cd /news/developer-tools/show-hn-ocarina-automate-and-test-mc… · home topics developer-tools article
[ARTICLE · art-41934] src=github.com ↗ pub= topic=developer-tools verified=true sentiment=· neutral

Show HN: Ocarina – Automate and test MCP servers from YAML, no LLM

A developer released Ocarina, an open-source tool that allows users to automate and test MCP servers using YAML-based playbooks called Rondos, without requiring an LLM. The tool enables step-by-step execution of tool calls against MCP servers for inspection and validation. The creator developed Ocarina to maximize the utility of the growing MCP ecosystem.

read1 min views1 publishedJun 27, 2026

Hi all. As someone who has spent years working with Ansible and other automation frameworks, the recent MCP boom has me fascinated. People are creating nice, typed, LLM-readable (and thus human-readable) interfaces for their servers, over a standardized protocol that exposes both tools and resources. I wanted to see if I could create a way to run scripts against these servers directly, with no AI in the loop.

Ocarina lets you inspect MCP server characteristics and write Rondos (the equivalent of Ansible playbooks) that express tool calls in yaml so you can play them step-by-step without needing to drive with an LLM.

Here's what a Rondo looks like:

keys: owner: acme repo: api

server: command: npx args: [-y, "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]

rondo: - name: recent commits tool: list_commits args: owner: "{{owner}}" repo: "{{repo}}" grab: ".0.sha" echo: latest_sha

  - name: commit detail
    tool: get_commit
    args:
      owner: "{{owner}}"
      repo: "{{repo}}"
      sha: "{{latest_sha}}"
    expect:
      contains: "feat"

I have started using Ocarina myself to test and validate the MCP servers I am creating at my job, and I am interested in the broader field of how we can maximize the use of the massive MCP ecosystem. The README includes links to repos you can clone and try right away (and a little Blender demo ;])Happy Saturday!

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48699141

Points: 2

── more in #developer-tools 4 stories · sorted by recency
── more on @ocarina 3 stories trending now
sponsored brought to you by zahid.host 4,200+ EU-deployed projects
reading about agents? ship yours in a single git push.

Run your AI side-project on zahid.host

EU-based hosting, git-push deploys, automatic HTTPS, no cold starts. Free tier with a custom domain — perfect for shipping the agent you just read about.

$git push zahid main
Live at https://your-agent.zahid.host
Get free account → Pricing
from €0/mo · no card required
LIVE [news/show-hn-ocarina-auto…] indexed:0 read:1min 2026-06-27 ·