home / skills / bitsoex / bitso-java / mcp-setup

mcp-setup skill

safe

This skill automates MCP server configuration across IDEs, assists troubleshooting, and manages discovery for streamlined development workflows.

npx playbooks add skill bitsoex/bitso-java --skill mcp-setup

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (4)

SKILL.md

3.0 KB

---
name: mcp-setup
description: >
  Configure MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for various IDEs. Includes
  setup, troubleshooting, and discovery management.
compatibility: All repositories with MCP integrations
metadata:
  version: "1.0.0"
  category: tooling
  tags:
    - mcp
    - ide-configuration
    - github-mcp
    - vscode
    - cursor
  triggers:
    - on-demand
---

# MCP Setup

Configuration and setup for MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers across different IDEs and tools.

## Overview

MCP server configurations are distributed to IDEs in different ways depending on the tool.

## Skill Contents

### Sections

- [Overview](#overview) (L24-L27)
- [IDE Configuration Paths](#ide-configuration-paths) (L48-L57)
- [Quick Reference](#quick-reference) (L58-L72)
- [References](#references) (L73-L80)
- [GitHub MCP Server](#github-mcp-server) (L81-L102)
- [Related](#related) (L103-L106)

### Available Resources

**📚 references/** - Detailed documentation
- [github mcp setup](references/github-mcp-setup.md)
- [ide configurations](references/ide-configurations.md)
- [troubleshooting](references/troubleshooting.md)

---

## IDE Configuration Paths

| IDE/Tool | Configuration File | Type |
|----------|-------------------|------|
| **Cursor** | `.cursor/mcp.json` | Repository-based |
| **VS Code** (GitHub Copilot) | `.vscode/mcp.json` | Repository-based |
| **Claude Code** | `.mcp.json` | Repository-based |
| **IntelliJ IDEA** (Copilot) | `~/.config/github-copilot/intellij/mcp.json` | User-based |
| **GitHub Copilot CLI** | `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` | User-based |

## Quick Reference

### Automatic (Repository-based)

These IDEs automatically detect MCP configurations from the repository:
- Cursor
- VS Code (with GitHub Copilot)
- Claude Code

### Manual (User-based)

These tools require configuration in the user's home directory:
- IntelliJ IDEA (with GitHub Copilot)
- GitHub Copilot CLI

## References

| Reference | Content |
|-----------|---------|
| `references/ide-configurations.md` | Configuration paths for each IDE |
| `references/github-mcp-setup.md` | GitHub MCP server setup with Docker |
| `references/troubleshooting.md` | Common issues and solutions |

## GitHub MCP Server

The GitHub MCP server provides access to:
- Dependabot alerts
- Code security features
- Secret protection
- Security advisories
- Labels management
- Pull requests

### Prerequisites

1. **Docker** - Must be installed and running
2. **GITHUB_TOKEN** - Environment variable with your GitHub PAT
3. **Cloudflare CA Certificate** - Required for Bitso network TLS

### Readiness Check

```bash
./global/scripts/check-github-mcp-readiness.sh
```

## Related

- `java/commands/add-sonarqube-mcp-to-intellij-and-copilot-cli.md` - IntelliJ & CLI setup
- `global/scripts/check-github-mcp-readiness.sh` - GitHub MCP readiness script
<!-- AUTO-GENERATED FILE - DO NOT EDIT DIRECTLY -->
<!-- Source: bitsoex/ai-code-instructions → global/skills/mcp-setup/SKILL.md -->
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Overview

This skill configures MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for multiple IDEs and tools, providing setup, discovery, and troubleshooting guidance. It centralizes repository-based and user-based MCP configurations and includes instructions for running a GitHub MCP server with required prerequisites. The goal is to make MCP deployment and detection consistent across development environments.

How this skill works

The skill maps IDEs to their expected MCP configuration locations and explains whether each tool reads MCP settings from the repository or the user home directory. It includes scripts and readiness checks for running a GitHub MCP server (Docker-based) and lists required environment items like GITHUB_TOKEN and TLS certificates. Troubleshooting guidance helps resolve detection and connectivity problems between IDEs and the MCP server.

When to use it

Setting up MCP configuration files for a new repository so IDEs automatically discover context servers.
Installing or validating a local GitHub MCP server to provide security alerts and PR metadata to IDEs.
Migrating MCP settings between machines where some tools use repository-based and others use user-based configs.
Troubleshooting IDEs that fail to pick up MCP context or show missing security data.

Best practices

Place repository-based mcp.json files at the IDE-specific path so tools like Cursor and VS Code detect them automatically.
Store user-based MCP configs in the specified home paths for IntelliJ and Copilot CLI to avoid repository pollution.
Use the provided readiness script to validate Docker, tokens, and certificates before starting the MCP server.
Keep secrets like GITHUB_TOKEN in environment variables or secure vaults; never commit them to the repo.
Document your MCP setup in the repository README so collaborators know how IDE integration works.

Example use cases

Add a .vscode/mcp.json to a repo so VS Code (Copilot) picks up model context for code suggestions.
Run the GitHub MCP Docker setup with GITHUB_TOKEN and Cloudflare CA cert to serve security data to IDEs.
Place an ~/.config/github-copilot/intellij/mcp.json on developer machines to enable MCP for IntelliJ users.
Use the global/scripts/check-github-mcp-readiness.sh script to verify prerequisites before deployment.

FAQ

Which IDEs read MCP configuration from the repository automatically?

Cursor, VS Code (with GitHub Copilot), and Claude Code automatically detect repository-based mcp.json files.

What do I need before running the GitHub MCP server?

You need Docker running, a GITHUB_TOKEN set as an environment variable, and the required TLS certificate (Cloudflare CA) for network TLS.