Nexus (VSCode) MCP server

The Nexus MCP Bridge for VSCode is a lightweight extension that enables Claude Desktop to connect to your VSCode workspace using Model Context Protocol (MCP). This allows Claude to access your files and directories while maintaining a minimal memory footprint and providing security controls.

Installation

1. Install the extension from the VSIX file
2. Configure your settings (optional)
3. The bridge will start automatically if configured, or you can start it manually

Setup for Claude Desktop

In Claude Desktop, you'll need to configure your claude_desktop_config.json file to recognize the bridge:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nexus-bridge": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp",
      "disabled": false,
      "alwaysAllow": [
        "get_system_info",
        "read_file",
        "write_file",
        "create_directory",
        "list_directory",
        "get_project_status"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Configuration

You can customize the extension behavior in your VSCode settings:

{
  "nexusMcpBridge.port": 3000,
  "nexusMcpBridge.startOnLaunch": true,
  "nexusMcpBridge.allowedPaths": [
    "/path/to/your/project",
    "/path/to/another/project"
  ]
}

Configuration Options

• port: The port number the MCP server will use (default: 3000)
• startOnLaunch: Whether to start the bridge automatically when VSCode launches
• allowedPaths: List of directories that Claude can access (for security)

Using the Bridge

Commands

The extension provides several commands to control the bridge:

• Start Nexus MCP Bridge: Start the MCP server
• Stop Nexus MCP Bridge: Stop the MCP server
• Toggle Nexus MCP Bridge: Toggle the server on/off via the status bar

Status Bar Integration

The extension adds an icon to your status bar showing the current status of the bridge. You can click this icon to toggle the bridge on/off.

Key Features

• File System Access: Claude can read and write files in your workspace
• Directory Management: Create directories and list contents
• Security Controls: Only paths explicitly allowed in configuration are accessible

When properly configured, Claude Desktop will automatically connect to your VSCode workspace through this bridge, allowing it to work with your project files while you stay within VSCode.

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.