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IDE Configuration

This guide covers configuring HoloViz MCP with different IDEs and AI assistants.

VS Code + GitHub Copilot

Quick Install

Click to install automatically:

Install in VS Code

Manual Configuration

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS)
  3. Type "MCP: Edit Settings" and press Enter
  4. Add this configuration to your mcp.json:
{
  "servers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["holoviz-mcp"]
    }
  },
  "inputs": []
}
  1. Save and restart VS Code

Configuration File Locations

  • User Settings: ~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/github.copilot/mcp.json
  • Workspace Settings: .vscode/mcp.json (in your project)
  • Remote Settings: In remote workspace .vscode/mcp.json

Tip: For remote development (SSH, Dev Containers, Codespaces), use Workspace or Remote settings to ensure the MCP server runs on the remote machine.

Monitor Server Status

  1. Open Output panel: View → Output
  2. Select "MCP: holoviz" from the dropdown
  3. View server logs and status messages

Claude Desktop

Manual Configuration

  1. Locate your Claude Desktop configuration file:
  2. macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  3. Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

  4. Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

  5. Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["holoviz-mcp"]
    }
  }
}
  1. Save the file and restart Claude Desktop

Verify Connection

After restarting Claude Desktop, look for the MCP indicator (🔌) in the interface. It should show "holoviz" as a connected server.

Cursor

Quick Install

Install in Cursor

Manual Configuration

  1. Open Cursor Settings
  2. Navigate to Features → Model Context Protocol
  3. Click Add Server
  4. Enter the configuration:
{
  "name": "holoviz",
  "command": "uvx",
  "args": ["holoviz-mcp"]
}
  1. Save and restart Cursor

Windsurf

Add to your Windsurf MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["holoviz-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Other MCP Clients

For other MCP-compatible clients, use the standard configuration:

{
  "name": "holoviz",
  "command": "uvx",
  "args": ["holoviz-mcp"]
}

Environment Variables

You can customize server behavior using environment variables:

Set Log Level

{
  "servers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["holoviz-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "HOLOVIZ_MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "DEBUG"
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Configuration Directory

Use a custom directory for configuration and data:

{
  "servers": {
    "holoviz": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["holoviz-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "HOLOVIZ_MCP_USER_DIR": "/path/to/custom/dir"
      }
    }
  }
}

Testing Your Configuration

After configuration, test with your AI assistant:

  1. Simple Query: 

    List available Panel input components

  2. Detailed Query: 

    What parameters does the Panel TextInput component have?

  3. Code Generation: 

    Create a simple Panel dashboard with a slider

If you get detailed, accurate responses, your configuration is working! 🎉

Troubleshooting

Server Not Starting

Check the command: 

# Test the server directly
uvx holoviz-mcp

Verify uv installation: 

uv --version

Check Python version: 

python --version  # Should be 3.11 or higher

AI Assistant Not Recognizing Components

  1. Verify documentation index exists: 

    ls ~/.holoviz-mcp

  2. Recreate the index: 

    uvx holoviz-mcp update

  3. Restart your IDE

Configuration File Not Found

VS Code: Use Command Palette → "MCP: Edit Settings" to create the file

Claude Desktop: Create the file manually at the correct location

Permission Errors

Linux/macOS: Ensure the configuration file is readable: 

chmod 644 ~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/github.copilot/mcp.json

Next Steps