Can my agent scale my Dokku processes automatically?

Yes. Use the 'ps_scale' tool. You can specify the application name and the target replica count for processes like 'web' or 'worker'. The agent will manipulate the explicit counts within your Dokku cluster instantly.

How do I update environment variables via chat?

Use the 'set_config' tool. Provide the app name, key, and value. The agent will inject the pair into the Docker environment mapping, which typically triggers a rolling deployment to apply the new configuration safely.

Can I run database migrations through the agent?

Absolutely. Use the 'run_command' tool. It boots an ephemeral isolated container cloning your production image, allowing you to run maintenance commands like 'rake db:migrate' or custom scripts without affecting live traffic.

Dokku MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Dokku
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 10 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Dokku and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

Download Free Open SourceNo signup required

Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dokku": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Dokku MCP Server

Connect your Dokku instance to any AI agent and take full control of your self-hosted PaaS and container orchestration through natural conversation.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Dokku data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 10 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Application Lifecycle — List all managed apps and retrieve the overarching directory of deployments on your own infrastructure bypassing standard PaaS fees
Provisioning & Deallocation — Barely instantiate new application repositories or irreversibly dismantle all bound containers and DNS routing records
Environment Auditing — Retrieve the exact .env dictionary bound dynamically via the config plugin to observe runtime inputs and SQL credentials
Configuration Mutation — Inject or remove sensitive environment variables securely, triggering rolling app deployments natively across your cluster
Process Scaling — Manipulate explicit replica counts dynamically, determining whether web or worker containers spool up to meet demand
Live Log Streaming — Pull precise system execution tails to investigate explicit request stack traces and crashing node backtraces without SSH
One-off Executions — Launch raw commands inside ephemeral isolated containers for maintenance tasks like DB migrations or custom scripts

The Dokku MCP Server exposes 10 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Dokku to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Dokku MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using Dokku

Ask Copilot: "Using Dokku, help me...". 10 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the Dokku MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with Dokku through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

Dokku + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the Dokku MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

Dokku MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (10)

These 10 tools become available when you connect Dokku to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

create_app

Performs the structural network allocations setting up reverse-proxy hooks (Nginx/Traefik) preceding the actual codebase transfer. Provision a root App boundary wrapper on the Dokku VM

destroy_app

Instantly shuts down bound running docker containers orchestrating web/worker traffic, detaches volumes seamlessly, and removes explicit DNS routing records from the local VHOST mappings. Deallocate an App and dismantle all bound containers completely

get_logs

Bypasses SSH to investigate explicit request stack traces, crashing node backtraces, or slow SQL queries happening inside the closed containers. Stream Dokku Application Docker stdout and stderr logs

list_apps

Determines exactly which Docker containers are orchestrated internally by Dokku Core scaling plugins. List self-hosted Git-push Apps deployed via Dokku

list_config

env` or `ENV` dictionary bound dynamically via the `dokku config` plugin. Used strictly to observe runtime inputs (SQL credentials, external REST API tokens, Node_ENV bindings) governing app execution. Extract internal Environment variables loaded into the App

ps_restart

Dokku tears down old running docker processes spanning the App UUID, allocating updated dynamic ports tied via standard proxies (Nginx), ensuring zero downtime deploys if multiple replicas are alive. Bounce the application container dynamically

ps_scale

Determines whether the "web" container spins zero replicas (suspension), or if "worker" background tasks spool up to 10 endpoints. Scale structural internal application containers

run_command

Boots a brand new isolated Docker container cloning the production image layers for a single execution cycle. Useful for running `rake db:migrate`, `npm run script` safely disconnected from web traffic. Launch a raw one-off command inside an ephemeral container

set_config

Triggers a mandatory rolling app deployment unless the `--no-restart` daemon flag applies natively to the process. Critical for updating expired API auth tokens. Inject Environment Variables into a running Dokku Application

unset_config

Immediately triggers the executing Docker cluster to orchestrate a rapid replacement cycle to strip out the revoked value. Removes stale credentials safely. Remove sensitive Environment Variables disrupting App config

Example Prompts for Dokku in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with Dokku immediately.

"List all apps on my Dokku host"

"Scale the 'web' process of app 'api-server' to 3 replicas"

"Get the last 50 lines of logs for 'frontend-web'"

Troubleshooting Dokku MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting Dokku to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

Dokku + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating Dokku MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.