / llnl/mada-tools

Default to Randomized Ports for MCP Servers

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enhancement
Dominant language
Python
Stars
4
Forks
1
Avg merge
2d 5h
Merged PRs (30d)
3

Description

Currently we force users to select which port to start a server on. This causes a lot of conflicts, especially on login nodes, and results in having to brute force attempt new ports to open a server on. Instead, we should default to randomizing ports but still allow users to select a specific one if desired.

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by locating the Python code that starts MCP servers and handles port configuration, then check whether tests cover server startup or port selection. The change is done when servers choose an available randomized port by default while an explicitly supplied port remains honored, with tests covering both paths.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
55/100

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