MCP Server Setup Guide

This project demonstrates how to set up and use a custom MCP server with Claude Desktop. The server provides example tools and resources that can be called from Claude Desktop or the MCP Inspector.

1. Install UV (Python Package Manager)

UV is a fast, modern package manager for Python. Install it globally (not inside a virtual environment):

pip install uv

Related MCP server: MCP Practice

2. Create a New UV-Managed MCP Project

uv init mcp-server-demo
cd mcp-server-demo

3. Add MCP as a Project Dependency

uv add "mcp[cli]"

If you see the following image, your MCP development tools are installed as expected:

Screenshot: Successful MCP tools installation in the terminal.

4. Install and Run the Server

You can install this server in Claude Desktop and interact with it right away:

mcp install server.py

Or test it with the MCP Inspector:

mcp dev server.py

5. Using the Installed Server with Claude Desktop

Verifying Installation in Claude Desktop

1. Check the terminal for a success message after running mcp install server.py:

   Screenshot: Successful installation message in the terminal.

2. Check the MCP config file in Claude Desktop to verify that the JSON has been updated:

   Screenshot: MCP config file updated with your server.

3. Open Claude Desktop (restart if it was already running, for the updated config to take effect).

4. In the chat, try using your tool (e.g., add 2 3) and verify it is using the add tool from your MCP server:

   Screenshot: Using the custom tool from Claude Desktop chat.

Troubleshooting

• If your server does not appear in Claude Desktop, ensure you restarted the app after installation.

• Double-check that mcp install server.py completed successfully and the config file was updated.

• If you update your server code, reinstall it with mcp install server.py and restart Claude Desktop.

To extend this demo, edit the Python files as needed! For questions, reach out to kannan.ramaswamy01@sap.com