MCP Directory

title: "Connecting MCPs in Claude Desktop (Mac & Windows)" description: "Complete guide to connecting and managing MCP servers in Claude Desktop for Mac and Windows." slug: "claude-desktop" category: "ide" updatedAt: "2025-09-21T00:00:00.000Z" faqs:

  • q: "How many MCP servers can I run with Claude Desktop?" a: "Claude Desktop can handle multiple MCP servers simultaneously, typically 5-10 servers depending on your system resources."
  • q: "Do MCP servers work the same on Mac and Windows versions of Claude Desktop?" a: "Yes, MCP functionality is identical across platforms, though file paths and installation methods may differ."
IDEs
MCP SDK v2.1.0
Updated Sep 21, 20255 min read
claude
desktop
mac
windows
setup

Connecting MCPs in Claude Desktop (Mac & Windows)

Overview

Claude Desktop provides native support for Model Context Protocol servers, allowing you to extend Claude's capabilities with custom tools and data sources. This guide covers setup for both Mac and Windows.

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop (latest version)
  • Node.js 18+ or Python 3.8+
  • Administrator/sudo access (for some installations)
  • Anthropic account with Claude Desktop access

Installation

Download Claude Desktop

Mac:

Windows:

Install MCP Servers

Mac:

# Using Homebrew (recommended)
brew install node
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

# Using Python
pip3 install mcp-server-database

Windows:

# Using Chocolatey (recommended)
choco install nodejs
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

# Using Python
pip install mcp-server-database

Configuration

Mac Configuration

Create the configuration file at: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "mcp-server-filesystem",
      "args": ["--root", "/Users/username/Documents"],
      "env": {
        "NODE_ENV": "production"
      }
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "mcp-server-github",
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_token_here"
      }
    },
    "database": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["-m", "mcp_server_database"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows Configuration

Create the configuration file at: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "mcp-server-filesystem",
      "args": ["--root", "C:\\Users\\username\\Documents"],
      "env": {
        "NODE_ENV": "production"
      }
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "mcp-server-github",
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_token_here"
      }
    },
    "database": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "mcp_server_database"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Setup

Mac Environment Variables

Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile:

# MCP Environment Variables
export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="your_token_here"
export DATABASE_URL="postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your_openai_key"

# Path for MCP servers
export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"
export NODE_PATH="/usr/local/lib/node_modules"

Windows Environment Variables

Using PowerShell:

# Set environment variables
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN", "your_token_here", "User")
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("DATABASE_URL", "postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb", "User")

# Or use System Properties > Environment Variables GUI

Using Command Prompt:

setx GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN "your_token_here"
setx DATABASE_URL "postgresql://localhost:5432/mydb"

Popular MCP Configurations

Filesystem Access

Mac:

{
  "filesystem": {
    "command": "mcp-server-filesystem",
    "args": [
      "--root", "/Users/username/Projects",
      "--allowed-extensions", ".txt,.md,.json,.js,.py"
    ]
  }
}

Windows:

{
  "filesystem": {
    "command": "mcp-server-filesystem",
    "args": [
      "--root", "C:\\Users\\username\\Projects",
      "--allowed-extensions", ".txt,.md,.json,.js,.py"
    ]
  }
}

GitHub Integration

{
  "github": {
    "command": "mcp-server-github",
    "env": {
      "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
    }
  }
}

Database Connectivity

{
  "postgres": {
    "command": "mcp-server-postgres",
    "env": {
      "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/database"
    }
  },
  "sqlite": {
    "command": "mcp-server-sqlite",
    "args": ["--db-path", "./data/app.db"]
  }
}

Web Search

{
  "brave_search": {
    "command": "mcp-server-brave-search",
    "env": {
      "BRAVE_API_KEY": "your_brave_api_key"
    }
  }
}

Usage in Claude Desktop

Basic Interactions

Once configured, you can use MCP tools naturally in conversations:

"List the files in my Projects directory"
"Show me recent commits in my GitHub repository"
"Query the users table in my database"
"Search for recent news about AI"

File Operations

"Create a new file called 'notes.md' with today's meeting notes"
"Read the contents of my README.md file"
"Find all Python files in my project"
"Show me the directory structure"

GitHub Operations

"Show me my recent GitHub activity"
"Create a new issue in my repository"
"List open pull requests"
"Show commit history for the main branch"

Database Queries

"Show me the schema of my database"
"Count the number of users in the users table"
"Find all orders from the last week"
"Create a summary report of sales data"

Troubleshooting

Configuration Issues

Mac:

# Check if config file exists
ls -la ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/

# Validate JSON syntax
python3 -m json.tool ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Check permissions
chmod 644 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

# Check if config file exists
Get-ChildItem "$env:APPDATA\Claude\"

# Validate JSON syntax
Get-Content "$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json" | ConvertFrom-Json

# Check file permissions
Get-Acl "$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json"

Server Connection Issues

Check server installation:

# Mac/Linux
which mcp-server-filesystem
npm list -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

# Windows
where mcp-server-filesystem
npm list -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

Test server manually:

# Start server manually to test
mcp-server-filesystem --root ~/Documents --test

# Check if server responds
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/mcp/tools/list

Environment Variable Issues

Mac:

# Check environment variables
echo $GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
env | grep MCP

# Reload shell configuration
source ~/.zshrc

Windows:

# Check environment variables
$env:GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
Get-ChildItem Env: | Where-Object Name -like "*MCP*"

# Restart PowerShell to reload environment

Permission Issues

Mac:

# Grant Claude Desktop necessary permissions
# System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy
# Add Claude Desktop to:
# - Full Disk Access
# - Files and Folders
# - Developer Tools (if needed)

Windows:

# Run Claude Desktop as Administrator (if needed)
# Or adjust Windows Defender/Antivirus settings

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Server Instances

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "work_filesystem": {
      "command": "mcp-server-filesystem",
      "args": ["--root", "/Users/username/Work"]
    },
    "personal_filesystem": {
      "command": "mcp-server-filesystem",
      "args": ["--root", "/Users/username/Personal"]
    },
    "work_github": {
      "command": "mcp-server-github",
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "work_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Server Paths

Mac:

{
  "custom_server": {
    "command": "/usr/local/bin/node",
    "args": ["/Users/username/custom-mcp-server/index.js"],
    "cwd": "/Users/username/custom-mcp-server",
    "env": {
      "NODE_ENV": "development"
    }
  }
}

Windows:

{
  "custom_server": {
    "command": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe",
    "args": ["C:\\Users\\username\\custom-mcp-server\\index.js"],
    "cwd": "C:\\Users\\username\\custom-mcp-server",
    "env": {
      "NODE_ENV": "development"
    }
  }
}

Security Best Practices

Token Management

  • Store tokens in environment variables
  • Use read-only tokens when possible
  • Regularly rotate access tokens
  • Never commit tokens to version control

File System Access

  • Limit filesystem server root directories
  • Use allowed file extensions
  • Avoid granting access to system directories
  • Regular audit of accessible files

Network Security

  • Use HTTPS for remote MCP servers
  • Implement proper authentication
  • Monitor MCP server network activity
  • Use VPN for remote server access

Related Guides

FAQ

How many MCP servers can I run with Claude Desktop?

Claude Desktop can handle multiple MCP servers simultaneously. Most users run 5-10 servers comfortably, depending on system resources and server complexity.

Do MCP servers work the same on Mac and Windows versions of Claude Desktop?

Yes, MCP functionality is identical across platforms. The main differences are file paths, environment variable setup, and installation methods for the underlying tools.

Can I use the same MCP configuration on both Mac and Windows?

The configuration format is the same, but you'll need to adjust file paths and possibly command names (e.g., python3 vs python) for cross-platform compatibility.

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Last updated: September 21, 2025

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