Quick Start¶
Set up a project with scoped MCP access in 30 seconds.
1. Add MCPs to Your Registry¶
Register MCP servers from npm, PyPI, GitHub, or local sources. You only do this once per MCP — they're available across all your projects.
# npm packages
crux add mcp filesystem --npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem
# GitHub repos
crux add mcp wikijs --github jaalbin24/wikijs-mcp-server
# PyPI packages
crux add mcp my-tool --uvx my-mcp-tool
See what's available in the official registry:
2. Store Secrets Securely¶
API keys go in your OS keychain — never in config files.
crux secret set wikijs WIKIJS_API_KEY
# → prompts securely, stores in macOS Keychain / Linux Secret Service
3. Create a Project¶
This creates a crux.json file — your project's MCP manifest. Commit it to git.
4. Install MCPs into Your Project¶
This:
- Adds
wikijsandfilesystemto yourcrux.json - Runs
crux syncto generate the.mcp.jsonthat Claude Code expects - Creates launcher scripts that fetch secrets from your keychain at runtime
5. Check Status¶
Shows a table of each MCP's health — whether it can start, its protocol version, and available tools.
What Just Happened?¶
Your project now has:
| File | Purpose | Git? |
|---|---|---|
crux.json |
Declares which MCPs this project uses | Committed |
.mcp.json |
Generated config for Claude Code | Gitignored |
When a teammate clones your repo, they run crux install and get the same setup — including keychain-based secrets on their machine.
Next Steps¶
- Run an agent in a sandbox — isolated execution with only the MCPs you specify
- Manage secrets — multi-backend keystore system
- Health monitoring — diagnose MCP server issues
- Core concepts — understand the architecture