MCP Installer

What is mcp-installer?

mcp-installer is a specialized MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that streamlines the installation of other MCP servers. Instead of manually installing each server, mcp-installer acts as a central hub, allowing users to command an AI assistant (like Claude) to install desired MCP servers from various sources like npm or PyPi.

How to use mcp-installer?

To use mcp-installer, you first need to configure your Claude desktop application. This involves adding a specific JSON snippet to your claude_desktop_config.json file, located in ~/Library/Application Support/Claude on macOS or C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Roaming\Claude on Windows. The configuration tells Claude how to launch the mcp-installer server using npx.

Once configured, you can interact with mcp-installer through natural language prompts to Claude. For example, you can ask Claude to install an MCP server by its name, package name (from npm or PyPi), or even a local path. It requires npx for Node.js servers and uv for Python servers to be installed on your system.

Key Features of mcp-installer

• Automated MCP Server Installation: Simplifies the process of setting up new MCP servers.
• Natural Language Interface: Integrates with AI assistants like Claude for intuitive command execution.
• Support for npm and PyPi: Can install MCP servers hosted on popular package managers.
• Local Path Installation: Allows installation of MCP servers from local directories.
• Environment Variable Support: Enables setting environment variables during installation for specific server configurations.

Use Cases of mcp-installer

• Rapid Development Environment Setup: Quickly set up multiple MCP servers for a new project.
• Streamlined Server Management: Easily add or update MCP servers without manual intervention.
• AI-Powered Automation: Leverage AI assistants to manage your MCP server ecosystem.
• Developer Convenience: Reduce the overhead of installing dependencies and servers, allowing developers to focus on core tasks.

FAQ from mcp-installer

Q: What are the prerequisites for using mcp-installer? A: You need npx installed for Node.js-based MCP servers and uv for Python-based MCP servers. These are typically installed with Node.js and Python, respectively.

Q: Can I install any MCP server with mcp-installer? A: mcp-installer is designed to install MCP servers that are available via npm, PyPi, or local file paths.

Q: How do I provide arguments or environment variables during installation? A: You can specify arguments and environment variables directly in your natural language prompts to Claude, as demonstrated in the example prompts.

mcp-installer - A MCP Server to install MCP Servers

This server is a server that installs other MCP servers for you. Install it, and you can ask Claude to install MCP servers hosted in npm or PyPi for you. Requires npx and uv to be installed for node and Python servers respectively.

How to install:

Put this into your claude_desktop_config.json (either at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude on macOS or C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Roaming\Claude on Windows):

  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-installer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@anaisbetts/mcp-installer"
      ]
    }
  }

Example prompts

Hey Claude, install the MCP server named mcp-server-fetch

Hey Claude, install the @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem package as an MCP server. Use ['/Users/anibetts/Desktop'] for the arguments

Hi Claude, please install the MCP server at /Users/anibetts/code/mcp-youtube, I'm too lazy to do it myself.

Install the server @modelcontextprotocol/server-github. Set the environment variable GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN to '1234567890'