Linear MCP server

Linear Remote MCP server provides seamless access to Linear using standard OAuth 2.0 authentication flow, allowing you to create, update, and list issues directly from your MCP client without resorting to API key workarounds.

Installation

You can install the Linear Remote MCP server in two ways: using npm or cloning the repository.

Using npm

Install the package globally using npm:

npm install -g @mcp/linear

From Source

Alternatively, you can clone the repository and build it yourself:

git clone https://github.com/jeasonstudio/linear-remote-mcp.git
cd linear-remote-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Configuration

Before using the server, you'll need to set up a Linear OAuth application.

Creating a Linear OAuth App

1. Go to your Linear organization settings
2. Navigate to "API" section
3. Create a new OAuth application
4. Set the redirect URL to http://localhost:9999/oauth/callback (or your custom redirect URL)
5. Copy your Client ID and Client Secret

Environment Variables

Configure the server using environment variables:

# Required variables
export LINEAR_CLIENT_ID="your-client-id"
export LINEAR_CLIENT_SECRET="your-client-secret"

# Optional variables
export LINEAR_REDIRECT_URI="http://localhost:9999/oauth/callback"
export LINEAR_SCOPES="read,write,issues:create"
export PORT=9999

Running the Server

Start the MCP server with the following command:

mcp-linear-server

If you installed from source:

npm start

Usage

Authentication

When you first access the server, you'll need to authenticate with Linear:

1. The server will prompt you to visit a URL in your browser
2. Log in to your Linear account and authorize the application
3. After successful authorization, you'll be redirected back to the server

Working with Issues

Once authenticated, you can interact with Linear issues through the MCP interface.

Supported Commands

The Linear MCP server supports the following operations:

• List issues: View all issues in your Linear workspace
• Create issues: Add new issues with title, description, and other details
• Update issues: Modify existing issues
• Get issue details: Retrieve detailed information about specific issues

Example Queries

To list issues:

query {
  issues {
    id
    title
    state
    assignee {
      name
    }
  }
}

To create a new issue:

mutation {
  createIssue(input: {
    title: "New feature request"
    description: "We need to implement this feature"
    teamId: "your-team-id"
  }) {
    id
    title
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Authentication Errors: Ensure your CLIENT_ID and CLIENT_SECRET are correct
• Port Conflicts: If port 9999 is already in use, set a different port using the PORT environment variable
• Permission Issues: Make sure you've requested the appropriate scopes during OAuth setup

If you encounter persistent problems, check the server logs for detailed error messages.

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.