MCP Configuration
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that allows AI assistants to connect to external tools and data sources. Calmo Bridge IDE supports MCP servers, enabling you to extend Calmo’s capabilities with documentation lookup, specialized tools, sequential thinking, and more—all integrated into the same workspace.
What is MCP?
MCP provides a standardized way for AI applications to:
Access External Tools - Connect to specialized tools and services
Retrieve Documentation - Fetch up-to-date docs and code examples
Enable New Capabilities - Add sequential thinking, file access, database queries, and more
Extend Context - Give Calmo access to information beyond its training data
MCP servers run locally (stdio) or remotely (http/https) and communicate with Calmo through a standardized protocol.
Welcome Wizard
During initial setup, the Welcome screen introduces Calmo Bridge IDE:
Calmo - Agent-Native SRE Platform
The welcome screen highlights the key capabilities:
Secure Command Execution - Run kubectl, git, npm, and other CLI tools directly from Calmo with your approval
Local Workspace Access - Give Calmo context about your projects, repositories, and files
Human-in-the-Loop - Review and approve every command before execution. You’re always in control
MCP Integration - Extend capabilities with Model Context Protocol servers
Real-Time Logs - Monitor bridge activity and command execution in real-time
Seamless Integration - Works with your existing workflows and tools
Get Started Button - Takes less than 2 minutes to set up
After clicking Get Started, you’ll configure MCP servers and workspaces. You can skip MCP configuration during setup and add servers later via the MCP Servers panel in the IDE.
Viewing MCP Servers
Server List Panel
The MCP Servers section appears in the left sidebar below Workspaces:
Panel Header:
🔌 MCP Servers ↻
Servers: 6 Tools: 64
Servers count - Total number of configured servers (6)
Tools count - Total tools across all servers (64)
Refresh icon (↻) - Reload all servers
Server List:
Each server shows:
Server name - Configured identifier (e.g., “ArgoCD”, “context7”, “GitHub”)
Status indicator - Green dot (🟢) = connected/online, Gray dot (⚪) = disconnected/offline
Tool count - Number of tools provided (e.g., “2”, “51”, “60mp”, “5emp”)
Status label - “Offline” displayed for disconnected servers
Expand arrow (>) - Click to view server details
Example:
> 🟢 ArgoCD Offline 60mp
> 🟢 context7 2
> ⚪ GitHub Offline 51
> ⚪ Kubernetes Offline 5emp
> 🟢 mastra 10
> 🟢 sequential-thinking 1
Server Detail View
Click on any server name to open its detail panel:
Detail Panel Contents:
Server Status:
Server name - Large heading (e.g., “context7”)
Connected badge - Green status indicator
Server Information Section:
Type - Transport type (http or stdio)
Status - Connection state (Connected, Disconnected, Error)
Tools Available - Count of tools this server provides
Available Tools Section:
“2 tools provided by this server” (expandable)
Click to see list of tool names and descriptions
Action Buttons:
Reload Server - Restart this server’s connection
Edit Config - Open mcp.json in the editor
Configuring MCP Servers
Accessing the Configuration
There are two ways to edit MCP configuration:
Method 1: From Server Detail Panel
Click on any server in the MCP Servers list
Click Edit Config button in the detail panel
Method 2: From Panel Footer
Scroll to the bottom of the MCP Servers panel
Click Edit Config button
Both methods open the mcp.json file in the center editor panel.
Configuration File Location:
macOS : ~/Library/Application Support/Calmo Bridge IDE/mcp.json
Windows : %APPDATA%\Calmo Bridge IDE\mcp.json
Linux : ~/.config/Calmo Bridge IDE/mcp.json
The configuration uses JSON format with an mcpServers object:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"server-name" : {
// Server configuration
}
}
}
Each server is configured with either stdio (local process) or http/https (remote) transport.
Server Types
Stdio Servers
Local processes that communicate via stdin/stdout. Best for npm packages and local tools.
Configuration:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"mastra" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "@mastra/mcp-docs-server" ],
"env" : {
"PATH" : "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
}
}
}
}
Required Fields:
Field Type Description commandstring Full path to executable (e.g., /usr/local/bin/npx) argsarray Command arguments (e.g., ["-y", "@mastra/mcp-docs-server"])
Optional Fields:
Field Type Description envobject Environment variables for the process disabledboolean Set to true to disable without removing
Finding Command Paths:
# macOS/Linux
which npx
# Output: /usr/local/bin/npx
# Windows
where npx
# Output: C:\Program Files\nodejs\npx.cmd
HTTP/HTTPS Servers
Remote servers accessed over the network. Best for cloud-hosted services.
Configuration:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"context7" : {
"url" : "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp" ,
"headers" : {
"CONTEXT7_API_KEY" : "ctx7sk-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx"
}
}
}
}
Required Fields:
Field Type Description urlstring Full URL to the MCP server endpoint
Optional Fields:
Field Type Description headersobject HTTP headers (typically for API keys) disabledboolean Set to true to disable without removing
Example Configurations
Documentation Server (Context7)
Provides up-to-date documentation for any library:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"context7" : {
"url" : "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp" ,
"headers" : {
"CONTEXT7_API_KEY" : "ctx7sk-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx"
}
}
}
}
Tools Provided:
resolve-library-id - Find the correct library identifier
get-library-docs - Retrieve documentation for any library
Use Cases:
“Show me the React docs for useState”
“How do I use Terraform’s aws_instance resource?”
“Get me examples of using Express.js middleware”
Mastra Documentation
Access Mastra.ai documentation, examples, and migration guides:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"mastra" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "@mastra/mcp-docs-server" ],
"env" : {
"PATH" : "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
}
}
}
}
Tools Provided:
mastraDocs - Access documentation
mastraExamples - Code examples
mastraBlog - Blog posts and tutorials
mastraChanges - Changelog
mastraMigration - Migration guides
…and more
GitHub Integration
Access GitHub repositories, issues, and pull requests:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"github" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github" ],
"env" : {
"GITHUB_TOKEN" : "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx" ,
"PATH" : "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
}
}
}
}
Tools Provided: 50+ tools for repository management, issues, PRs, and more
Use Cases:
“List open issues in my repo”
“Create a PR for this branch”
“Show me recent commits”
Sequential Thinking
Enables structured problem-solving through step-by-step reasoning:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"sequential-thinking" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [
"-y" ,
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
],
"env" : {
"PATH" : "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
}
}
}
}
Tools Provided:
sequentialthinking - Structured reasoning tool
Use Cases:
Complex debugging
Architecture decisions
Multi-step problem solving
Complete Example
A full configuration with multiple servers:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"context7" : {
"url" : "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp" ,
"headers" : {
"CONTEXT7_API_KEY" : "ctx7sk-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx"
}
},
"github" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github" ],
"env" : {
"GITHUB_TOKEN" : "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx" ,
"PATH" : "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
}
},
"mastra" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "@mastra/mcp-docs-server" ],
"env" : {
"PATH" : "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
}
},
"sequential-thinking" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking" ],
"env" : {
"PATH" : "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
}
}
}
}
Managing Servers
Reloading Servers
After editing the configuration, reload servers to apply changes:
Reload All Servers:
Click the ↻ refresh icon in the MCP Servers panel header
All servers reconnect with new configuration
Reload Single Server:
Click on the server in the list
Click Reload Server button in the detail panel
That server restarts with updated config
Auto-Reload:
The IDE watches mcp.json for changes
Servers automatically reload when you save the file
No manual reload needed in most cases
Disabling a Server
To temporarily disable a server without removing it:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"server-name" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "some-server" ],
"disabled" : true
}
}
}
The server will show as disconnected in the panel but remain in the config.
Removing a Server
To permanently remove a server:
Click Edit Config in the MCP Servers panel
Delete the entire server object from mcpServers
Save the file
The server disappears from the server list
Example:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"context7" : { /* ... */ },
// Remove this entire block to delete the server
"server-to-remove" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "old-server" ]
},
"github" : { /* ... */ }
}
}
Viewing Server Logs
Check server activity and errors in the Activity Log:
Switch to the Activity tab in the bottom panel
Look for MCP-related log entries:
[15:36:34] [MCP Config] Found server: context7 (http)
[15:36:34] [MCP Config] Found server: mastra (stdio)
[15:36:35] [MCP:context7] Connected with 2 tools
[15:36:37] [MCP:mastra] Connected with 10 tools
[15:36:38] [MCP Registry] Active servers: 3
Errors appear with red indicators:
[15:37:12] [MCP:github] Error: spawn /usr/local/bin/npx ENOENT
Popular MCP Servers
Official Servers
Server Type Description @modelcontextprotocol/server-github Stdio GitHub API integration (repos, issues, PRs) @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem Stdio File system read/write access @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking Stdio Structured reasoning and problem-solving @modelcontextprotocol/server-slack Stdio Slack messaging integration @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres Stdio PostgreSQL database queries
Server Type Description context7 HTTP Library documentation and code examples @mastra/mcp-docs-server Stdio Mastra.ai documentation and examples
macOS/Linux
Standard stdio server configuration:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"server-name" : {
"command" : "/usr/local/bin/npx" ,
"args" : [ "-y" , "@package/mcp-server" ],
"env" : {
"PATH" : "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
}
}
}
}
Windows
On Windows, npx is a batch script that requires shell access. Wrap with cmd /c:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"server-name" : {
"command" : "cmd" ,
"args" : [
"/c" ,
"npx" ,
"-y" ,
"@package/mcp-server"
]
}
}
}
Or use PowerShell:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"server-name" : {
"command" : "powershell" ,
"args" : [
"-Command" ,
"npx -y @package/mcp-server"
]
}
}
}
Security Considerations
MCP servers run with your user permissions and may have network access. Only configure servers you trust.
Best Practices:
Review Server Code - Understand what servers do before adding them
Limit Permissions - Some servers request file system or network access
Secure API Keys - Keep API keys private; don’t commit mcp.json to git
Monitor Logs - Watch for unexpected behavior in the Activity Log
Use HTTPS - For remote servers, always use https:// URLs
Validate Sources - Only install servers from trusted repositories
API Key Security:
{
"mcpServers" : {
"context7" : {
"url" : "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp" ,
"headers" : {
// ❌ BAD: Don't commit this to git
"CONTEXT7_API_KEY" : "ctx7sk-real-key-here"
}
}
}
}
Consider using environment variables for sensitive values (support varies by server).
Troubleshooting
Server Won’t Connect
If a server shows disconnected in the panel:
Check the configuration
Click Edit Config and verify JSON syntax
Look for typos in server name, command, or URL
Validate all required fields are present
Verify command path (stdio servers)
which npx # macOS/Linux
where npx # Windows
Use the full path shown in the config.
Check environment (stdio servers)
Ensure PATH includes necessary directories
Verify npm packages are installed globally or accessible
Review logs
Switch to Activity tab
Look for error messages from the server
Common errors:
spawn ENOENT - Command not found
Connection refused - URL incorrect (HTTP servers)
Unauthorized - Invalid API key (HTTP servers)
Reload the server
Click on the server
Click Reload Server button
If a server shows “Connected” but 0 tools:
Wait for initialization - Some servers take 10-30 seconds to load tools
Check stderr - Look in Activity Log for startup errors
Verify package - Ensure the npm package name is correct
Reload - Click Reload Server to try again
API Key Issues (HTTP Servers)
If an HTTP server fails to connect:
Check header format
"headers" : {
"CONTEXT7_API_KEY" : "your-key-here"
}
Header names must match what the server expects.
Verify key validity
Ensure the API key is active
Check it has proper permissions
Test with curl:
curl -H "CONTEXT7_API_KEY: your-key" https://mcp.context7.com/mcp
Check URL
Confirm the full endpoint URL
Ensure it includes /mcp or correct path
Configuration Errors
If you get JSON parsing errors:
Validate JSON syntax
Use an online JSON validator
Common mistakes: missing commas, trailing commas, unquoted keys
Check for typos
mcpServers (not mcpServer)
Correct quotes (double quotes for JSON)
Escape special characters
Backslashes in Windows paths: C:\\path\\to\\file
Or use forward slashes: C:/path/to/file
Server Crashes or Restarts
If a server repeatedly disconnects:
Check logs for error patterns
Update server package
npm update -g @package/mcp-server
Report to server maintainers with error logs
Next Steps
Workspace Management Learn about the file browser and workspace organization
CLI Tools Reference Explore command execution with the integrated terminal
Best Practices Tips for using MCP servers effectively in your workflow
Troubleshooting Solutions to common MCP server issues
For assistance with MCP configuration, contact our support team at support@getcalmo.com .