Multi-Client MCP Server Installation & Setup Guide

1. Overview of Multi-Client Configuration Files

Installing an MCP server across different AI client environments requires creating or editing standard JSON configuration files. While file names and paths vary between clients, the core configuration structure remains standard across all hosts.

Each MCP server configuration entry requires a unique server key, launcher command (e.g. `npx`, `uvx`, `docker`), command line arguments, and optional environment variables (`env`) for authentication credentials.

2. Claude Desktop Setup Matrix (macOS & Windows)

Claude Desktop reads configuration on startup. Locate your configuration file based on your operating system:

• macOS Path: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

• Windows Path: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`

Insert your target server block under the top-level `mcpServers` object as shown below:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Cursor IDE Setup (Workspace vs Global Configuration)

Cursor IDE supports both global MCP settings and per-repository workspace configurations.

To configure globally: Navigate to Cursor Settings -> Features -> MCP Servers and click 'Add New MCP Server'. Select stdio command transport and enter your launch command.

To configure per-repository: Create `.cursor/mcp.json` in your project root folder and save your server JSON definition.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stripe-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mcp/stripe-server"],
      "env": {
        "STRIPE_SECRET_KEY": "sk_test_12345"
      }
    }
  }
}

4. VS Code (Cline / Roo Code) & Zed Editor Setup

For VS Code using the Cline or Roo Code extension, edit `cline_mcp_settings.json` located in your VS Code extension user data directory.

For Zed Editor, add context server declarations under `context_servers` in `~/.config/zed/settings.json`.

{
  "context_servers": {
    "postgres-mcp": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "@mcp/server-postgres", "postgresql://localhost/mydb"]
      }
    }
  }
}