mcp-setup

miles990's avatarfrom miles990

Help users configure MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for Claude Code and other AI platforms.

⭐0stars🔀0forks📁View on GitHub🕐Updated Jan 4, 2026
[Developer Tools]

When & Why to Use This Skill

The mcp-setup skill streamlines the installation and configuration of Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for Claude Code and other AI platforms. It provides comprehensive guidance on managing the `~/.claude.json` configuration file, enabling users to extend AI capabilities with tools for filesystem access, GitHub integration, web search, and specialized documentation queries.

Use Cases

  • Case 1: Configuring the Filesystem MCP server to allow Claude to safely read and write files within specific local directories for automated coding tasks.
  • Case 2: Integrating the GitHub MCP server by setting up environment variables and tokens to enable AI-driven repository management and PR reviews.
  • Case 3: Setting up the Brave Search MCP server to provide AI agents with real-time web browsing and information retrieval capabilities.
  • Case 4: Troubleshooting and validating JSON configuration syntax and file permissions to ensure seamless connectivity between the AI model and external tools.
namemcp-setup
description"Help users configure MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for Claude Code and other AI platforms."
version0.4.0

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"
      }
    }
  }
}

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}"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "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}"
      }
    }
  }
}