MCP Client

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) was released as an open source standard by Anthropic on 25th November 2024. https://www.anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol.

MCP provides a universal, open standard for connecting AI systems with data sources. Anthropic built the capability into Claude Desktop.

Anthropic maintain a list of reference servers here: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers?tab=readme-ov-file#-reference-servers

eSearch Pro will operate with all the reference servers listed below as of 20 June 2025, as well as thousands of others.

1. Everything - Reference / test server with prompts, resources, and tools
2. Fetch - Web content fetching and conversion for efficient LLM usage
3. Filesystem - Secure file operations with configurable access controls
4. Git - Tools to read, search, and manipulate Git repositories
5. Memory - Knowledge graph-based persistent memory system
6. Sequential Thinking - Dynamic and reflective problem-solving through thought sequences
7. Time - Time and timezone conversion capabilities

Install Package Runner Software

Before trying to install an MCP server it is necessary to install what is known as package runner software.

The choice of package runner depends on the language/runtime of the MCP server and the user's preferred toolchain. The MCP protocol itself is language-agnostic, so servers can be implemented in any language and executed using the appropriate package runner or execution method for that ecosystem.

Currently the two primary package runners are:

1. npx (Node.js) - Package runner for JavaScript/TypeScript MCP servers
2. uvx (Python) - Python's modern package runner, part of the uv toolchain

How to install npx

There are known issues with using NVM - see https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/issues/76

Install nvm-windows

We have found that for Windows this solution works well: https://github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows?tab=readme-ov-file#installation--upgrades

How to install uvx

See: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/

For Windows enter the following command into PowerShell:

PS> powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

You should see something like:

Downloading uv 0.7.17 (x86_64-pc-windows-msvc) Installing to C:\Users\User.local\bin uv.exe uvx.exe uvw.exe everything's installed!

Install an MCP Server

With eSearch Pro in AI Mode, select the AI|MCP Servers menu. Select the + button to add a new MCP server.

As an example we will first install Time functionality, this is one of the reference servers and it requires that uvx package runner is installed. In the Configuration window, copy and paste the configuration below:

{
  "mcpServers": {
        "time": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-server-time",
        "--local-timezone=UTC"
      ]
    
    }
  }

Now select Save. Time will appear in the list on the left, select it. Select the Run button, wait until it successfully runs. Close the dialog.

You should now be able to enter a query such as 'what time is it in Paris'.

Possible issues after adding a new MCP server:

Depending on the model you may receive a response that it cannot use Tools, or doesn't have access to real-time information. If so, try asking 'use the Time Tool to get the time in Paris'.

Some configurations may need to be edited, for example:

1. To include an environment variable. In such cases restart the machine after installing the MCP server.
2. To include a filename or path, examples include the 'filesystem' and 'memory' reference servers. The paths will depend on the user's access permissions.
3. To include an API Key (e.g. Brave-search').