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Getting started / start small

From environment setup
to your first connection.

Install the extension and MCP independently. Pick a small task, validate it in a test environment, then integrate it gradually.

01 / Install the VS Code extension

Search the VS Code Marketplace for Claude Code Config Helper, and check that the publisher is liliangshan. Check the listing for the published version; local test builds may differ.

Open MarketplaceSource code & documentation

You can also install a VSIX

If you have a local VSIX, choose Extensions → … → Install from VSIX in VS Code. Reload when convenient; reloading interrupts running CLI tasks.

02 / Complete the three-step setup

  1. Choose a language and prepare the CLIDownload and validate the CLI through setup, or select an existing executable. Official downloads are default; choose the China mirror explicitly.
  2. Add providers and modelsSet your endpoint, authentication and API key, then fetch or manually add models. Setup does not require a paid test message.
  3. Choose workspace models and open chatSet a regular model, optional task-flow/compaction models and thinking level. The main session opens on the right; parallel session opens independently on the left.
Setup appears when this environment has no global completion record. Existing CLI/provider data is prefilled but not marked complete. Model charges depend on your provider.

03 / Choose a tool and copy configuration

This only generates local examples: no server connections, password collection or package installation. Replace sample addresses and paths; configure credentials locally in your client.

.mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@liangshanli/mcp-server-mysql"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "db.example.com",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "ai_reader",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "${MYSQL_PASSWORD}",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "app_db",
        "MYSQL_SSL": "true",
        "READONLY": "true",
        "ALLOW_DDL": "false",
        "ALLOW_DROP": "false",
        "ALLOW_DELETE": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

The MySQL example enables read-only mode and TLS. Use a read-only account and ensure the hostname matches the database certificate.

Variables and configuration formats

  • Claude Code：Use mcpServers, stored at the project root in .mcp.json. Variables such as ${MYSQL_PASSWORD} depend on environment variables available when the client starts. Check your client’s actual rules.
  • Native VS Code MCP:Use servers, stored in .vscode/mcp.json. Passwords use VS Code’s password prompt, not a website input.
  • Cursor：Store in .cursor/mcp.json, using mcpServers. Environment expansion depends on the client version. Unexpanded placeholders are not passwords.
  • This extension:Native .mcp.json is discovered by the CLI;--strict-mcp-config restricts sources. Reading VS Code configuration does not implement native input-variable resolution. Prefer Claude Code format in this extension.

If a config exists, merge only required server entries. Do not overwrite it. If npx cannot start on Windows, use an absolute Node.js path with the installed package entry; see npm docs.

04 / Verify that tools work

  1. Check your local environmentInstall supported Node.js; SSH specifically requires 20+. Check npm for other packages and ensure the client can find node / npx.
  2. Reconnect MCP or restart the relevant CLIReload tools after saving configuration. In this extension, restart the relevant side’s CLI, after checking for important running tasks.
  3. Start with low-impact operationsList tools and test the connection first, then inspect database schemas, read Redis test keys or issue GET requests to your own API.

Try a task like this:

First task · Example prompt
Check whether the current MCP tools are available.
Read only the test database schema and explain table relationships.
Do not change data or schema. Tell me first if connection or permissions are missing.

05 / Set boundaries before adding capabilities

Least privilege

Use read-only or dedicated low-privilege database accounts, dedicated SSH accounts with trusted fingerprints, and restricted API methods. Prompts and app switches do not replace underlying permissions.

Keep credentials local

Do not submit passwords or private keys here. Exclude credential-bearing config files from Git as needed, and inspect logs and model output before sharing.

bypassPermissions skips some CLI checks. It neither grants MCP extra database/system rights nor fixes connection failures. Use only in explicitly trusted workspaces.

06 / MCP tools missing?

  • Match the config filename, directory and top-level fields to your client.
  • Check JSON validity, package names and whether the client can find the launch command.
  • Check workspace trust, MCP approval, CLI strict mode and tool switches.
  • Check database / SSH / API addresses, networking, credentials and server-side permissions.
  • Restart the relevant CLI and inspect logs. Never paste secret-bearing configuration into public channels.
More frequently asked questions ↗