Model Context Protocol (MCP) Tips and Best Practices

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a protocol that enables AI models to communicate with development environments and tools. It allows AI assistants to gather context, execute commands, and make changes to codebases in a structured and secure way. MCP servers act as intermediaries between AI models and development environments, providing a standardized interface for interactions.

Setup Guide

Prerequisites

Docker installed on your system
GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) with appropriate permissions
VS Code with the necessary extensions

Basic Setup Steps

Environment Configuration
- Set up your GitHub token as an environment variable:
```
export GITHUB_TOKEN=your_token_here
```
Docker Image
- The MCP server runs in a Docker container
- The official image is available at: ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server

VS Code Settings

Configure the MCP server in your VS Code settings.json

Basic configuration example:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "github": {
        "command": "docker",
        "args": [
          "run",
          "-i",
          "--rm",
          "-e",
          "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=${env:GITHUB_TOKEN}",
          "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
        ],
        "env": {
          "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "$GITHUB_TOKEN"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Tips

Best Practices

Token Security
- Never commit your GitHub token to version control
- Use environment variables for sensitive information
- Regularly rotate your PAT for security
Docker Configuration
- Use the --rm flag to automatically remove containers after they stop
- Consider using volume mounts for persistent data
- Keep your Docker image updated to the latest version
VS Code Integration
- Keep your VS Code and extensions updated
- Configure logging levels appropriately
- Use workspace-specific settings when needed

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Connection Issues
- Verify Docker is running
- Check if your GitHub token is valid and properly set
- Ensure proper network connectivity to GitHub
Authentication Problems
- Verify your PAT has the required scopes
- Check environment variable configuration
- Ensure the token hasn't expired
Docker-related Issues
- Clear Docker cache if experiencing image problems
- Check Docker logs for detailed error messages
- Verify Docker has sufficient system resources
VS Code Integration Issues
- Reset VS Code settings to default if needed
- Check VS Code's extension logs
- Verify MCP configuration syntax in settings.json

Debugging Tips

Enable verbose logging in VS Code
Check Docker container logs
Verify environment variable availability
Monitor system resource usage

Advanced Configuration

Custom Server Configuration

Configure multiple MCP servers
Set up custom environment variables
Configure resource limits

Performance Optimization

Configure caching settings
Optimize Docker container resources
Set appropriate timeout values

Additional Resources

AndreaGriffiths11/mcp-tips

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