MCP Server Configuration

Help users install and configure MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for AI platforms.

Configuration File

MCP servers are configured in ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server-name": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "package-name"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Popular MCP Servers

1. skillpkg (Skills Manager)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skillpkg": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skillpkg-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Tools: list_skills, install_skill, search_skills, load_skill, sync_skills

2. Context7 (Documentation)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@context7/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Tools: resolve-library-id, query-docs

3. Filesystem

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed/dir"]
    }
  }
}

4. GitHub

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

5. Brave Search

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-brave-search"],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "${BRAVE_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Quick Setup Commands

# View current config
cat ~/.claude.json

# Edit config (macOS)
open -e ~/.claude.json

# Edit config (with VS Code)
code ~/.claude.json

# Validate JSON
cat ~/.claude.json | python3 -m json.tool

Adding a New MCP Server

1. Find the package name (usually on npm or GitHub)
2. Add entry to ~/.claude.json under mcpServers
3. Restart Claude Code to load the new server

Common Issues

Server Not Loading

• Check JSON syntax is valid
• Verify package name is correct
• Check if environment variables are set

Permission Errors

• Ensure ~/.claude.json is readable
• Check file permissions: chmod 644 ~/.claude.json

Environment Variables

Use ${VAR_NAME} syntax in config:

{
  "env": {
    "API_KEY": "${MY_API_KEY}"
  }
}

Set in shell:

export MY_API_KEY="your-key"

Full Example Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skillpkg": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skillpkg-mcp-server"]
    },
    "context7": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@context7/mcp-server"]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}