Install smithery-cli with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage

Commands and aliases

• smithery

Project history

The official source repository, smithery-ai/cli, was created in December 2024 and describes the project as a TypeScript CLI for installing, managing, and developing MCP servers and skills for agents. Its package metadata publishes the npm package as `smithery`, exposes the `smithery` executable, and requires Node.js 20 or newer.

The 2026 changelog shows a major cleanup around the 1.0 and 1.1 line: the npm package was renamed to `smithery`, the CLI moved toward a unified `mcp` noun, auth and deploy UX were simplified, and release automation was consolidated through Release Please and npm publishing workflows.

Adoption history

Smithery documents the CLI as the primary terminal workflow for searching, connecting, and managing MCP servers and skills. The official docs recommend `npm install -g smithery@latest`, while this input record shows distribution through Homebrew as `smithery-cli`.

As of the official GitHub API response checked for this run, the repository had hundreds of stars and forks, indicating visible adoption in the MCP tooling ecosystem rather than only a private internal tool.

How it is used

Typical usage is `smithery mcp search`, `smithery mcp add`, `smithery mcp list`, and `smithery mcp remove` for MCP server connections; `smithery tool list/find/get/call` for connected tools; `smithery skill search/add` for skills; and `smithery auth login/logout/whoami/token` for authentication.

The CLI can write MCP server entries into supported AI client configs, mint service tokens, publish MCP servers or MCPB bundles, and cache Smithery settings in a platform-specific `settings.json` unless `SMITHERY_CONFIG_PATH` overrides the settings directory.

Why package nerds care

For package-manager users, Smithery CLI is notable because it sits at the boundary between npm-style global CLIs, Homebrew formula installation, and the newer MCP/agent tooling stack. It is a small command surface that configures other developer tools rather than being only a standalone utility.

The source shows a pragmatic split between file-backed user settings and OS keychain-backed per-server configuration, which matters for package nerds auditing where CLIs persist state, credentials, and generated client configuration.

Timeline

• 2024-12-22: Official GitHub repository created.
• 2026-05-01: v1.0.0 released.
• 2026-05-22: v1.1.0 release line records breaking CLI/package changes, including the package rename to `smithery` and a unified `mcp` command noun.
• 2026-05-31: v1.2.0 published with support for internal source-backed connections.

Related projects

• Smithery itself is the hosted platform and registry behind the CLI.
• Model Context Protocol is the integration standard the CLI is built around.
• The Smithery Skills Registry is the official registry surface used by the CLI's skill commands.

Sources

• https://api.github.com/repos/smithery-ai/cli
• https://api.github.com/repos/smithery-ai/cli/releases
• https://github.com/smithery-ai/cli
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/smithery-ai/cli/main/CHANGELOG.md
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/smithery-ai/cli/main/package.json
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/smithery-ai/cli/main/src/lib/keychain.ts
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/smithery-ai/cli/main/src/utils/smithery-settings.ts
• https://smithery.ai/docs
• https://smithery.ai/docs/concepts/cli
• source_facts.package-manager.brew