Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@MCP Server Frameworklist the files in the current directory"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
MCP Server Framework
A general-purpose Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for Claude Code and Claude Desktop.
Quick Start
Project Structure
Configuration
The server is configured via environment variables:
Variable | Description | Default |
| Display name for the server |
|
| Logging level (DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR) |
|
| Comma-separated paths for file tools | (none) |
| Custom variables accessible via config | (none) |
Included Tools
Echo Tools
echo- Echo back a messageecho_uppercase- Echo in uppercaseecho_reverse- Echo reversed
DateTime Tools
get_current_time- Get current UTC timeget_timestamp- Get current Unix timestampparse_timestamp- Convert timestamp to readable formattime_difference- Calculate time between two timestamps
File Tools (requires MCP_ALLOWED_PATHS)
list_directory- List directory contentsread_file- Read file contentsget_file_info- Get file/directory metadataget_allowed_paths- Show configured allowed paths
Setting Up Clients
Claude Desktop
Open
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json(macOS)Add your server configuration:
Restart Claude Desktop completely (Cmd+Q, then relaunch)
Claude Code
Create .mcp.json in your project root:
Adding New Tools
Create a new file in
src/mcp_server/tools/:
Register it in
src/mcp_server/tools/__init__.py:
Restart Claude Desktop/Code to pick up the new tool.
Tool Design Guidelines
Clear docstrings: The description and parameter docs are sent to Claude
Type hints: All parameters and returns need type hints (defines the JSON schema)
Return strings: Tools should return string results for best compatibility
Error handling: Return user-friendly error messages rather than raising exceptions
Use config: Access
configfor environment-specific settings (like allowed paths)
Troubleshooting
Server won't start:
Ensure
PYTHONPATHincludes thesrcdirectoryCheck that
mcppackage is installed:pip install mcp[cli]
Tools not appearing in Claude:
Verify the config JSON is valid
Check the
cwdpath is correctRestart Claude Desktop completely (Cmd+Q on Mac)
File tools return "not in allowed directories":
Set
MCP_ALLOWED_PATHSto comma-separated directory pathsPaths must be absolute
Dependencies
Python 3.10+
mcp[cli]>=1.0.0