MCP Server Kickstarter

Create a New Project

Use the uv CLI to initialize a new project:

uv init <project-name>

This command creates a new MCP-compatible server project in the current directory.

Related MCP server: mcp-doctor

Create and Activate a Virtual Environment

Create a virtual environment for the project:

uv venv

Activate it with:

source .venv/bin/activate

Add Dependencies

Use the uv CLI to add dependencies to your project. For example, add LangChain with:

uv add langchain

Install project dependencies from the lock file:

uv sync

Create or update the dependency lock file:

uv lock

Run the main Python file for your project:

uv run main.py

Debug with the Inspector

Use the MCP Inspector CLI to debug your server.

Debugging Steps

1. Start the Inspector

   npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

2. Configure the Inspector

   • Transport type: stdio

   • Command: uv

   • Arguments:

     run --directory /path-to-directory/mcp-server-kickstarter main.py

3. Click Connect

   • In the inspector web interface, click the Connect button.

   • This establishes a connection to your MCP server.

4. List Available Tools

   • Click the List Tools button in the inspector.

   • This displays all tools exposed by your server in JSON format.

   • Each tool shows its name, description, and input schema.

5. Test Tools

   • Select a tool from the list.

   • Enter the required parameters.

   • Click Call Tool to execute it.

   • View the response in the output panel.

Register the Server in VS Code

To connect your MCP server in VS Code, add it to your mcp.json file:

Workspace or Project Configuration

Add the following server configuration to your mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "get_local_document": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--directory",
        "project-folder/mcp-server-kickstarter",
        "fastmcp_mock_db.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Configuration Breakdown

• type: stdio - Uses standard input/output transport

• command: uv - Uses the uv package manager

• args:

  • run - Executes the Python file

  • --directory - Specifies the project directory path

  • project-folder/mcp-server-kickstarter - Path to your MCP server folder

  • fastmcp_mock_db.py - The server file to run

After adding this configuration, the server will be available in VS Code's MCP tools and can be used in Copilot.