When operating with Style Context Protocol (MCP) servers, every one may require its personal setup, gear, or atmosphere. For a deeper dive into MCP server building gear, take a look at our detailed information right here.
As an example, a GitHub Movements MCP server may require get admission to tokens and GitHub CLI, and one MCP may require uvx from Python whilst the opposite may require npx from NPM to run the scripts. Managing those other setups manually can also be messy, sluggish, and error-prone.
That’s the place Docker makes issues more straightforward. It programs the whole lot an MCP server wishes right into a blank, self-contained container. So you’ll run it with out being worried about setup conflicts.
Let’s dive in and notice the way it works.
Learn Additionally:
5 Tough MCP Servers To Turn out to be Your Construction Workflow
Set up
To start with, you want to put in Docker to your gadget. You’ll be able to in finding the set up directions in your working device at the professional Docker site.
Upon getting it put in, release the Docker app and you’ll in finding the MCP server catalog within the “MCP Toolkit” menu inside the app. Right here you’ll in finding many MCP servers that you’ll set up and run comparable to DuckDuckGo, Github, or even cURL.
Make a selection which MCP you’d like to put in. On this case, I’ll set up cURL and the GitHub Respectable MCP.
Consumer Configs
Docker MCP helps a couple of shoppers together with VS Code, Cursor, Claude, and LM Studio. On this instance, I’ll be the use of LM Studio.
So as to add the config in LM Studio, pass to Program > Set up > Edit mcp.json from the best sidebar, as proven underneath.
Then, upload the important configuration for the MCP server, as follows.
{
"mcpServers": {
"MCP_DOCKER": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"mcp",
"gateway",
"run"
]
}
}
}
As soon as it’s stored, the MCP server will seem in Docker’s sidebar, and you’ll allow it immediately.
From right here, we will be able to set up any MCP server immediately the use of the Docker app, and it is going to immediately be to be had in LM Studio. As an example, let’s set up the professional GitHub MCP server.
After including it, simply refresh the server configuration in LM Studio, and also you’ll see the GitHub MCP purposes such because the create_issue, create_repository, and so on. indexed and able to make use of.
Operating MCP Servers
Now that we have got the MCP server put in, we will be able to attempt to ship a urged that may cause those MCP servers to run.
As an example, right here I will be able to ship a urged: Retrieve headers from hongkiat.com/weblog and resolve if the web page is cached
As we will be able to see underneath, the MCP server will run the cURL command to retrieve the headers from the required URL and go back the outcome. In our case right here, it may resolve that the web page is cached from the header x-cache.
In a similar fashion, we will be able to run the GitHub professional MCP server. As an example, right here I’d love to listing all tags of certainly one of my repositories. As we will be able to see underneath it’s in a position to listing all tags at the repository.
GitHub MCP helps many purposes comparable to growing problems, repositories, and extra. So you’ll simply automate many duties the use of this MCP server.
Wrapping Up
MCP servers are robust gear that permit you to automate many duties on your building workflow. With Docker, you’ll now run those servers with out being worried about setup conflicts or dependencies.
You’ll be able to simply click on to put in the MCP server you want, and it is going to be able to make use of on your favourite consumer.
The put up Run MCP Servers with Docker gave the impression first on Hongkiat.
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