67 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
67 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
# Connecting to an MCP Server
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Unlike Claude Desktop or other MCP client products, OpenMCP offers a **much smoother process** for connecting to MCP servers.
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:::info What is an MCP Client?
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An **MCP client** is a local application that communicates using the MCP protocol, typically in the form of a chatbot interface (similar to chat.deepseek.com or chat.openai.com). It's usually run as a local application because web pages lack direct file I/O permissions.
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:::
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To get started, open your VLE (Visual Language Environment). After installing OpenMCP following the steps in [[acquire-openmcp|Getting OpenMCP]], let's use Python to create a simple MCP server and test the connection.
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## One-Click Connection with OpenMCP
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In the [[first-mcp|Your First MCP]] example, we defined three functions as MCP `tool`, `resource`, and `prompt`. Launching them in OpenMCP is super easy—click the OpenMCP icon in the top-right corner:
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Once logged in, if you see a success message like below, your MCP server is now running and connected properly:
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## STDIO Connection (Auto-Start)
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If you're using **STDIO** as the connection method, OpenMCP offers one-click auto-start support. You don't need to manually run the MCP process—OpenMCP will handle launching and shutting it down.
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Currently supported languages and their launch configurations:
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| Language | Launch Command | Root Directory Determination |
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| -------- | ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------- |
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| Python | `uv run mcp run ${file}` | First parent folder with `pyproject.toml` |
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| Node.js | `node ${file}` | First parent folder with `package.json` |
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| Go | `go run ${file}` | First parent folder with `go.mod` |
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## SSE & Streamable HTTP Connection
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For **SSE (Server-Sent Events)** and **Streamable HTTP** remote connections, OpenMCP can’t auto-start your server since the port and host may be defined in hidden config files or environment variables. In these cases, **you must manually configure the connection.**
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To do this, open the **OpenMCP** plugin from the left sidebar in your VLE and go to **"MCP Connections (Workspace)"**. Click the "+" to create a new connection:
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Select the type of communication method:
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Then input your MCP Server's endpoint address:
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## OpenMCP Plugin Control Panel
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On the left sidebar of your VLE, you’ll find the OpenMCP icon. Clicking it opens the control panel:
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Previously connected MCP servers for the current workspace will be listed here. That’s because OpenMCP stores connection details in files like:
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```
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.openmcp/tabs.{server-name}.json
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```
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Where `{server-name}` is the name of the connected MCP server.
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If you'd like to use an MCP server **across all workspaces**, consider adding it to the **"Installed MCP Servers"** section—those servers are globally accessible.
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Lastly, check out the **"Getting Started & Help"** section for reference materials to guide your journey.
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