Barebones MCP Server

A minimal, dockerized template for creating HTTP-based Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. This template provides a starting point for building your own MCP tools and services.

Features

• HTTP Transport: Ready-to-use HTTP MCP server setup
• Docker Support: Containerized deployment with Python 3.13
• FastMCP Framework: Built using the FastMCP library for easy MCP server development
• Template Structure: Clean, minimal codebase to build upon

What's Included

This template includes a simple get_cat_fact() tool as an example - replace it with your own tools and functionality.

Quick Start

1. Build and run the Docker container:

   docker build -t mcp-server .
   docker run -p 8000:8000 mcp-server
   

2. Connect in VS Code:

   • Click the "Start" button on the .vscode/mcp.json file that appears in VS Code
   • The MCP server will be automatically configured and connected

3. Access your tools:

   • Open the Chat panel in VS Code
   • Click the wrench icon (🔧) to see available MCP tools
   • Your get_cat_fact() tool should appear and be ready to use
   • Test with prompts like:
     • "Do you see a cat fact mcp tool?"
     • "Get me a cat fact"
   • Note: The AI agent should prompt you that it will use an MCP tool before executing it. If you don't see this prompt, the tool isn't being used.

MCP Configuration

Add this to your .vscode/mcp.json file:

{
  "servers": {
    "my-mcp-tools": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Available Tools (Example)

• get_cat_fact(): Example tool that returns a random cat fact - replace with your own tools

Debugging with MCP Inspector

For debugging and testing your MCP server, you can use the MCP Inspector:

1. Install and run MCP Inspector:

   npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
   

2. Configure the connection:

   • Set transport type to: httpstreamable
   • Set URL to: http://localhost:8000/mcp

3. Test your tools:

   • The inspector will show all available tools and their schemas
   • You can test each tool directly from the web interface
   • View server capabilities and debug any issues

Customizing the Template

1. Replace the example tool in server.py with your own MCP tools
2. Update dependencies in requirements.txt as needed
3. Modify the server name in the FastMCP constructor
4. Add your tool logic using the @mcp.tool() decorator