Connect Your First MCP Server

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is how CoreLayer connects to external tools and data sources. This guide walks you through connecting your first MCP server.

What is MCP?

MCP is an open protocol that lets AI applications connect to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface. An MCP server exposes tools that Jarvis can discover and call.

Adding an MCP Server

Via the Control Center

Open Settings → MCP
Click Add Server
Enter the server configuration:

{
  "name": "my-server",
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/workspace"]
}

Via the Config File

Add to your CoreLayer config:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": [
      {
        "name": "filesystem",
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/workspace"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Popular MCP Servers

Server	Purpose	Command
`@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem`	File system access	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path`
`@modelcontextprotocol/server-github`	GitHub API	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github`
`@modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search`	Web search	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search`
`@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory`	Knowledge graph	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory`

Verifying the Connection

After adding a server:

Go to Control Center → MCP to see connected servers
Check that the server status shows Connected
Try a command that uses the server's tools

Read the README.md file in my workspace

If the MCP server is connected, Jarvis will use the filesystem tool to read the file.

Troubleshooting MCP

Server won't connect:

Check that the command and args are correct
Verify the server package is installed (npx -y auto-installs)
Check the daemon logs for connection errors

Tools not appearing:

Some servers require authentication — check the server's documentation
Restart the MCP connection from the Control Center

Permission denied:

The Permission Guard may block certain tool calls — check the approval queue
See Permissions for details

Next Steps

MCP Servers configuration — advanced MCP setup
Tool Registry — how tools are discovered and routed
Connect an MCP App — step-by-step guide

Connect Your First MCP Server

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