What is MCP HUB? | MCP HUB (original) (raw)

MCPHub.nvim is a MCP client for neovim that seamlessly integrates MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers into your editing workflow. It provides an intuitive interface for managing, testing, and using MCP servers with your favorite chat plugins.

IMPORTANT

It is recommended to read this page before going through the rest of the documentation.

How does MCP Hub work? ​

Let's break down how MCP Hub operates in simple terms:

MCP Config File ​

Like any MCP client, MCP Hub requires a configuration file to define the MCP servers you want to use. This file is typically located at ~/.config/mcphub/servers.json. MCP Hub supports local stdio servers as well as remote streamable-http or sse servers.

VS Code Compatibility: MCP Hub supports VS Code's .vscode/mcp.json format directly, including the servers key, ${env:} syntax, and predefined variables. You can use the same file for MCP Hub, VS Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, Zed, etc. It looks something like:

js

// Example: ~/.config/mcphub/servers.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fetch": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-server-fetch"
      ]
    },
    "github": {
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Servers Manager ​

• When MCP Hub's setup() is called typically when Neovim starts, it launches the nodejs binary, mcp-hub with the servers.json file.
• The mcp-hub binary reads servers.json file and starts the MCP servers.
• It provides two key interfaces:
  1. Management API (default: http://localhost:37373/api):
     • Used by this plugin to manage MCP servers
     • Start/stop servers, execute tools, access resources
     • Handle real-time server events
  2. Unified MCP Endpoint (http://localhost:37373/mcp):
     • A single MCP server that other MCP clients can connect to
     • Exposes ALL capabilities from ALL managed servers
     • Automatically namespaces capabilities to prevent conflicts
     • Use this endpoint in Claude Desktop, Cline, or any MCP client

For example, instead of configuring each MCP client with multiple servers:

json

{
    "mcpServers" : {
        "filesystem": { ... },
        "search": { ... },
        "database": { ... }
    }
}

Just configure them to use MCP Hub's unified endpoint:

json

{
    "mcpServers" : {
        "Hub": {
            "url" : "http://localhost:37373/mcp"  
        }
    }
}

Usage ​

• Use :MCPHub command to open the interface
• Adding (<A>), editing (<e>), deleting (<d>) MCP servers in easy and intuitive with MCP Hub. You don't need to edit the servers.json file directly.
• Install servers from the Marketplace (M)
• Toggle servers, tools, and resources etc
• Test tools and resources directly in Neovim

Builtin Native Servers ​

MCPHub includes two native servers that run directly within Neovim:

• Neovim Server: Comprehensive file operations, terminal access, LSP integration, and buffer management
• MCPHub Server: Plugin management utilities, server lifecycle control, and documentation access

These servers provide essential functionality without external dependencies and offer deep Neovim integration.

Workspace-Aware Configuration ​

MCP Hub automatically detects project-local configuration files (.mcphub/servers.json, .vscode/mcp.json, .cursor/mcp.json) and creates isolated hub instances for each workspace. This enables:

• Project-specific servers: mcp-server-filesystem with project paths, mcp-language-server with project-specific LSP configurations
• Isolated environments: Each project gets its own hub instance and server processes
• Configuration merging: Project configs override global settings while preserving global servers

Users can view all active workspace hubs and switch between them seamlessly through the UI.

Chat Integrations ​

• MCP Hub provides integrations with popular chat plugins like Avante, CodeCompanion, CopilotChat.
• LLMs can use MCP servers through our @mcp tool.
• Resources show up as #variables in chat.
• Prompts become /slash_commands.

Feature Support Matrix ​

Next Steps ​

• Installation Guide - Set up MCPHub in your Neovim
• Configuration Guide - Learn about configuring MCP Hub