alvinplayz23/boose/converting-mcps-to-skills

Converting MCP Servers to Skills

Check Code is not itself an MCP client, but as a general computer-use agent, you can easily connect to any MCP server using the scripts in this skill.

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard for exposing tools to AI agents. MCP servers provide tools via JSON-RPC, either over:

• HTTP - Server running at a URL (e.g., http://localhost:3001/mcp)
• stdio - Server runs as a subprocess, communicating via stdin/stdout

Quick Start: Connecting to an MCP Server

Step 1: Determine the transport type

Ask the user:

• Is it an HTTP server (has a URL)?
• Is it a stdio server (runs via command like npx, node, python)?

Step 2: Test the connection

For HTTP servers:

npx tsx <skill-path>/scripts/mcp-http.ts <url> list-tools
 
# With auth header
npx tsx <skill-path>/scripts/mcp-http.ts <url> --header "Authorization: Bearer KEY" list-tools

For stdio servers:

# First, install dependencies (one time)
cd <skill-path>/scripts && npm install
 
# Then connect
npx tsx <skill-path>/scripts/mcp-stdio.ts "<command>" list-tools
 
# Examples
npx tsx <skill-path>/scripts/mcp-stdio.ts "npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ." list-tools
npx tsx <skill-path>/scripts/mcp-stdio.ts "python server.py" list-tools

Step 3: Explore available tools

# List all tools
... list-tools
 
# Get schema for a specific tool
... info <tool-name>
 
# Test calling a tool
... call <tool-name> '{"arg": "value"}'

Creating a Dedicated Skill

When an MCP server will be used repeatedly, create a dedicated skill for it. This makes future use easier and documents the server's capabilities.

Decision: Simple vs Rich Skill

Simple skill (just SKILL.md):

• Good for straightforward servers
• Documents how to use the parent skill's scripts with this specific server
• No additional scripts needed

Rich skill (SKILL.md + scripts/):

• Good for frequently-used servers
• Includes convenience wrapper scripts with defaults baked in
• Provides a simpler interface than the generic scripts

See references/skill-templates.md for templates.

Built-in Scripts Reference

mcp-http.ts - HTTP Transport

Connects to MCP servers over HTTP. No dependencies required.

npx tsx mcp-http.ts <url> [options] <command> [args]
 
Commands:
  list-tools              List available tools
  list-resources          List available resources
  info <tool>             Show tool schema
  call <tool> '<json>'    Call a tool
 
Options:
  --header "K: V"         Add HTTP header (repeatable)
  --timeout <ms>          Request timeout (default: 30000)

Examples:

# Basic usage
npx tsx mcp-http.ts http://localhost:3001/mcp list-tools
 
# With authentication
npx tsx mcp-http.ts http://localhost:3001/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer KEY" list-tools
 
# Call a tool
npx tsx mcp-http.ts http://localhost:3001/mcp call vault '{"action":"search","query":"notes"}'

mcp-stdio.ts - stdio Transport

Connects to MCP servers that run as subprocesses. Requires npm install first.

# One-time setup
cd <skill-path>/scripts && npm install
 
npx tsx mcp-stdio.ts "<command>" [options] <action> [args]
 
Actions:
  list-tools              List available tools
  list-resources          List available resources
  info <tool>             Show tool schema
  call <tool> '<json>'    Call a tool
 
Options:
  --env "KEY=VALUE"       Set environment variable (repeatable)
  --cwd <path>            Set working directory
  --timeout <ms>          Request timeout (default: 30000)

Examples:

# Filesystem server
npx tsx mcp-stdio.ts "npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ." list-tools
 
# With environment variable
npx tsx mcp-stdio.ts "node server.js" --env "API_KEY=xxx" list-tools
 
# Call a tool
npx tsx mcp-stdio.ts "python server.py" call read_file '{"path":"./README.md"}'

Common MCP Servers

Here are some well-known MCP servers:

Troubleshooting

"Cannot connect" error:

• For HTTP: Check the URL is correct and server is running
• For stdio: Check the command works when run directly in terminal

"Authentication required" error:

• Add --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" for HTTP
• Or --env "API_KEY=xxx" for stdio servers that need env vars

stdio "npm install" error:

• Run cd <skill-path>/scripts && npm install first
• The stdio client requires the MCP SDK

Tool call fails:

• Use info <tool> to see the expected input schema
• Ensure JSON arguments match the schema