dsh-matlab-mcp

DeepSeek Harness (dsh) profile bundle that registers the MathWorks MATLAB/Simulink MCP server into the dsh GUI, so agent sessions get native mcp__matlab__* tools for controlling MATLAB and reading/building/testing Simulink models.

| Kind | Tool name (in agent sessions) | What it does | |---|---|---| | MATLAB | mcp__matlab__evaluate_matlab_code | Run any MATLAB code in the shared session | | MATLAB | mcp__matlab__run_matlab_file / run_matlab_test_file | Run a script / run unit tests | | MATLAB | mcp__matlab__check_matlab_code | Static Code Analyzer warnings for a .m file | | MATLAB | mcp__matlab__detect_matlab_toolboxes | MATLAB version + installed toolboxes | | Simulink | mcp__matlab__model_overview | Hierarchical model view | | Simulink | mcp__matlab__model_read | Block topology + expression notation | | Simulink | mcp__matlab__model_edit | Structural edits / parameter changes | | Simulink | mcp__matlab__model_check | Structural validation (unconnected ports, …) | | Simulink | mcp__matlab__model_query_params | Random access to any block/config parameter | | Simulink | mcp__matlab__model_resolve_params | Resolve workspace variables to values | | Simulink | mcp__matlab__model_test | Gherkin-based behavioral tests (needs Simulink Test) |

Prerequisites

1. MATLAB R2021a or later (R2023a+ for the Simulink model_* tools), with Simulink installed.
2. MATLAB Agentic Toolkit installed — it provides the MCP server binary and the Simulink extension tools. In MATLAB:

   setupAgenticToolkit("install")
   

   (select MATLAB + Simulink toolkits). Manual download is documented in the Simulink Agentic Toolkit getting-started guide.
3. pnpm (used by dsh plugin): npm install -g pnpm
4. The dsh launcher on PATH (dsh), or npx (the installer falls back to npx -y @deepseek-ai/dsh).

Install

From this repo (recommended)

git clone https://github.com/<your-account>/dsh-matlab-mcp.git
cd dsh-matlab-mcp
# Windows:
.\install.ps1
# macOS / Linux:
./install.sh

Directly from the git URL (no clone)

dsh plugin --profile web add github:<your-account>/dsh-matlab-mcp

Manually (no pnpm)

Append this to ~/.dsh/profiles/web/cordis.patch.yml (create the file with content [] if missing), then restart the GUI:

- insert:
    - id: mcp-matlab
      name: '@deepseek-ai/dsh-mcp-client'
      config:
        serverName: matlab
        transport: stdio
        command: !!js "(process.env.USERPROFILE || process.env.HOME) + '/.matlab/agentic-toolkits/bin/matlab-mcp-server' + (process.platform === 'win32' ? '.exe' : '')"
        args: !!js "['--matlab-session-mode=existing', '--extension-file=' + (process.env.USERPROFILE || process.env.HOME) + '/.matlab/agentic-toolkits/simulink/tools/tools.json']"
        env:
          WINDIR: 'C:\Windows'
        toolCallTimeoutMs: 600000
        failOnStartupError: true

New rows in a patch file must be added with an insert list without an id. A bare id targets an existing entry and fails with entry "xxx" not found.

After install (required every MATLAB session)

1. Restart the dsh GUI.
2. Make sure MATLAB is running — the server attaches to a running session (--matlab-session-mode=existing), it does not start MATLAB.
3. In that MATLAB session, share it with the server once per session:

   addpath('~/.matlab/agentic-toolkits/simulink')   % Windows: use C:\Users\<you>\.matlab\...
   satk_initialize
   

Verify

After a GUI restart, ask the agent:

What version of MATLAB is running? List the installed toolboxes.

It should answer via mcp__matlab__detect_matlab_toolboxes. For Simulink:

Show me an overview of model MyModel.

Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Fix | |---|---| | No mcp__matlab__* tools in the session | GUI wasn't restarted after install; or failOnStartupError would have logged a loud error — check the GUI host console | | Tools exist but calls fail / "not shared" | Run addpath('~/.matlab/agentic-toolkits/simulink'); satk_initialize in the running MATLAB session | | matlab-mcp-server binary missing | Install the MATLAB Agentic Toolkit (setupAgenticToolkit("install")) | | MATLAB version mismatch | The server attaches to whatever MATLAB is running; use the MATLAB you want to control | | Tool calls time out on long simulations | Increase toolCallTimeoutMs (default 600000 = 10 min) in cordis.patch.yml | | Simulink fails on Windows | WINDIR env var is injected by this bundle (required on Windows) |

Uninstall

dsh plugin --profile web remove dsh-matlab-mcp

Notes

• This repo contains only configuration — the MCP server itself is the open-source MATLAB MCP Server (Apache-2.0, © The MathWorks, Inc.), and the client plugin is @deepseek-ai/dsh-mcp-client shipped with DeepSeek Harness.
• The bundle's paths are resolved at config time via !!js expressions, so no per-machine editing is needed (Windows, macOS, Linux).

License

MIT