Modes MCP Server

An MCP server for managing Roo's custom operational modes, providing programmatic control over mode configuration and management.

Features

Full CRUD operations for custom modes
Schema validation with Zod
File system watching for config changes
Error handling with standard MCP error codes
Atomic file operations

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mkc909/modes-mcp-server.git
cd modes-mcp-server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

Configuration

1. Environment Variables

Copy .env.example to .env and adjust as needed:

cp .env.example .env

Available environment variables:

MODES_CONFIG_PATH: Path to custom modes configuration file (default: %APPDATA%/Code/User/globalStorage/rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/settings/cline_custom_modes.json)

2. Custom Modes Configuration

Create a JSON file for your custom modes configuration. See examples/modes.example.json for the format:

{
  "customModes": [
    {
      "slug": "example-mode",
      "name": "Example Mode",
      "roleDefinition": "Example role definition describing the mode's capabilities and responsibilities.",
      "groups": [
        "read",
        ["edit", {
          "fileRegex": "\\.md$",
          "description": "Can edit markdown files only"
        }],
        "command",
        "mcp"
      ],
      "customInstructions": "Example custom instructions for the mode."
    }
  ]
}

3. MCP Settings

Add the server configuration to your MCP settings file (typically at %APPDATA%/Code/User/globalStorage/rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json). See examples/mcp-settings.example.json for the format:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "modes": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/modes-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "MODES_CONFIG_PATH": "/path/to/custom/modes.json"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "alwaysAllow": []
    }
  }
}

Operational Modes Framework

The server manages a comprehensive set of operational modes:

Core System Modes

Planning Mode 🎯
- Strategic Planning Specialist
- System design and resource allocation
- Project roadmap development
Analytics Mode 📊
- Data Analysis Expert
- Metrics tracking and analysis
- Performance monitoring
Research Mode 🔍
- System Research Specialist
- Best practices research
- Solution exploration
Implementation Mode ⚙️
- Operations Implementation Expert
- System deployment
- Process execution
Troubleshooting Mode 🔧
- System Resolution Specialist
- Problem identification
- Issue resolution
Quality Control Mode ✅
- Quality Assurance Expert
- System validation
- Performance verification
Integration Mode 🔄
- Systems Integration Specialist
- Cross-system coordination
- Workflow optimization
Documentation Mode 📝
- Knowledge Management Specialist
- Process documentation
- Standard maintenance
Session Management Mode ⚡
- Session Management Specialist
- Daily workflow orchestration
- State management

Specialized Modes

Trade Ops Manager
- Systematic trading and risk management
- Trade documentation and analysis
- Market analysis and strategy optimization

Mode Transition Flow

Available Tools

list_modes

Lists all custom modes currently configured.

get_mode

Get details of a specific mode by its slug.

Parameters:

slug: The unique identifier of the mode

create_mode

Create a new custom mode.

Parameters:

slug: Unique identifier (lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens)
name: Display name for the mode
roleDefinition: Detailed description of the mode's role and capabilities
groups: Array of allowed tool groups
customInstructions: (optional) Additional instructions for the mode

update_mode

Update an existing custom mode.

Parameters:

slug: The unique identifier of the mode to update
updates: Object containing the fields to update (name, roleDefinition, groups, customInstructions)

delete_mode

Delete a custom mode.

Parameters:

slug: The unique identifier of the mode to delete

validate_mode

Validate a mode configuration without saving it.

Parameters:

mode: Complete mode configuration object to validate

Mode Configuration Schema

interface CustomMode {
  slug: string;  // Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only
  name: string;  // Display name
  roleDefinition: string;  // Detailed description
  groups: (string | [string, { fileRegex: string, description: string }])[];
  customInstructions?: string;  // Optional additional instructions
}

Development

Make changes to the source code in src/
Build the project:

npm run build

Start the server:

npm start

Best Practices

Mode Selection
- Choose appropriate mode for task
- Follow mode-specific workflows
- Use designated tool groups
Mode Transitions
- Follow natural transition flow
- Complete current mode tasks
- Preserve context between modes
Configuration Management
- Validate changes before saving
- Maintain clear role definitions
- Document mode capabilities

Error Handling

The server uses standard MCP error codes:

InvalidParams: Invalid input parameters or mode not found
MethodNotFound: Unknown tool requested
InternalError: File system errors or other internal issues

Testing

See TESTING.md for comprehensive test cases and validation procedures.

Contributing

Fork repository
Create feature branch
Submit pull request
Follow coding standards

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details