mcp-made-simple

This MCP server acts as a Hello World playground for the Model Context Protocol. It demonstrates how to expose a simple greeting tool that IDE extensions (or other MCP clients) can discover, call with structured inputs, and receive structured outputs. The repository is a tutorial series; Lesson 1 walks you through building a basic MCP server and implementing a greeting tool, while subsequent lessons expand on debugging, tool integration, and real-time updates in a simulated IDE environment. To use the server, run it with the command configured in mcp_config, then connect an MCP client to discover the available tools, invoke the greeting tool with your input, and interpret the structured response returned by the server. The included lessons guide you step-by-step through setup, deployment, and tooling integration such as IDE support and debugging techniques.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js and npm installed
• Basic familiarity with TypeScript/JavaScript (for understanding the code and lessons)
• Access to a terminal or command prompt

Steps:

1. Clone the repository git clone https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/mcp-made-simple.git cd mcp-made-simple

2. Install dependencies npm install

3. Configure the MCP server (if needed)

   • Ensure the server entry point exists at path/to/server.js as referenced in mcp_config
   • Update any environment variables in your environment or .env file if you adjust PORT or other settings

4. Run the server npm run start or node path/to/server.js

5. Verify locally

   • Use an MCP client to connect to the server’s port (default 5000) and query for available tools
   • Invoke the greeting tool with a simple input like {"name": "World"}

Notes:

• The repository is a tutorial series; some steps may reference lessons located in subdirectories (lesson1, lesson2, lesson3).
• If you encounter port conflicts, adjust PORT in the environment and mcp_config accordingly.

Tips and common issues:

• Ensure Node.js version matches the tutorial requirements (LTS recommended).
• If the MCP client cannot discover tools, verify that the server is listening on PORT and that any firewall rules permit local connections.
• The greeting tool is a minimal example; as you progress through the lessons, you’ll see how to add more tools with structured inputs/outputs and integrate with IDE features such as debugging, screenshots, and real-time updates.
• For debugging, use browser DevTools or the IDE’s MCP tooling to inspect logs and tool calls.
• Environment variables can be extended in mcp_config or via a .env file; update PORT and any other configuration as needed for your environment.