Installation

Get started with MCP DevTools Server in minutes.

Prerequisites

Before installing, ensure you have:

• Node.js 18.0.0 or higher
• npm 9.0.0 or higher
• Claude Desktop (for MCP integration) or another MCP-compatible client

Check your versions:

node --version  # Should be v18.0.0 or higher
npm --version   # Should be 9.0.0 or higher

Quick Install

The easiest way to use MCP DevTools Server is via npx - no installation required:

npx -y @rshade/mcp-devtools-server

This will:

1. Download the latest version
2. Start the MCP server
3. Wait for MCP client connections

Claude Desktop Setup

Step 1: Locate Configuration File

Find your Claude Desktop configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2: Add MCP Server Configuration

Edit the configuration file and add the MCP DevTools Server:

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

Multiple MCP Servers

You can configure multiple MCP servers. Each server needs a unique name (like "devtools").

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

1. Quit Claude Desktop completely
2. Restart the application
3. Wait for MCP servers to initialize

Step 4: Verify Installation

1. Open Claude Desktop
2. Start a new conversation
3. Look for available tools (the tool icon in the input area)
4. You should see 40+ tools from MCP DevTools Server:
   • go_build, go_test, go_fmt, etc.
   • make_lint, make_test, make_build, etc.
   • lint_eslint, lint_markdownlint, etc.
   • analyze_command, recommend_mcp_servers, etc.

Troubleshooting: Tools Not Appearing

If tools don't appear:

1. Check Claude Desktop logs:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp*.log
   • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/logs/mcp*.log

2. Verify your configuration syntax (JSON must be valid)

3. Ensure Node.js is in your system PATH

4. Try running npx @rshade/mcp-devtools-server manually to check for errors

Project-Specific Installation

For projects that use MCP DevTools Server extensively, you can install it locally:

Install as Dev Dependency

npm install --save-dev @rshade/mcp-devtools-server

Update Claude Desktop Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "devtools": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["./node_modules/@rshade/mcp-devtools-server/dist/index.js"],
      "cwd": "/absolute/path/to/your/project"
    }
  }
}

Working Directory

When using local installation, set cwd to your project's absolute path.

Alternative: Global Installation

Install globally for system-wide availability:

npm install -g @rshade/mcp-devtools-server

Update Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "devtools": {
      "command": "mcp-devtools-server"
    }
  }
}

Configuration File

Create a .mcp-devtools.json file in your project root to customize behavior:

{
  "lintTools": {
    "enabled": true,
    "eslint": {
      "enabled": true,
      "configFile": ".eslintrc.json"
    },
    "markdownlint": {
      "enabled": true,
      "configFile": ".markdownlint.json"
    }
  },
  "testTools": {
    "enabled": true,
    "defaultFramework": "jest"
  },
  "goTools": {
    "enabled": true,
    "testFlags": ["-v", "-race"],
    "buildFlags": ["-trimpath"]
  },
  "caching": {
    "enabled": true,
    "maxSize": 100,
    "ttl": 300000,
    "checkInterval": 60000
  }
}

Auto-Generate Configuration

Use the Onboarding Wizard to automatically generate optimized configuration:

# In Claude Desktop
# Tool: onboarding_wizard
# Args: { "directory": ".", "dryRun": false }

Verification Checklist

After installation, verify everything works:

• [ ] Node.js version >= 18.0.0
• [ ] npm version >= 9.0.0
• [ ] Claude Desktop config file updated
• [ ] Claude Desktop restarted
• [ ] Tools appear in Claude Desktop
• [ ] Sample tool execution works (try detect_project)

Next Steps

Now that you've installed MCP DevTools Server:

1. Quick Start Guide - Run your first commands
2. Configuration Guide - Customize for your project
3. Onboarding Wizard - Auto-configure your project
4. Tools Overview - Explore all available tools

Updating

Update via npx

If using npx, you'll always get the latest version. No update needed!

Update Local Installation

npm update @rshade/mcp-devtools-server

Update Global Installation

npm update -g @rshade/mcp-devtools-server

Check Current Version

npx @rshade/mcp-devtools-server --version

Uninstallation

Remove from Claude Desktop

Edit claude_desktop_config.json and remove the devtools entry:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    // Remove or comment out:
    // "devtools": { ... }
  }
}

Remove Local Installation

npm uninstall @rshade/mcp-devtools-server

Remove Global Installation

npm uninstall -g @rshade/mcp-devtools-server

System Requirements

Supported Platforms

• macOS - 10.15 (Catalina) or later
• Windows - Windows 10 or later
• Linux - Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 10+, Fedora 35+, or equivalent

Supported Architectures

• x64 (Intel/AMD 64-bit)
• arm64 (Apple Silicon, ARM 64-bit)

Required Tools (Optional)

MCP DevTools Server provides tools for various development workflows. Install what you need:

• Go Development: Go 1.19+ (go version)
• Node.js Development: npm/yarn/pnpm
• Python Development: Python 3.8+ (python --version)
• Make Support: GNU Make 3.8+ (make --version)
• Git Support: Git 2.25+ (git --version)
• GitHub Actions: actionlint (actionlint -version)

Tool Detection

MCP DevTools Server automatically detects available tools. Missing tools simply won't have their features available - the server will still work for supported tools.

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

1. Check Troubleshooting Guide
2. Search GitHub Issues
3. Open a new issue
4. Join GitHub Discussions