Lesson 2 of 7 · 10 min
Installing Your First MCP Server in Under 10 Minutes
What You Need Before Starting
Before you install anything, let's make sure your setup is ready:
- Claude Desktop (macOS or Windows) — download from claude.ai/download if you don't have it
- Node.js 18+ — run
node --versionin your terminal to check - A text editor — VS Code, Sublime, or even Notepad works
If you're using Claude Code (the CLI tool), the setup is slightly different — we'll cover that too.
Step 1: Find Your Claude Desktop Config File
Claude Desktop stores its MCP server configuration in a JSON file. The location depends on your OS:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
If this file doesn't exist yet, create it. We're about to add our first server.
For Claude Code Users
Claude Code uses a different config file: .mcp.json in your project root (for project-scoped servers) or ~/.claude/.mcp.json (for global servers). You can also add servers with: claude mcp add <name> <command>
Step 2: Install the File System MCP Server
We'll start with the File System MCP server — it's the simplest, most universally useful server. It lets Claude read, write, search, and manage files on your computer.
You don't need to install it separately — it runs via npx (which comes with Node.js). Open your Claude Desktop config file and add this:
Code Examples
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
"/Users/you/projects",
"/Users/you/Documents/notes"
]
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
"/Users/you/projects"
]
},
"github": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
"env": {
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
}
},
"postgres": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres",
"postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb"
]
}
}
}# Add an MCP server to Claude Code (project scope)
claude mcp add filesystem npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path/to/your/project
# Add with environment variables
claude mcp add github npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github --env GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=ghp_xxx
# List configured servers
claude mcp list
# Remove a server
claude mcp remove filesystemKey Takeaways
- Claude Desktop config lives at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)
- MCP servers are configured as JSON entries with a command, args array, and optional environment variables
- The File System MCP server is the best starter — it gives Claude read/write access to specific directories you choose
- Always restrict MCP server access to specific directories or resources, never give blanket access to your entire system
- Claude Code users can add servers via 'claude mcp add' command or .mcp.json config file
Lesson 2 of 7