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fix: resolve Docker CI/CD and deployment documentation issues

Browse Source 
- Create missing v2.9.1 git tag to trigger Docker builds
- Fix GitHub Actions workflow with proper environment variables
- Add comprehensive deployment documentation updates:
  * Add missing MCP_MODE=http environment variable requirement
  * Clarify Server URL must include /mcp endpoint
  * Add complete environment variables reference table
  * Update all Docker examples with proper variable configuration
  * Add version compatibility warnings for pre-built images
  * Document build-from-source as recommended approach
  * Add comprehensive troubleshooting section with common issues
  * Include systematic debugging steps and diagnostic commands
- Optimize package.runtime.json dependencies for Docker builds
- Ensure both MCP_AUTH_TOKEN and AUTH_TOKEN use same value

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
czlonkowski
2025-08-02 11:11:57 +02:00
parent f6906d7971
commit 8864d6fa5c
3 changed files with 405 additions and 61 deletions
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11
.github/workflows/docker-build-n8n.yml vendored
View File

@@ -84,9 +84,11 @@ jobs:
run: |
docker run --rm \
-e N8N_MODE=true \
-e MCP_MODE=http \
-e N8N_API_URL=http://localhost:5678 \
-e N8N_API_KEY=test \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=test \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=test-token-minimum-32-chars-long \
-e AUTH_TOKEN=test-token-minimum-32-chars-long \
${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:latest \
node dist/index.js n8n --version
@@ -97,9 +99,11 @@ jobs:
--name n8n-mcp-test \
-p 3000:3000 \
-e N8N_MODE=true \
-e MCP_MODE=http \
-e N8N_API_URL=http://localhost:5678 \
-e N8N_API_KEY=test \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=test \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=test-token-minimum-32-chars-long \
-e AUTH_TOKEN=test-token-minimum-32-chars-long \
${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:latest
# Wait for container to start
@@ -108,6 +112,9 @@ jobs:
# Test health endpoint
curl -f http://localhost:3000/health || exit 1
# Test MCP endpoint
curl -f http://localhost:3000/mcp || exit 1
# Cleanup
docker stop n8n-mcp-test
docker rm n8n-mcp-test

450
docs/N8N_DEPLOYMENT.md
View File

@@ -57,9 +57,11 @@ For development or custom testing:
```bash
# Set environment variables
export N8N_MODE=true
export MCP_MODE=http # Required for HTTP mode
export N8N_API_URL=http://localhost:5678 # Your n8n instance URL
export N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key-here # Your n8n API key
export MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=test-token-minimum-32-chars-long
export AUTH_TOKEN=test-token-minimum-32-chars-long # Same value as MCP_AUTH_TOKEN
export PORT=3001
# Start the server
@@ -71,18 +73,67 @@ npm start
# Check health
curl http://localhost:3001/health
# Check MCP protocol endpoint
# Check MCP protocol endpoint (this is the endpoint n8n connects to)
curl http://localhost:3001/mcp
# Should return: {"protocolVersion":"2024-11-05"} for n8n compatibility
```
## Environment Variables Reference
| Variable | Required | Description | Example Value |
|----------|----------|-------------|---------------|
| `N8N_MODE` | Yes | Enables n8n integration mode | `true` |
| `MCP_MODE` | Yes | Enables HTTP mode for n8n MCP Client | `http` |
| `N8N_API_URL` | Yes* | URL of your n8n instance | `http://localhost:5678` |
| `N8N_API_KEY` | Yes* | n8n API key for workflow management | `n8n_api_xxx...` |
| `MCP_AUTH_TOKEN` | Yes | Authentication token for MCP requests | `secure-random-32-char-token` |
| `AUTH_TOKEN` | Yes | Must match MCP_AUTH_TOKEN | `secure-random-32-char-token` |
| `PORT` | No | Port for the HTTP server | `3000` (default) |
| `LOG_LEVEL` | No | Logging verbosity | `info`, `debug`, `error` |
*Required only for workflow management features. Documentation tools work without these.
## Production Deployment
### Same Server as n8n
If you're running n8n-MCP on the same server as your n8n instance:
1. **Using Docker** (Recommended):
### Building from Source (Recommended)
For the latest features and bug fixes, build from source:
```bash
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp.git
cd n8n-mcp
# Build Docker image
docker build -f Dockerfile.n8n -t n8n-mcp:latest .
# Create a Docker network if n8n uses one
docker network create n8n-net
# Run n8n-MCP container
docker run -d \
--name n8n-mcp \
--network n8n-net \
-p 3000:3000 \
-e N8N_MODE=true \
-e MCP_MODE=http \
-e N8N_API_URL=http://n8n:5678 \
-e N8N_API_KEY=your-n8n-api-key \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32) \
-e AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32) \
-e LOG_LEVEL=info \
--restart unless-stopped \
n8n-mcp:latest
```
### Using Pre-built Image (May Be Outdated)
⚠️ **Warning**: Pre-built images may be outdated due to CI/CD synchronization issues. Always check the [GitHub releases](https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp/releases) for the latest version.
```bash
# Create a Docker network if n8n uses one
docker network create n8n-net
@@ -93,15 +144,18 @@ docker run -d \
--network n8n-net \
-p 3000:3000 \
-e N8N_MODE=true \
-e MCP_MODE=http \
-e N8N_API_URL=http://n8n:5678 \
-e N8N_API_KEY=your-n8n-api-key \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32) \
-e AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32) \
-e LOG_LEVEL=info \
--restart unless-stopped \
ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest
```
2. **Using systemd** (for native installation):
### Using systemd (for native installation)
```bash
# Create service file
sudo cat > /etc/systemd/system/n8n-mcp.service << EOF
@@ -114,9 +168,11 @@ Type=simple
User=nodejs
WorkingDirectory=/opt/n8n-mcp
Environment="N8N_MODE=true"
Environment="MCP_MODE=http"
Environment="N8N_API_URL=http://localhost:5678"
Environment="N8N_API_KEY=your-n8n-api-key"
Environment="MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=your-secure-token"
Environment="MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=your-secure-token-32-chars-min"
Environment="AUTH_TOKEN=your-secure-token-32-chars-min"
Environment="PORT=3000"
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /opt/n8n-mcp/dist/mcp/index.js
Restart=on-failure
@@ -134,22 +190,56 @@ sudo systemctl start n8n-mcp
Deploy n8n-MCP on a separate server from your n8n instance:
#### Quick Docker Deployment
#### Quick Docker Deployment (Build from Source)
```bash
# On your cloud server (Hetzner, AWS, DigitalOcean, etc.)
# First, clone and build
git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp.git
cd n8n-mcp
docker build -f Dockerfile.n8n -t n8n-mcp:latest .
# Generate auth tokens
AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
echo "Save this AUTH_TOKEN: $AUTH_TOKEN"
# Run the container
docker run -d \
--name n8n-mcp \
-p 3000:3000 \
-e N8N_MODE=true \
-e MCP_MODE=http \
-e N8N_API_URL=https://your-n8n-instance.com \
-e N8N_API_KEY=your-n8n-api-key \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32) \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$AUTH_TOKEN \
-e AUTH_TOKEN=$AUTH_TOKEN \
-e LOG_LEVEL=info \
--restart unless-stopped \
n8n-mcp:latest
```
#### Quick Docker Deployment (Pre-built Image)
⚠️ **Warning**: May be outdated. Check [releases](https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp/releases) first.
```bash
# Generate auth tokens
AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
echo "Save this AUTH_TOKEN: $AUTH_TOKEN"
# Run the container
docker run -d \
--name n8n-mcp \
-p 3000:3000 \
-e N8N_MODE=true \
-e MCP_MODE=http \
-e N8N_API_URL=https://your-n8n-instance.com \
-e N8N_API_KEY=your-n8n-api-key \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$AUTH_TOKEN \
-e AUTH_TOKEN=$AUTH_TOKEN \
-e LOG_LEVEL=info \
--restart unless-stopped \
ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest
# Save the MCP_AUTH_TOKEN for later use!
```
#### Full Production Setup (Hetzner/AWS/DigitalOcean)
@@ -170,21 +260,32 @@ curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
```
3. **Deploy n8n-MCP with SSL** (using Caddy for automatic HTTPS):
**Option A: Build from Source (Recommended)**
```bash
# Clone and prepare
git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp.git
cd n8n-mcp
# Build local image
docker build -f Dockerfile.n8n -t n8n-mcp:latest .
# Create docker-compose.yml
cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
version: '3.8'
services:
n8n-mcp:
image: ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest
image: n8n-mcp:latest # Using locally built image
container_name: n8n-mcp
restart: unless-stopped
environment:
- N8N_MODE=true
- MCP_MODE=http
- N8N_API_URL=${N8N_API_URL}
- N8N_API_KEY=${N8N_API_KEY}
- MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=${MCP_AUTH_TOKEN}
- AUTH_TOKEN=${AUTH_TOKEN}
- PORT=3000
- LOG_LEVEL=info
networks:
@@ -212,7 +313,57 @@ volumes:
caddy_data:
caddy_config:
EOF
```
**Option B: Pre-built Image (May Be Outdated)**
```bash
# Create docker-compose.yml
cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
version: '3.8'
services:
n8n-mcp:
image: ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest
container_name: n8n-mcp
restart: unless-stopped
environment:
- N8N_MODE=true
- MCP_MODE=http
- N8N_API_URL=${N8N_API_URL}
- N8N_API_KEY=${N8N_API_KEY}
- MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=${MCP_AUTH_TOKEN}
- AUTH_TOKEN=${AUTH_TOKEN}
- PORT=3000
- LOG_LEVEL=info
networks:
- web
caddy:
image: caddy:2-alpine
container_name: caddy
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "80:80"
- "443:443"
volumes:
- ./Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile
- caddy_data:/data
- caddy_config:/config
networks:
- web
networks:
web:
driver: bridge
volumes:
caddy_data:
caddy_config:
EOF
```
**Complete Setup (Both Options)**
```bash
# Create Caddyfile
cat > Caddyfile << 'EOF'
mcp.yourdomain.com {
@@ -221,15 +372,17 @@ mcp.yourdomain.com {
EOF
# Create .env file
AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
cat > .env << EOF
N8N_API_URL=https://your-n8n-instance.com
N8N_API_KEY=your-n8n-api-key-here
MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$AUTH_TOKEN
AUTH_TOKEN=$AUTH_TOKEN
EOF
# Save the MCP_AUTH_TOKEN!
echo "Your MCP_AUTH_TOKEN is:"
grep MCP_AUTH_TOKEN .env
# Save the AUTH_TOKEN!
echo "Your AUTH_TOKEN is: $AUTH_TOKEN"
echo "Save this token - you'll need it in n8n MCP Client Tool configuration"
# Start services
docker compose up -d
@@ -258,16 +411,18 @@ docker compose up -d
2. **Configure the connection**:
```
Server URL:
- Same server: http://localhost:3000
- Docker network: http://n8n-mcp:3000
- Different server: https://mcp.yourdomain.com
Server URL (MUST include /mcp endpoint):
- Same server: http://localhost:3000/mcp
- Docker network: http://n8n-mcp:3000/mcp
- Different server: https://mcp.yourdomain.com/mcp
Auth Token: [Your MCP_AUTH_TOKEN]
Auth Token: [Your MCP_AUTH_TOKEN/AUTH_TOKEN value]
Transport: HTTP Streamable (SSE)
```
⚠️ **Critical**: The Server URL must include the `/mcp` endpoint path. Without this, the connection will fail.
3. **Test the connection** by selecting a simple tool like `list_nodes`
### Available Tools
@@ -324,70 +479,255 @@ You are an n8n workflow expert. Use the MCP tools to:
## Troubleshooting
### Common Configuration Issues
**Missing `MCP_MODE=http` Environment Variable**
- **Symptom**: n8n MCP Client Tool cannot connect, server doesn't respond on `/mcp` endpoint
- **Solution**: Add `MCP_MODE=http` to your environment variables
- **Why**: Without this, the server runs in stdio mode which is incompatible with n8n
**Server URL Missing `/mcp` Endpoint**
- **Symptom**: "Connection refused" or "Invalid response" in n8n MCP Client Tool
- **Solution**: Ensure your Server URL includes `/mcp` (e.g., `http://localhost:3000/mcp`)
- **Why**: n8n connects to the `/mcp` endpoint specifically, not the root URL
**Mismatched Auth Tokens**
- **Symptom**: "Authentication failed" or "Invalid auth token"
- **Solution**: Ensure both `MCP_AUTH_TOKEN` and `AUTH_TOKEN` have the same value
- **Why**: Both variables must match for proper authentication
### Connection Issues
**"Connection refused" in n8n MCP Client Tool**
- Check n8n-MCP is running: `docker ps` or `systemctl status n8n-mcp`
- Verify port is accessible: `curl http://your-server:3000/health`
- Check firewall rules allow port 3000
1. **Check n8n-MCP is running**:
```bash
# Docker
docker ps | grep n8n-mcp
docker logs n8n-mcp --tail 20
**"Invalid auth token"**
- Ensure MCP_AUTH_TOKEN matches exactly (no extra spaces)
- Token must be at least 32 characters long
- Check for special characters that might need escaping
# Systemd
systemctl status n8n-mcp
journalctl -u n8n-mcp --tail 20
```
2. **Verify endpoints are accessible**:
```bash
# Health check (should return status info)
curl http://your-server:3000/health
# MCP endpoint (should return protocol version)
curl http://your-server:3000/mcp
```
3. **Check firewall and networking**:
```bash
# Test port accessibility from n8n server
telnet your-mcp-server 3000
# Check firewall rules (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo ufw status
# Check if port is bound correctly
netstat -tlnp | grep :3000
```
**"Invalid auth token" or "Authentication failed"**
1. **Verify token format**:
```bash
# Check token length (should be 64 chars for hex-32)
echo $MCP_AUTH_TOKEN | wc -c
# Verify both tokens match
echo "MCP_AUTH_TOKEN: $MCP_AUTH_TOKEN"
echo "AUTH_TOKEN: $AUTH_TOKEN"
```
2. **Common token issues**:
- Token too short (minimum 32 characters)
- Extra whitespace or newlines in token
- Different values for `MCP_AUTH_TOKEN` and `AUTH_TOKEN`
- Special characters not properly escaped in environment files
**"Cannot connect to n8n API"**
- Verify N8N_API_URL is correct (include http:// or https://)
- Check n8n API key is valid and has necessary permissions
- Ensure n8n instance is accessible from n8n-MCP server
1. **Verify n8n configuration**:
```bash
# Test n8n API accessibility
curl -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: your-api-key" \
https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1/workflows
```
### Protocol Issues
2. **Common n8n API issues**:
- `N8N_API_URL` missing protocol (http:// or https://)
- n8n API key expired or invalid
- n8n instance not accessible from n8n-MCP server
- n8n API disabled in settings
### Version Compatibility Issues
**"Outdated Docker Image"**
- **Symptom**: Missing features, old bugs, or compatibility issues
- **Solution**: Build from source instead of using pre-built images
- **Check**: Compare your image version with [GitHub releases](https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp/releases)
**"Protocol version mismatch"**
- n8n-MCP automatically uses version 2024-11-05 for n8n
- n8n-MCP automatically uses version 2024-11-05 for n8n compatibility
- Update to latest n8n-MCP version if issues persist
- Check `/mcp` endpoint returns correct version
- Verify `/mcp` endpoint returns correct version
**"Schema validation errors"**
- Known issue with n8n's nested output handling
- n8n-MCP includes workarounds
- Enable debug mode to see detailed errors
### Environment Variable Issues
### Debugging
1. **Enable debug mode**:
**Complete Environment Variable Checklist**:
```bash
# Required for all deployments
export N8N_MODE=true # Enables n8n integration
export MCP_MODE=http # Enables HTTP mode for n8n
export MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=your-secure-32-char-token # Auth token
export AUTH_TOKEN=your-secure-32-char-token # Same value as MCP_AUTH_TOKEN
# Required for workflow management features
export N8N_API_URL=https://your-n8n-instance.com # Your n8n URL
export N8N_API_KEY=your-n8n-api-key # Your n8n API key
# Optional
export PORT=3000 # HTTP port (default: 3000)
export LOG_LEVEL=info # Logging level
```
### Docker-Specific Issues
**Container Build Failures**
```bash
# Clear Docker cache and rebuild
docker system prune -f
docker build --no-cache -f Dockerfile.n8n -t n8n-mcp:latest .
```
**Container Runtime Issues**
```bash
# Check container logs for detailed errors
docker logs n8n-mcp -f --timestamps
# Inspect container environment
docker exec n8n-mcp env | grep -E "(N8N|MCP|AUTH)"
# Test container connectivity
docker exec n8n-mcp curl -f http://localhost:3000/health
```
### Network and SSL Issues
**HTTPS/SSL Problems**
```bash
# Test SSL certificate
openssl s_client -connect mcp.yourdomain.com:443
# Check Caddy logs
docker logs caddy -f --tail 50
```
**Docker Network Issues**
```bash
# Check if containers can communicate
docker network ls
docker network inspect bridge
# Test inter-container connectivity
docker exec n8n curl http://n8n-mcp:3000/health
```
### Debugging Steps
1. **Enable comprehensive logging**:
```bash
# For Docker
docker run -d \
--name n8n-mcp \
-e DEBUG_MCP=true \
-e LOG_LEVEL=debug \
-e N8N_MODE=true \
-e MCP_MODE=http \
# ... other settings
# For systemd, add to service file:
Environment="DEBUG_MCP=true"
Environment="LOG_LEVEL=debug"
```
2. **Check logs**:
2. **Test all endpoints systematically**:
```bash
# Docker
docker logs n8n-mcp -f --tail 100
# 1. Health check (basic server functionality)
curl -v http://localhost:3000/health
# Systemd
journalctl -u n8n-mcp -f
```
# 2. MCP protocol endpoint (what n8n connects to)
curl -v http://localhost:3000/mcp
3. **Test endpoints**:
```bash
# Health check
curl http://localhost:3000/health
# Protocol version
curl http://localhost:3000/mcp
# List tools (requires auth)
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000 \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN" \
# 3. Test authentication (if working, returns tools list)
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/mcp \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"tools/list","id":1}'
# 4. Test a simple tool (documentation only, no n8n API needed)
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/mcp \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_database_statistics","arguments":{}},"id":2}'
```
3. **Common log patterns to look for**:
```bash
# Success patterns
grep "Server started" /var/log/n8n-mcp.log
grep "Protocol version" /var/log/n8n-mcp.log
# Error patterns
grep -i "error\|failed\|invalid" /var/log/n8n-mcp.log
grep -i "auth\|token" /var/log/n8n-mcp.log
grep -i "connection\|network" /var/log/n8n-mcp.log
```
### Getting Help
If you're still experiencing issues:
1. **Gather diagnostic information**:
```bash
# System info
docker --version
docker-compose --version
uname -a
# n8n-MCP version
docker exec n8n-mcp node dist/index.js --version
# Environment check
docker exec n8n-mcp env | grep -E "(N8N|MCP|AUTH)" | sort
# Container status
docker ps | grep n8n-mcp
docker stats n8n-mcp --no-stream
```
2. **Create a minimal test setup**:
```bash
# Test with minimal configuration
docker run -d \
--name n8n-mcp-test \
-p 3001:3000 \
-e N8N_MODE=true \
-e MCP_MODE=http \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=test-token-minimum-32-chars-long \
-e AUTH_TOKEN=test-token-minimum-32-chars-long \
-e LOG_LEVEL=debug \
n8n-mcp:latest
# Test basic functionality
curl http://localhost:3001/health
curl http://localhost:3001/mcp
```
3. **Report issues**: Include the diagnostic information when opening an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp/issues)
## Performance Tips
- **Minimal deployment**: 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM is sufficient

5
package.runtime.json
View File

@@ -5,12 +5,9 @@
"private": true,
"dependencies": {
"@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "^1.13.2",
"better-sqlite3": "^11.10.0",
"sql.js": "^1.13.0",
"express": "^5.1.0",
"dotenv": "^16.5.0",
"axios": "^1.7.2",
"zod": "^3.23.8",
"sql.js": "^1.13.0",
"uuid": "^10.0.0"
},
"engines": {