Cursor MCP Installer

Cursor MCP Installer

What is Cursor MCP Installer?

Cursor MCP Installer is a tool designed to simplify the installation and configuration of Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers within the Cursor IDE. It allows users to easily add and manage various MCP servers, whether they are available as npm packages, local directories, or Git repositories. This tool acts as a central hub for extending the capabilities of Cursor IDE by integrating different MCP functionalities.

How to Use Cursor MCP Installer?

To use Cursor MCP Installer, you first need to add it to your Cursor configuration. This can be done by modifying the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file. There are three primary methods for installation:

1. Using npx (Easiest - No Installation Required): Add a specific JSON configuration to your mcp.json file that points to npx and the cursor-mcp-installer-free package.
2. Using npm (Global Installation): Install the package globally via npm install -g cursor-mcp-installer-free and then add a corresponding JSON configuration to mcp.json.
3. Direct from GitHub: Clone the repository, install dependencies, build the project, and then configure Cursor to use the local build path in your mcp.json.

After configuring, restart Cursor. You can then interact with the MCP Installer through Claude (Cursor's AI assistant) by giving commands like "Install the web search MCP server" or "Install the MCP server for OpenAPI schema exploration."

Key Features of Cursor MCP Installer

• Multiple Installation Sources: Install MCP servers from npm packages, local directories, and Git repositories.
• Easy Configuration: Simplifies the process of adding and configuring MCP servers within Cursor IDE.
• AI Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Claude for command-line installation and management.
• Path Handling Improvements: Version 0.1.3 includes enhanced path resolution, better schema detection (supporting various schema file extensions), and improved server discovery for robust installations.
• Custom Configuration: Allows for adding custom MCP server configurations.

Use Cases of Cursor MCP Installer

• Extending Cursor IDE Functionality: Developers can easily add new capabilities to their Cursor IDE by installing various MCP servers, such as web search, file system access, or OpenAPI schema exploration.
• Streamlining Development Workflows: Automates the process of setting up and managing different MCP servers, saving time and effort for developers.
• Integrating Custom Tools: Enables the integration of custom-built MCP servers from local directories or private Git repositories into the Cursor environment.
• Rapid Prototyping: Quickly test and integrate new MCP server functionalities without complex manual setup.

FAQ from Cursor MCP Installer

• Where is the Cursor MCP Configuration File?

  • macOS/Linux: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json
  • If the file doesn't exist, you can create it.

• What are the prerequisites for using this tool?

  • Node.js (for npm packages)
  • Cursor IDE

• How do I install an npm package as an MCP server?

  • You can ask Claude, e.g., "Install the MCP server named mcp-server-fetch."

• How do I install a local MCP server?

  • You can ask Claude, e.g., "Install the MCP server at /home/user/projects/my-mcp-server."

• What are the latest updates in v0.1.3?

  • Improved path handling for all MCP server installations, better OpenAPI schema detection, and more robust server discovery in local directories.

Cursor MCP Installer

📢 NOW AVAILABLE ON NPM! Install with a simple npm install -g cursor-mcp-installer-free command or use directly with npx cursor-mcp-installer-free or uvx cursor-mcp-installer-free!

🔄 Latest Updates (v0.1.3): Improved path handling for all MCP server installations, better OpenAPI schema detection, and more robust server discovery in local directories. Thanks to @ItzAmirreza for submitting the initial installation path handling issue. See CHANGELOG.md for details.

Quick Start Guide

Step 1: Add to Cursor Configuration

Choose one of these methods to add the MCP Installer to your Cursor configuration:

Using npx (Easiest - No Installation Required)

Add this to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json file (create it if it doesn't exist):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3",
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Using npm (Global Installation)

npm install -g cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3

Then add to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "cursor-mcp-installer-free",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Restart Cursor

Close and reopen Cursor to apply the configuration changes.

Step 3: Use Claude to Install Servers

Ask Claude to install any MCP server for you:

Install the web search MCP server

or

Install the MCP server for OpenAPI schema exploration with my-schema.yaml

Step 4: What You'll See When Installed

Once properly installed and Cursor is restarted, you'll see the MCP Installer available in the sidebar when using Claude:

The MCP Installer provides three main tools:

• install_repo_mcp_server: Install MCP servers from npm packages or repositories
• install_local_mcp_server: Install MCP servers from local directories
• add_to_cursor_config: Add custom MCP server configurations

Features

• Install MCP servers from npm packages
• Install MCP servers from local directories
• Configure MCP servers for Cursor
• Add custom MCP server configurations

Prerequisites

Before using this tool, you need to have installed:

• Node.js (for npm packages)
• Cursor IDE

Installation

There are several ways to install and use the Cursor MCP Installer:

1. Using npm (Recommended)

npm install -g cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3

After installation, add it to your Cursor MCP configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "cursor-mcp-installer-free",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

2. Using npx (No Installation Required)

You can use npx to run the package without installing it globally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "cursor-mcp-installer-free@0.1.3",
        "index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Direct from GitHub

Clone the repository and build it locally:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/matthewdcage/cursor-mcp-installer.git
cd cursor-mcp-installer

# Install dependencies and build
npm install
npm run build

Then configure Cursor to use your local installation:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MCP Installer": {
      "command": "node",
      "type": "stdio",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/cursor-mcp-installer/lib/index.mjs"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/cursor-mcp-installer with the actual path where you've cloned the repository.

Where is the Cursor MCP Configuration File?

The Cursor MCP configuration file is located at:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json

If the file doesn't exist, you can create it with the content from any of the installation methods above.

Path Handling Improvements in v0.1.3

Version 0.1.3 introduces significant improvements to path handling for MCP server installations:

Enhanced Path Resolution

• Properly normalizes both relative and absolute paths
• Handles paths with spaces and special characters
• Ensures consistent path formatting across different operating systems

Better Schema Detection

• Now scans all arguments for schema files, not just the first one
• Supports more schema file extensions (.yaml, .yml, .json, .openapi)
• Properly normalizes schema file paths before passing to servers

Improved Server Discovery

• Added detection of common server entry points in local directories
• Enhanced support for Python-based MCP servers
• Better error reporting for path-related issues

These improvements make the MCP Installer more robust for all types of server installations, especially when dealing with custom file paths, OpenAPI schemas, and local directory installations.

Usage

Once installed, you can use Claude or Cursor to interact with the MCP Installer. Here are some example prompts:

Install an npm package as an MCP server

Install the MCP server named mcp-server-fetch

Install with arguments

Install the @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem package as an MCP server. Use ['/home/user/documents'] for the arguments

Install a local MCP server

Install the MCP server at /home/user/projects/my-mcp-server

Install with environment variables