ask-master is an MCP server that gives Claude Code, OpenCode, Cursor, or Windsurf a side-channel to you: a M5Stack Cardputer sitting on your desk. The agent asks questions there, you answer with the device's keyboard, and your chat history stays clean.
Use cases. Long-running agent loops you walk away from. Pair-programming sessions where you don't want approval prompts cluttering chat. Critical decisions you want a buzzer for. Anything where the model needs human input but the user might be AFK.
How it works
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MCP Client (Claude Code / OpenCode / Cursor / Windsurf) │
│ │
│ calls: ask-human, confirm, choose, escalate-to-human │
│ │ │
│ ▼ stdio (JSON-RPC 2.0) │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ask-master (Go daemon) │
│ ├── main.go — MCP server init + ServeStdio │
│ ├── bridge.go — WebSocket bridge + /notify HTTP endpoint │
│ ├── daemon.go — multi-session Unix socket + lock │
│ └── tools.go — ask-human, confirm, choose, escalate-to-human│
│ │ │
│ ▼ WebSocket ws://0.0.0.0:8765 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Cardputer ADV firmware (Arduino / C++) │
│ ├── WiFi + WebSocket auto-reconnect (3s) │
│ ├── UDP beacon (port 8766) — presence + wake │
│ ├── On-device setup menu (no source edits required) │
│ └── TFT renderer + keyboard │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Tools
| Tool | When to use | Device shows | Reply method |
|---|
ask-human | Open-ended question, free-text answer | Blue ASK screen, 1000 Hz beep | Type, Enter |
confirm | Yes / no decision | Red CONFIRM screen, 1300 Hz beep | Y / N |
choose | 2–6 multiple-choice options | Teal CHOOSE screen, 900 Hz beep | Number key |
escalate-to-human | Urgent — louder alert, use sparingly | Orange ESCALATE screen, 1500 Hz beep | Type, Enter |
When the device is offline, tools return safe fallbacks ([CARDPUTER OFFLINE] …, false, or the first option) so the agent never hangs.
Quick start
1. Install the server
macOS (Homebrew):
brew install mhrsntrk/ask-master/ask-master
Other platforms / source:
git clone https://github.com/mhrsntrk/ask-master && cd ask-master
make build # produces ./ask-master
2. Flash the Cardputer
M5Burner (recommended — no PC after first flash):
- Install M5Burner.
- In the User Custom tab, enter share code
KXgpvtfPA52RKfQK (or search ask-master).
- Select your Cardputer ADV and click Burn.
- On first boot the device scans WiFi, prompts for password and your computer's IP.
Other paths: M5Launcher (OTA) · PlatformIO build
3. Wire it into Claude Code
/plugin marketplace add mhrsntrk/ask-master
/plugin install ask-master@ask-master
The plugin bundles the MCP server registration, the skill, slash commands, a SessionStart context hook, and a Notification hook that auto-pings the device when Claude Code goes idle. The ask-master binary must be on $PATH (handled by step 1).
One required hand-edit — Claude Code plugins can't pre-grant MCP permissions. Append to ~/.claude/settings.json so the agent doesn't prompt on every call (which defeats the AFK purpose):
