robotmcp--ros-mcp-server/docs/install/clients/cursor.md

Step 1: Cursor Setup

Cursor is an AI-powered IDE. It supports MCP servers through its settings. If you don't have it yet, download it from cursor.com/downloads.

1. Install uv

uv is needed to run the MCP server via uvx.

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

See the uv installation docs for other platforms or troubleshooting.

2. Add the MCP Server

In Cursor, go to Settings > MCP > New MCP Server and edit the mcp.json file:

Linux / macOS:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ros-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["ros-mcp", "--transport=stdio"]
    }
  }
}

Windows (WSL):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ros-mcp-server": {
      "command": "wsl",
      "args": [
        "-d", "Ubuntu",
        "/home/<YOUR_USER>/.local/bin/uvx",
        "ros-mcp", "--transport=stdio"
      ]
    }
  }
}

WSL users: Replace <YOUR_USER> with your WSL username and "Ubuntu" with your distribution name. Verify the path to uvx with wsl -- which uvx.

Tip: If you're having trouble with the config file, ask Cursor to help set it up. Tell it that the command to run the MCP server is uvx ros-mcp and it can generate the correct configuration.

3. Verify the Setup

Open a new chat in Cursor and ask:

Connect to the robot on localhost using the ros-mcp server

The MCP server will attempt to reach a robot on the same machine. It should report that the IP is reachable but the rosbridge port is closed — this confirms the MCP server is set up correctly.

Tip: If your AI assistant can't find the ros-mcp server, restart Cursor so it picks up the new configuration.

To complete the connection, set up rosbridge on your robot.

Next Step

Set up rosbridge on the machine where ROS is running: Step 2: Rosbridge Setup

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Advanced

• HTTP transport — run the MCP server as a standalone HTTP service instead of stdio
• Alternate installation methods:
  • Install via pip — traditional pip install or install from source with pip
  • Install from source — for developers who need to modify the server code

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