Open Search MCP

# 💻 VS Code Integration Guide Complete guide for integrating Open-Search-MCP with Visual Studio Code. ## 📋 Prerequisites ### Required Software - **Visual Studio Code** (latest version) - **Node.js** ≥ 18.0.0 - **MCP Extension** (see installation options below) ### Verification ```bash # Check VS Code installation code --version # Check Node.js node --version npm --version # Verify project build cd open-search-mcp npm run build ls -la dist/expanded-server.js ``` ## 🚀 Installation Methods ### Method 1: Automatic Installation (Recommended) ```bash # Navigate to project directory cd open-search-mcp # Install to VS Code automatically npm run install:vscode ``` ### Method 2: Manual Configuration #### Step 1: Install MCP Extension Choose one of these MCP extensions: **Option A: Official MCP Extension (if available)** 1. Open VS Code 2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+X) 3. Search for "Model Context Protocol" 4. Install the official extension **Option B: Community MCP Extensions** - Search for "MCP" or "Model Context Protocol" in the marketplace - Choose a well-maintained extension with good reviews #### Step 2: Configure Settings 1. Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl/Cmd+,) 2. Search for "MCP" or open `settings.json` 3. Add the following configuration: ```json { "mcp.servers": { "open-search-mcp": { "command": "node", "args": ["/absolute/path/to/open-search-mcp/dist/expanded-server.js"], "env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here", "ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY": "your_alpha_vantage_key_here" }, "autoStart": true, "restart": true, "timeout": 60 } } } ``` ## 🔧 Configuration Details ### Settings File Location - **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json` - **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json` - **Linux**: `~/.config/Code/User/settings.json` ### Complete Configuration Example ```json { "mcp.servers": { "open-search-mcp": { "command": "node", "args": ["/Users/username/projects/open-search-mcp/dist/expanded-server.js"], "env": { "NODE_ENV": "production", "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY": "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX", "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "AIzaSyXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX", "GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "NEWSAPI_KEY": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "LOG_LEVEL": "info" }, "autoStart": true, "restart": true, "timeout": 60, "maxRetries": 3 } }, "mcp.enableLogging": true, "mcp.logLevel": "info" } ``` ## 🎮 Usage Guide ### Command Palette Access 1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P) 2. Type "MCP" to see available commands: - `MCP: Search arXiv` - `MCP: Search GitHub` - `MCP: Intelligent Research` - `MCP: Crawl URL` ### Chat Interface (if supported by extension) ``` # Academic search Search for "quantum computing" papers on arXiv # Developer search Find React hooks examples on GitHub # Web analysis Analyze the content of https://example.com # Comprehensive research Research "artificial intelligence ethics" comprehensively ``` ### Keyboard Shortcuts Add custom shortcuts in `keybindings.json`: ```json [ { "key": "ctrl+shift+a", "command": "mcp.searchArxiv", "when": "editorTextFocus" }, { "key": "ctrl+shift+g", "command": "mcp.searchGitHub", "when": "editorTextFocus" }, { "key": "ctrl+shift+r", "command": "mcp.intelligentResearch", "when": "editorTextFocus" } ] ``` ## 🔍 Available Tools ### Academic Research (7 tools) - `search_arxiv` - arXiv preprints and papers - `search_pubmed` - Medical and life science literature - `search_ieee` - Engineering and technology papers - `search_semantic_scholar` - AI-enhanced academic search - `search_iacr` - Cryptography and security research - `search_biorxiv` - Biology preprints - `search_medrxiv` - Medical preprints ### Developer Tools (4 tools) - `search_github` - GitHub repositories and code - `search_stackoverflow` - Programming Q&A - `search_gitlab` - GitLab projects - `search_bitbucket` - Bitbucket repositories ### Search Engines (4 tools) - `search_searx` - Privacy-focused meta-search - `search_startpage` - Private web search - `search_brave` - Independent search engine - `search_ecosia` - Eco-friendly search ### Web & Analysis (8 tools) - `crawl_url_content` - Single page content extraction - `batch_crawl_urls` - Multiple page crawling - `analyze_pdf` - PDF document analysis - `test_jsonplaceholder` - JSON API testing - `test_httpbin` - HTTP request testing - `intelligent_research` - Multi-source research - `deep_research` - Iterative deep research - `visualize_thinking` - Process visualization ### Research Tools (3 tools) - `decompose_thinking` - Complex problem breakdown - `check_research_saturation` - Research completeness check ## 🧪 Testing Installation ### Quick Test 1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P) 2. Run "MCP: List Tools" (if available) 3. Try "MCP: Search GitHub" with query "hello world" ### Manual Testing Open VS Code terminal and test the server: ```bash # Test server directly node dist/expanded-server.js # Should show MCP initialization ``` ### Extension-Specific Testing Depends on the MCP extension you're using. Common patterns: - Check Output panel for "Open-Search-MCP" logs - Look for MCP status in status bar - Try extension-specific commands ## 🔧 Troubleshooting ### Common Issues #### 1. "MCP Server not responding" **Symptoms**: Extension shows server as offline **Solution**: ```bash # Check server path ls -la /path/to/dist/expanded-server.js # Test server manually node dist/expanded-server.js # Check Node.js path in VS Code code --version which node ``` #### 2. "Extension not found" **Symptoms**: No MCP commands in Command Palette **Solution**: 1. Install an MCP extension from marketplace 2. Reload VS Code window (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window") 3. Check Extensions view for enabled MCP extension #### 3. "Configuration not loaded" **Symptoms**: Settings don't take effect **Solution**: ```json // Verify settings.json syntax { "mcp.servers": { "open-search-mcp": { // ... configuration } } } ``` #### 4. "API rate limits" **Symptoms**: Some tools fail with rate limit errors **Solution**: Add API tokens to configuration ### Debug Mode ```json { "mcp.servers": { "open-search-mcp": { "env": { "DEBUG": "open-search-mcp:*", "LOG_LEVEL": "debug" } } }, "mcp.enableLogging": true, "mcp.logLevel": "debug" } ``` ### Log Locations - **VS Code Output**: View → Output → Select "Open-Search-MCP" - **Developer Console**: Help → Toggle Developer Tools - **Extension Logs**: Depends on MCP extension used ## ⚙️ Advanced Configuration ### Workspace-Specific Settings Create `.vscode/settings.json` in your project: ```json { "mcp.servers": { "open-search-mcp": { "command": "node", "args": ["../open-search-mcp/dist/expanded-server.js"], "env": { "PROJECT_CONTEXT": "true", "WORKSPACE_PATH": "${workspaceFolder}" } } } } ``` ### Custom Tool Selection ```json { "mcp.servers": { "open-search-mcp": { "env": { "ENABLED_TOOLS": "search_arxiv,search_github,intelligent_research" } } } } ``` ### Performance Tuning ```json { "mcp.servers": { "open-search-mcp": { "timeout": 120, "maxRetries": 5, "env": { "MAX_CONCURRENT_REQUESTS": "3", "CACHE_TTL": "3600" } } } } ``` ## 🔄 Updates and Maintenance ### Updating Open-Search-MCP ```bash # Pull latest changes git pull origin main # Rebuild npm run build # Update VS Code configuration npm run install:vscode ``` ### Extension Updates 1. Check Extensions view for updates 2. Update MCP extension when available 3. Reload VS Code window after updates ### Settings Sync VS Code Settings Sync will automatically sync your MCP configuration across devices (API keys excluded for security). ## 🎨 Customization ### Custom Commands Add to `settings.json`: ```json { "mcp.customCommands": { "quickArxivSearch": { "tool": "search_arxiv", "prompt": "Enter search terms for arXiv:", "keybinding": "ctrl+shift+a" }, "quickGitHubSearch": { "tool": "search_github", "prompt": "Enter GitHub search query:", "keybinding": "ctrl+shift+g" } } } ``` ### UI Customization ```json { "mcp.ui.showStatusBar": true, "mcp.ui.showNotifications": true, "mcp.ui.theme": "dark" } ``` ## 🤝 Support ### Getting Help - **Issues**: [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/your-username/open-search-mcp/issues) - **VS Code Community**: [VS Code Discord](https://discord.gg/vscode) - **Extension Support**: Check your MCP extension's documentation ### Reporting Bugs Include: 1. VS Code version (`code --version`) 2. MCP extension name and version 3. Configuration (remove API keys) 4. Error messages from Output panel 5. Steps to reproduce ### Contributing - Help test different MCP extensions - Report compatibility issues - Contribute VS Code-specific features - Improve documentation --- **🎉 You're ready to use Open-Search-MCP with VS Code!** Start with Command Palette → "MCP: Search GitHub" and explore all 33 available tools.