Content
# MCP Server Gateway
A gateway service that bridges the stdio-based Model Context Protocol (MCP) implementation in Claude Desktop with HTTP/SSE-based MCP servers. This solves the protocol compatibility gap since Claude Desktop currently only supports stdio-based MCP servers. See the discussion [here](https://github.com/orgs/modelcontextprotocol/discussions/16).
## Why This Gateway?
Claude Desktop App currently only supports stdio protocol for MCP servers, while many MCP servers use HTTP with Server-Sent Events (SSE) transport. This gateway acts as a protocol translator, allowing Claude Desktop to communicate with any HTTP/SSE MCP server by:
1. Accepting stdio input from Claude Desktop
2. Converting and forwarding requests to HTTP/SSE MCP servers
3. Converting SSE responses back to stdio format for Claude Desktop
## Installation
Install the gateway globally using npm:
```bash
npm install -g @mcphub/gateway
```
## Configuration
### 1. Find the Gateway Path
After installation, find where npm installed the gateway using these commands:
```bash
# This shows the root directory of global packages
npm root -g
# The gateway will be located at:
<npm_global_root>/@mcphub/gateway/dist/src/mcphub-gateway.js
```
Common global package locations:
- macOS (Homebrew Node): `/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/@mcphub/gateway/dist/src/mcphub-gateway.js`
- macOS (default): `/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@mcphub/gateway/dist/src/mcphub-gateway.js`
- Windows: `%AppData%\npm\node_modules\@mcphub\gateway\dist\src\mcphub-gateway.js`
Verify the installation and path:
```bash
npm list -g @mcphub/gateway
```
### 2. Configure Claude Desktop
Create or update your Claude Desktop configuration file:
#### On macOS
Location: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude Desktop/config.json`
#### On Windows
Location: `%APPDATA%\Claude Desktop\config.json`
Add this configuration (using the path you found in step 1):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"server-name": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/@mcphub/gateway/dist/src/mcphub-gateway.js"]
}
}
}
```
Note: Replace the path in `args` with your actual path from step 1.
### 3. Configure MCP Server Connection
The gateway uses an environment variable to specify which MCP server to connect to:
```bash
# Set the MCP server URL (optional)
export MCP_SERVER_URL=https://your-mcp-server.com/api/mcp
```
By default, the gateway connects to the MCP Hub server at `https://server.mcphub.ai/api/mcp`, which provides access to various pre-configured MCP services.
### 4. Start Claude Desktop
Start or restart Claude Desktop to apply the changes.
## Troubleshooting
1. If you can't find the gateway path:
```bash
# List all global packages and look for @mcphub/gateway
npm list -g
# Or specifically check the gateway
npm list -g @mcphub/gateway
```
2. Verify your Node.js installation:
```bash
# Check Node version
node --version
# Check npm version
npm --version
```
3. Common issues:
- If using Homebrew on macOS, make sure Node.js is properly linked:
```bash
brew doctor
brew link node
```
- If you get permission errors, you might need to use `sudo` for the installation
## License
[Apache 2.0 License](LICENSE)
## Support
If you encounter any issues or have questions:
- File an issue on GitHub
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
