---
title: Installation Guide
tags: [quickstart, installation, setup, beginner]
category: Guides
order: 1
---
# Installation Guide
This guide covers installing the Hierarchical Documentation MCP server.
## Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or higher
- pip (Python package installer)
- Git (optional, for development installation)
## Installation Methods
### Method 1: Install from PyPI (Recommended)
```bash
pip install your-docs-mcp
```
### Method 2: Install from Source
For the latest development version:
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/esola-thomas/Markdown-MCP
cd Markdown-MCP
# Install in development mode
pip install -e .
```
### Method 3: With Development Dependencies
For contributing or running tests:
```bash
pip install your-docs-mcp[dev]
```
## Verify Installation
Check that the installation succeeded:
```bash
# Check MCP server
your-docs-mcp --help
# Check web server
your-docs-web --help
```
## Dependencies
The package automatically installs:
| Package | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| `mcp>=0.1.0` | Model Context Protocol SDK |
| `chromadb>=0.4.0` | Vector database for semantic search |
| `sentence-transformers>=2.2.2` | Embedding model for search |
| `fastapi>=0.104.0` | Web API framework |
| `uvicorn>=0.24.0` | ASGI server |
| `pyyaml>=6.0` | YAML frontmatter parsing |
## Environment Setup
### Minimum Configuration
Set your documentation root directory:
```bash
export DOCS_ROOT=/path/to/your/documentation
```
### Recommended Configuration
```bash
# Documentation location
export DOCS_ROOT=/path/to/your/docs
# Optional: Logging level (DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR)
export LOG_LEVEL=INFO
# Optional: Server port for web interface
export PORT=8080
```
## Quick Start
After installation, start the server:
```bash
# Start MCP server (stdio transport for Claude Desktop)
your-docs-mcp
# Or start web server (HTTP/SSE transport)
your-docs-web
```
## Platform-Specific Notes
### Linux/macOS
No special requirements. Use the standard installation commands.
### Windows
Use PowerShell or Windows Terminal:
```powershell
# Set environment variable
$env:DOCS_ROOT = "C:\path\to\docs"
# Start server
your-docs-mcp
```
### Docker
```dockerfile
FROM python:3.11-slim
WORKDIR /app
RUN pip install your-docs-mcp
ENV DOCS_ROOT=/docs
EXPOSE 8080
CMD ["your-docs-web"]
```
## Troubleshooting
### Permission Denied
```bash
# Install to user directory
pip install --user your-docs-mcp
# Or use a virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # Linux/macOS
# venv\Scripts\activate # Windows
pip install your-docs-mcp
```
### Python Version Error
Verify Python version:
```bash
python --version
# Should be 3.10 or higher
```
### Package Not Found After Install
Ensure pip's bin directory is in your PATH:
```bash
# Find pip's bin directory
python -m site --user-base
# Add to PATH (Linux/macOS)
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
```
## Next Steps
- [Configuration Guide](configuration.md) - Detailed configuration options
- [Getting Started](../getting-started.md) - Connect to AI assistants
- [Architecture Overview](../../architecture/overview.md) - System design
