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Windows Development Setup

MCP Server Development Environment
7 Steps

Setting up your machine to work on LLM chatbot with multiple MCP servers

⌨ī¸ Navigation: Use arrow keys (← →) or click the navigation menu

What We'll Install

Development Tools

VS Code
Windows Terminal
Cursor (optional)

Version Control

Git
GitHub CLI
SSH Keys

Runtimes

Node.js (LTS)
Python 3.11+
TypeScript

MCP Development

MCP SDKs
MCP Inspector
Claude Desktop

Package Managers

npm
pip
uv (Python)

Environment

API Keys
.env Files
Secure Config

1

Install Core Development Tools

Visual Studio Code

code.visualstudio.com
  • Download Windows installer (.exe)
  • Check "Add to PATH"
  • Check "Register as default editor"
  • Install recommended extensions
1

Install Core Development Tools

Windows Terminal

Microsoft Store → "Windows Terminal"
💡 Tip: Set as default terminal application in Windows Settings

Cursor (Optional Alternative Editor)

cursor.com
ℹī¸ Note: AI-powered code editor built on VS Code
2

Install Git & GitHub

Git for Windows

git-scm.com/download/win
  • Use default branch name "main"
  • Git from command line and 3rd party
  • Use bundled OpenSSH
  • Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style
2

Configure Git

> git config --global user.name "Your Name"
> git config --global user.email "your@email.com"
> git config --global init.defaultBranch main
🔑 Optional: Set up SSH keys for GitHub authentication
3

Install Node.js Runtime

Node.js (LTS Version)

nodejs.org
v20.x LTS
  • Download Windows Installer (.msi)
  • Install npm package manager
  • Add to PATH automatically
3

Verify Node.js Installation

> node --version
v20.11.0
> npm --version
10.2.4
3

Install Python Runtime

Python 3.11+

python.org/downloads
3.11+
  • Download Windows installer (64-bit)
  • CRITICAL: Check "Add Python to PATH"
  • Include pip package manager
3

Install TypeScript

TypeScript Compiler

> npm install -g typescript
> npm install -g tsx
đŸ“Ļ Note: tsx allows running TypeScript files directly without compiling
4

Install MCP Development Tools

MCP SDK for TypeScript/JavaScript

> npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/sdk
> npm install -g @anthropic-ai/sdk
🔧 Purpose: Official SDKs for building MCP servers and clients
4

Install MCP SDK for Python

FastMCP & Python MCP SDK

> pip install mcp
> pip install anthropic
⚡ Alternative: Use FastMCP for rapid prototyping
4

Install uv (Modern Python Package Manager)

uv - Fast Python Package Manager

docs.astral.sh/uv
> powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
💡 Why uv? 10-100x faster than pip, recommended by MCP official docs
4

Install MCP Inspector

MCP Inspector (Debugging Tool)

> npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
🔍
🐛 Critical Tool: Test and debug MCP servers before client integration
4

Claude Desktop (Optional)

Claude Desktop App

claude.ai/download
  • Test MCP servers locally
  • Requires manual JSON configuration
  • Useful for development workflow
ℹī¸ Note: Optional but recommended for MCP testing
5

Environment Configuration

Create .env File for API Keys

> cd your-project
> echo ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key_here > .env
🔐 Security: Never commit .env files to Git! Add to .gitignore
📝 Get Keys: console.anthropic.com for Anthropic API keys
6

Clone & Setup Project

Navigate to your workspace

> cd C:\Dev

Clone your repository

> git clone https://github.com/yourorg/llm-chatbot.git
> cd llm-chatbot
6

Install Project Dependencies

Node.js dependencies

> npm install

Python dependencies (if applicable)

> pip install -r requirements.txt
⏱ī¸ Note: Installation may take several minutes
7

Verify Everything Works

✓ Complete Checklist

  • VS Code opens with code .
  • Git commands work: git --version
  • Node.js installed: node --version
  • TypeScript installed: tsc --version
  • Python installed: python --version
  • MCP SDKs installed
  • Project dependencies installed
  • Environment variables configured

You're Ready! 🚀

✓

Your Windows machine is now configured for
MCP Server Development

Next Steps: Open VS Code, review project README, and start coding!