robotmcp--ros-mcp-server/docs/install/clients/chatgpt.md

Step 1: ChatGPT Setup

ChatGPT Desktop is OpenAI's desktop application. It supports MCP servers through its Connectors settings. Download it from chatgpt.com/download or the Microsoft Store.

Recommended alternative: ChatGPT's MCP setup is more complex than other clients because it requires an ngrok tunnel. For a simpler experience, consider using Codex CLI or Claude Code instead.

Note: ChatGPT Desktop requires a public HTTPS URL to connect to MCP servers, so you'll need to run the MCP server in HTTP mode with an ngrok tunnel. See the HTTP transport guide for details on the transport layer.

1. Install uv

uv is needed to run the MCP server via uvx.

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

See the uv installation docs for other platforms or troubleshooting.

2. Install and Configure ngrok

ngrok creates a public HTTPS tunnel to your local MCP server.

1. Install ngrok from ngrok.com/download
2. Create an account and add your authtoken:

   ngrok config add-authtoken <YOUR_AUTHTOKEN>
   

3. Get a free static domain from the ngrok dashboard (e.g., abc123-xyz789.ngrok-free.app)

3. Start the MCP Server and Tunnel

Start the MCP server in HTTP mode:

uvx ros-mcp --transport streamable-http --host 127.0.0.1 --port 9000

In a separate terminal, start the ngrok tunnel:

ngrok http --url=<your-domain>.ngrok-free.app 9000

Verify the tunnel is working:

curl https://<your-domain>.ngrok-free.app/mcp

4. Configure ChatGPT

1. Open ChatGPT Desktop
2. Go to Settings (bottom left) > Connectors
3. Create a new connector:
   • Name: ROS-MCP Server
   • MCP Server URL: https://<your-domain>.ngrok-free.app/mcp
   • Authentication: No authentication
   • Check I trust this application
4. In a new chat, click + > Developer Mode > Add sources > Activate ROS-MCP Server

5. Verify the Setup

Ask ChatGPT:

Connect to the robot on localhost using the ros-mcp server

The MCP server will attempt to reach a robot on the same machine. It should report that the IP is reachable but the rosbridge port is closed — this confirms the MCP server is set up correctly.

Tip: If your AI assistant can't find the ros-mcp server, make sure both the MCP server and ngrok tunnel are still running, then restart ChatGPT Desktop.

To complete the connection, set up rosbridge on your robot.

Next Step

Set up rosbridge on the machine where ROS is running: Step 2: Rosbridge Setup

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Advanced

• Alternate installation methods:
  • Install via pip — traditional pip install or install from source with pip
  • Install from source — for developers who need to modify the server code

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