unraid-mcp/docs/DESTRUCTIVE_ACTIONS.md

Destructive Actions

Last Updated: 2026-03-13 Total destructive actions: 15 across 7 tools

All destructive actions require confirm=True at the call site. There is no additional environment variable gate — confirm is the sole guard.

mcporter commands below use $MCP_URL (default: http://localhost:6970/mcp). Run test-actions.sh for automated non-destructive coverage; destructive actions are always skipped there and tested manually per the strategies below.

---

unraid_docker

remove — Delete a container permanently

# 1. Provision a throwaway canary container
docker run -d --name mcp-test-canary alpine sleep 3600

# 2. Discover its MCP-assigned ID
CID=$(mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_docker \
  --args '{"action":"list"}' --output json \
  | python3 -c "import json,sys; cs=json.load(sys.stdin).get('containers',[]); print(next(c['id'] for c in cs if 'mcp-test-canary' in c.get('name','')))")

# 3. Remove via MCP
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_docker \
  --args "{\"action\":\"remove\",\"container_id\":\"$CID\",\"confirm\":true}" --output json

# 4. Verify
docker ps -a | grep mcp-test-canary  # should return nothing

---

update_all — Pull latest images and restart all containers

Strategy: mock/safety audit only. No safe live isolation — this hits every running container. Test via tests/safety/ confirming the confirm=False guard raises ToolError. Do not run live unless all containers can tolerate a simultaneous restart.

---

delete_entries — Delete Docker organizer folders/entries

# 1. Create a throwaway organizer folder
FOLDER=$(mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_docker \
  --args '{"action":"create_folder","name":"mcp-test-delete-me"}' --output json)
FID=$(echo "$FOLDER" | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id',''))")

# 2. Delete it
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_docker \
  --args "{\"action\":\"delete_entries\",\"entry_ids\":[\"$FID\"],\"confirm\":true}" --output json

# 3. Verify
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_docker \
  --args '{"action":"list"}' --output json | python3 -c \
  "import json,sys; folders=[x for x in json.load(sys.stdin).get('folders',[]) if 'mcp-test' in x.get('name','')]; print('clean' if not folders else folders)"

---

reset_template_mappings — Wipe all template-to-container associations

Strategy: mock/safety audit only. Global state — wipes all template mappings, requires full remapping afterward. No safe isolation. Test via tests/safety/ confirming the confirm=False guard raises ToolError.

---

unraid_vm

force_stop — Hard power-off a VM (potential data corruption)

# Prerequisite: create a minimal Alpine test VM in Unraid VM manager
# (Alpine ISO, 512MB RAM, no persistent disk, name contains "mcp-test")

VID=$(mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_vm \
  --args '{"action":"list"}' --output json \
  | python3 -c "import json,sys; vms=json.load(sys.stdin).get('vms',[]); print(next(v.get('uuid',v.get('id','')) for v in vms if 'mcp-test' in v.get('name','')))")

mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_vm \
  --args "{\"action\":\"force_stop\",\"vm_id\":\"$VID\",\"confirm\":true}" --output json

# Verify: VM state should return to stopped
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_vm \
  --args "{\"action\":\"details\",\"vm_id\":\"$VID\"}" --output json

---

reset — Hard reset a VM (power cycle without graceful shutdown)

# Same minimal Alpine test VM as above
VID=$(mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_vm \
  --args '{"action":"list"}' --output json \
  | python3 -c "import json,sys; vms=json.load(sys.stdin).get('vms',[]); print(next(v.get('uuid',v.get('id','')) for v in vms if 'mcp-test' in v.get('name','')))")

mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_vm \
  --args "{\"action\":\"reset\",\"vm_id\":\"$VID\",\"confirm\":true}" --output json

---

unraid_notifications

delete — Permanently delete a notification

# 1. Create a test notification
NID=$(mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_notifications \
  --args '{"action":"create","title":"mcp-test-delete","subject":"safe to delete","description":"MCP destructive action test","importance":"normal"}' --output json \
  | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id',''))")

# 2. Delete it
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_notifications \
  --args "{\"action\":\"delete\",\"notification_id\":\"$NID\",\"confirm\":true}" --output json

# 3. Verify
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_notifications \
  --args '{"action":"list"}' --output json | python3 -c \
  "import json,sys; ns=[n for n in json.load(sys.stdin).get('notifications',[]) if 'mcp-test' in n.get('title','')]; print('clean' if not ns else ns)"

---

delete_archived — Wipe all archived notifications (bulk, irreversible)

# 1. Create and archive a test notification first
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_notifications \
  --args '{"action":"create","title":"mcp-test-archive-wipe","subject":"archive me","description":"safe to delete","importance":"normal"}' --output json
# (then archive it via action=archive if needed)

# 2. Wipe all archived
# NOTE: this deletes ALL archived notifications, not just the test one
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_notifications \
  --args '{"action":"delete_archived","confirm":true}' --output json

Run on shart if archival history on tootie matters.

---

unraid_rclone

delete_remote — Remove an rclone remote configuration

# 1. Create a throwaway local remote (points to /tmp — no real data)
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_rclone \
  --args '{"action":"create_remote","name":"mcp-test-remote","remote_type":"local","config":{"root":"/tmp"}}' --output json

# 2. Delete it
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_rclone \
  --args '{"action":"delete_remote","remote_name":"mcp-test-remote","confirm":true}' --output json

# 3. Verify
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_rclone \
  --args '{"action":"list_remotes"}' --output json | python3 -c \
  "import json,sys; remotes=json.load(sys.stdin).get('remotes',[]); print('clean' if 'mcp-test-remote' not in remotes else 'FOUND — cleanup failed')"

Note: delete_remote removes the config only — it does NOT delete data in the remote storage.

---

unraid_keys

delete — Delete an API key (immediately revokes access)

# 1. Create a test key
KID=$(mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_keys \
  --args '{"action":"create","name":"mcp-test-key","description":"Safe to delete — MCP destructive test"}' --output json \
  | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id',''))")

# 2. Delete it
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_keys \
  --args "{\"action\":\"delete\",\"key_id\":\"$KID\",\"confirm\":true}" --output json

# 3. Verify
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_keys \
  --args '{"action":"list"}' --output json | python3 -c \
  "import json,sys; ks=json.load(sys.stdin).get('keys',[]); print('clean' if not any('mcp-test-key' in k.get('name','') for k in ks) else 'FOUND — cleanup failed')"

---

unraid_storage

flash_backup — Rclone backup of flash drive (overwrites destination)

# Prerequisite: create a dedicated test remote pointing away from real backup destination
# (use rclone create_remote first, or configure mcp-test-remote manually)

mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_storage \
  --args '{"action":"flash_backup","remote_name":"mcp-test-remote","source_path":"/boot","destination_path":"/flash-backup-test","confirm":true}' --output json

Never point at the same destination as your real flash backup. Create a dedicated mcp-test-remote (see rclone: delete_remote above for provisioning pattern).

---

unraid_settings

configure_ups — Overwrite UPS monitoring configuration

Strategy: mock/safety audit only. Wrong config can break UPS integration. If live testing is required: read current config via unraid_info ups_config, save values, re-apply identical values (no-op), verify response matches. Test via tests/safety/ for guard behavior.

---

setup_remote_access — Modify remote access configuration

Strategy: mock/safety audit only. Misconfiguration can break remote connectivity and lock you out. Do not run live. Test via tests/safety/ confirming confirm=False raises ToolError.

---

enable_dynamic_remote_access — Toggle dynamic remote access

# Strategy: toggle to false (disabling is reversible) on shart only, then restore
# Step 1: Read current state
CURRENT=$(mcporter call --http-url "$SHART_MCP_URL" --tool unraid_info \
  --args '{"action":"settings"}' --output json)

# Step 2: Disable (safe — can be re-enabled)
mcporter call --http-url "$SHART_MCP_URL" --tool unraid_settings \
  --args '{"action":"enable_dynamic_remote_access","access_url_type":"SUBDOMAINS","dynamic_enabled":false,"confirm":true}' --output json

# Step 3: Restore to previous state
mcporter call --http-url "$SHART_MCP_URL" --tool unraid_settings \
  --args '{"action":"enable_dynamic_remote_access","access_url_type":"SUBDOMAINS","dynamic_enabled":true,"confirm":true}' --output json

Run on shart (10.1.0.3) only — never tootie.

---

unraid_info

update_ssh — Change SSH enabled state and port

# Strategy: read current config, re-apply same values (no-op change)

# 1. Read current SSH settings
CURRENT=$(mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_info \
  --args '{"action":"settings"}' --output json)
SSH_ENABLED=$(echo "$CURRENT" | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('ssh',{}).get('enabled', True))")
SSH_PORT=$(echo "$CURRENT" | python3 -c "import json,sys; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('ssh',{}).get('port', 22))")

# 2. Re-apply same values (no-op)
mcporter call --http-url "$MCP_URL" --tool unraid_info \
  --args "{\"action\":\"update_ssh\",\"ssh_enabled\":$SSH_ENABLED,\"ssh_port\":$SSH_PORT,\"confirm\":true}" --output json

# 3. Verify SSH connectivity still works
ssh root@"$UNRAID_HOST" -p "$SSH_PORT" exit

---

Safety Audit (Automated)

The tests/safety/ directory contains pytest tests that verify:

• Every destructive action raises ToolError when called with confirm=False
• Every destructive action raises ToolError when called without the confirm parameter
• The DESTRUCTIVE_ACTIONS set in each tool file stays in sync with the actions listed above

These run as part of the standard test suite:

uv run pytest tests/safety/ -v

---

Summary Table

Tool	Action	Strategy	Target Server
unraid_docker	remove	Pre-existing stopped container on Unraid server (skipped in test-destructive.sh)	either
unraid_docker	update_all	Mock/safety audit only	—
unraid_docker	delete_entries	Create folder → destroy	either
unraid_docker	reset_template_mappings	Mock/safety audit only	—
unraid_vm	force_stop	Minimal Alpine test VM	either
unraid_vm	reset	Minimal Alpine test VM	either
unraid_notifications	delete	Create notification → destroy	either
unraid_notifications	delete_archived	Create → archive → wipe	shart preferred
unraid_rclone	delete_remote	Create local:/tmp remote → destroy	either
unraid_keys	delete	Create test key → destroy	either
unraid_storage	flash_backup	Dedicated test remote, isolated path	either
unraid_settings	configure_ups	Mock/safety audit only	—
unraid_settings	setup_remote_access	Mock/safety audit only	—
unraid_settings	enable_dynamic_remote_access	Toggle false → restore	shart only
unraid_info	update_ssh	Read → re-apply same values (no-op)	either