Install MCP CLI
A CLI tool to install and manage MCP servers.
Installing MCPs is a huge pain, so I made a CLI tool to make it easier.
Usage
The CLI now supports multiple installation methods with automatic detection:
Simple package names
npx install-mcp mcp-package-name --client claude-desktop
Scoped packages
npx install-mcp @org/mcp-server --client claude-desktop
Full commands (for custom arguments)
npx install-mcp 'npx some-mcp-server --custom-args' --client claude-desktop
Remote URLs (with automatic naming)
npx install-mcp https://mcp.example.com/server --client claude-desktop
The tool automatically:
- Converts simple package names to
npx package-name - Preserves full commands as-is
- Infers server names from package names or URLs (e.g.,
mcp.example.com→mcp-example-com) - Handles OAuth authentication for remote servers
Supermemory project support
When installing a server hosted on https://api.supermemory.ai/*, you can pass a project name via --project. This is a convenience alias for adding the header x-sm-project: <value>.
Rules:
- Only applies to URL installs targeting
https://api.supermemory.ai/*. - Values must not contain spaces.
- If you omit
--projectfor these URLs, you'll be prompted. Pressing Enter usesdefault. - The value is injected as a header alongside any
--headerflags.
Examples:
# Explicit project
npx install-mcp https://api.supermemory.ai/servers/my-server \
--client cursor \
--project myproj
# Prompted for project (Enter defaults to "default")
npx install-mcp https://api.supermemory.ai/servers/my-server --client cursor
Warp users: the generated config will include --header "x-sm-project: <value>" in the args array when installing Supermemory URLs.
Headers Support
You can pass headers for authentication or other purposes using the --header flag:
# Single header
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude-desktop --header "Authorization: Bearer token123"
# Multiple headers
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude-desktop \
--header "Authorization: Bearer token123" \
--header "X-API-Key: secret-key"
OAuth Authentication for Remote Servers
When installing remote servers (URLs), the CLI will ask if the server uses OAuth authentication:
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude-desktop
# Output: Does this server use OAuth authentication? (Y/n)
You can bypass this prompt using the --oauth flag:
# Automatically run OAuth authentication
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude-desktop --oauth yes
# Skip OAuth authentication entirely
npx install-mcp https://api.example.com/mcp --client claude-desktop --oauth no
If you answer yes, the authentication flow:
- Runs automatically before installation
- Handles OAuth flows seamlessly in the background
- Authentication state is shared globally - once you authenticate with a server, that authentication is automatically available to all MCP clients
- No need to re-authenticate when using the same server in different clients
# Output: Running authentication for https://api.example.com/mcp
If authentication fails, you'll see:
Authentication failed. Use the client to authenticate.
If the server doesn't use OAuth (you answer no), the installation proceeds directly without authentication.
This ensures secure access to remote servers while maintaining flexibility for servers that don't require OAuth.
Supported Clients
The --client flag specifies which MCP client you're installing for:
claude-desktopclineroo-clinewindsurfwitsyenconvocursorvscodegemini-cliclaude-codegoosezedopencodewarp(outputs config to copy/paste into Warp's cloud-based settings)codex(OpenAI's Codex CLI tool)droid(Factory.AI's Droid CLI tool)aider(AI pair programming tool)aider-desk(Desktop version of aider)
License
MIT
