MCP -Starter

MCP -Starter is a TypeScript-based MCP server template that provides a solid foundation for exposing tools, data sources, and computational logic to AI hosts via the MCP protocol. It demonstrates how to implement a Server that advertises capabilities such as tools, resources, prompts, and optional streaming responses, and how to connect a transport (for example via STDIO) to serve requests from MCP clients. The starter emphasizes a standardized JSON-RPC 2.0 interface, making it straightforward to build custom tool implementations and expand host compatibility over time.

To use the server, install the package and build from source as described in the repository’s instructions. After building, run the server (for example with Node) to expose your MCP endpoints. The template includes example tools (like a calculator and a REST API tool) and a clear project structure so you can add your own tools under src/examples and wire them into the MCP server. This setup is designed to be consumed by MCP clients and hosts such as Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and Cline through a consistent, type-safe API surface provided by the MCP TypeScript SDK.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js v18 or later
• npm v7 or later
• A code editor (recommended: VS Code) with Dev Containers extension for a reproducible dev environment (optional)

Installation steps:

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/TheSethRose/mcp-server-starter.git cd mcp-server-starter

2. Install dependencies: npm install

3. Build the project (TypeScript to JavaScript): npm run build

4. Run the server (example using the produced dist/index.js): node dist/index.js

5. (Optional) Run in development/watch mode: npm run watch

6. Use the Quick Start commands to install for a specific client (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, or TypeScript) via Smithery CLI as shown in the README: npx -y @smithery/cli install @TheSethRose/mcp-server-starter --client claude npx -y @smithery/cli install @TheSethRose/mcp-server-starter --client cursor npx -y @smithery/cli install @TheSethRose/mcp-server-starter --client windsurf npx -y @smithery/cli install @TheSethRose/mcp-server-starter --client cline npx -y @smithery/cli install @TheSethRose/mcp-server-starter --client typescript

Tips and notes:

• The starter exposes an MCP server with capabilities including tools, resources, prompts, and optional streaming. Extend by adding your own tools under src/examples and wiring them into the server via the MCP SDK.
• Use the provided development scripts (build, watch, inspector) to streamline development and debugging. The inspector option launches a debugger alongside the server.
• When deploying, ensure environment variables and runtime configuration match your hosting environment (for example, transport settings and any required API keys for tools).
• Regularly check for updates to the MCP SDK packages you depend on to stay aligned with the latest protocol changes and security improvements.