Paper Lantern MCP Server

by paperlantern Your server? Claim it

answering

Paper Lantern is answering right now. Last checked 1 min ago. Last commit 21 Apr 2026.

Research intelligence for AI coding agents. 2M+ CS papers with evidence and tradeoffs.

Uptime history 91 days of history · worst day 90%

91 days agonow

100.0%

Uptime 24h

92 of 92 checks

—

Tools

hidden behind auth

432 ms

Response time

average over 24h

Stars

last commit 21 Apr 2026

What the code does

We read the source, 3 d ago · rules 995398eba69f

Capabilities

What this server is able to do. For an MCP server this is often the job itself — a terminal server runs commands because that is what it is for. Listed so you know what you are plugging in, not as an accusation.

Runs an external command src/auth.ts:17

    if (platform === "darwin") execSync(`open "${url}"`);

Is this your server and something here is wrong? Tell us — corrections are free and do not require a plan.

This code can reach further than it looks

We found places where it runs commands, builds paths or queries from values it is given. None of that is a flaw by itself — it becomes one when the code changes, and code changes quietly between releases. We re-read it on every one.

Connect this server

Endpoint below is the one we actually reach during checks — not the one copied from a README. Last verified 1 min ago.

Claude Code Claude Desktop Codex Cursor VS Code

run in your terminal

claude mcp add code --transport http https://mcp.paperlantern.ai/chat/mcp

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector, then paste this address

https://mcp.paperlantern.ai/chat/mcp

~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.code]
url = "https://mcp.paperlantern.ai/chat/mcp"

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "code": {
      "url": "https://mcp.paperlantern.ai/chat/mcp"
    }
  }
}

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "code": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.paperlantern.ai/chat/mcp"
    }
  }
}

This endpoint answered with an authorization challenge. The server is running, but it did not say what kind of credentials it expects.

Endpoints

URL	Transport	State	Latency	Checked
https://mcp.paperlantern.ai/chat/mcp	streamable-http	needs auth	412 ms	1 min ago

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Paper Lantern — questions

Answers built from our own checks of this server.

Why is there no tool list for Paper Lantern?

The server answered our handshake with an authorization challenge, so it is running — but it will not describe its tools to an anonymous client. To see them you need to connect with your own credentials. We record it as alive, not as broken: 100.0% of checks in the last 24 hours got a reply.

Is Paper Lantern working right now?

We send a real MCP handshake every 15 minutes. Over the last 24 hours 92 of 92 checks got a reply (100.0%), average response time 432 ms. The bar chart above shows every period we have measured.

How do I connect Paper Lantern?

Copy the ready config from this page. We generate it for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor and VS Code, each in the form that client actually reads. It is a remote server, so there is nothing to install — the client connects to the address. You will need your own credentials: it refuses anonymous clients.

Does Paper Lantern need an API key?

Yes. Every time we knock, Paper Lantern answers with an authorization challenge instead of its tool list — that is how we know it is running and gated rather than broken. Bring your own credentials and it will talk.

How fast is Paper Lantern?

It answers our handshake in 432 ms on average, which is faster than 30% of all working MCP servers we measure. The comparison comes from our own checks across the whole registry, every 15 minutes.

Is Paper Lantern open source?

The code is open source: it is published under the MIT licence, written in TypeScript, 0 stars on GitHub and 1 open issue. The licence covers the code in the repository, not the hosted service at mcp.paperlantern.ai, which runs on its operator's own terms.