| name | chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton |
| description | Run and manage a single-instance Chrome DevTools MCP server on this machine, including start/stop/status/dedupe workflows and safe cleanup to prevent multiple chrome-devtools-mcp processes from running concurrently. Use when you need a singleton MCP server for Chrome DevTools or when EMFILE/process-spawn issues require enforcing exactly one chrome-devtools-mcp instance. |
Chrome DevTools MCP Singleton
Use the bundled script to start/stop the Chrome DevTools MCP server and enforce a single running instance.
Script
scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh(relative to this skill folder, e.g.~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh)
Commands
- Show status (PID + log path):
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh status
- Start (dedupes automatically):
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh start -- --headless --isolated
- Run in foreground with stdio (for MCP clients expecting stdio JSON-RPC):
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh run -- --headless --isolated
- Stop (kills all chrome-devtools-mcp instances):
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh stop
- Dedupe only (keep one, kill extras):
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh dedupe
Smoke tests
- Server smoke (start/status/dedupe/log check):
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/mcp-smoke.sh
- MCP client smoke (opens 2 pages + reads titles):
cd ~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/mcp-client
npm install
node mcp-client-test.mjs
Common args (pass after --)
The MCP server supports flags like --browserUrl (connect to a running Chrome), --headless, --executablePath, --isolated, and --channel. Use these to control how Chrome is started and which profile is used. See the package docs for full options.
Examples:
# Use a specific Chrome binary
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh start -- --headless --isolated --executablePath "/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome"
# Attach to an already running Chrome instance
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh start -- --browserUrl http://127.0.0.1:9222
# Use a specific Chrome channel (if supported by the MCP server)
~/.codex/skills/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/scripts/run_chrome_devtools_mcp.sh start -- --channel stable
Environment variables
CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_CMD(default:npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@latest)CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_ARGS(space-separated default args)CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_STATE_DIR(default:/tmp/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton)CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_KEEPALIVE(default:1to keep stdin open for stdio servers)
Common env examples:
# Always start with defaults (shared across invocations)
export CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_ARGS="--headless --isolated"
# Point to a specific MCP binary or pinned version
export CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_CMD="npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@0.4.3"
# Use a separate state directory (PID + logs)
export CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_STATE_DIR="/tmp/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton-alt"
# Disable stdin keepalive (foreground only; background may exit immediately)
export CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_KEEPALIVE=0
Logs & state
- PID file:
${CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_STATE_DIR:-/tmp/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton}/pid - Log file:
${CHROME_DEVTOOLS_MCP_STATE_DIR:-/tmp/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton}/server.log
View logs:
tail -n 200 /tmp/chrome-devtools-mcp-singleton/server.log
Notes
- The script enforces a single instance system-wide by killing extra
chrome-devtools-mcpprocesses. - Use
--isolatedto avoid sharing a persistent Chrome profile between runs. startkeeps stdin open in the background so the MCP server does not exit immediately.