Connect AI clients
Setup takes two minutes. The idea is the same for every client: point the client config at the ide99 server.
Step 1. Enable MCP in ide99
Settings → AI / MCP → Enable MCP server.
On the same screen:
- Status — should light up "Listening" with the socket path:
- macOS / Linux:
~/.local/share/ide99/mcp.sock
- Windows:
\\.\pipe\ide99-mcp
- Authorized clients — empty for now, fills in after the first connection.
- Copy config snippet — buttons per client; copies a JSON fragment to clipboard.
Step 2. Configure the client
Claude Code
Open ~/.claude/mcp.json (create if missing) and add:
{
"mcpServers": {
"ide99": {
"command": "/Applications/ide99.app/Contents/MacOS/ide99",
"args": ["--mcp-stdio"]
}
}
}
Alternative — via socket (faster, doesn't spawn processes):
{
"mcpServers": {
"ide99": {
"url": "unix:///Users/<you>/.local/share/ide99/mcp.sock"
}
}
}
Restart Claude Code: /mcp shows ide99 in the available servers list.
Cursor
Settings → MCP → Add server. In the Command field:
/Applications/ide99.app/Contents/MacOS/ide99 --mcp-stdio
Save → Cursor connects automatically.
Windsurf
Settings → Cascade → Manage MCP servers → Add new:
{
"ide99": {
"command": "/Applications/ide99.app/Contents/MacOS/ide99",
"args": ["--mcp-stdio"]
}
}
Cline (VS Code)
Settings → MCP servers:
{
"ide99": {
"command": "/Applications/ide99.app/Contents/MacOS/ide99",
"args": ["--mcp-stdio"],
"alwaysAllow": ["schema_list", "schema_describe", "db_explain"]
}
}
alwaysAllow is the list of tools Cline calls without asking. Reads are safe; writes are best left under manual control (even though ide99 will re-ask, the extra layer doesn't hurt).
Step 3. Verify
In Claude Code say:
Tell me the structure of the users table in my database.
Claude calls schema_describe. ide99 shows a dialog:
Claude Code → schema_describe(table='users')
[ Allow ] [ Deny ]
Click Allow — and the agent gets the table structure back.
How ide99 knows which connection to use
The active connection in the IDE = the connection the agent sees. Switch connections in the left panel and the agent picks up the new one on the next call.
You can also tell the agent in the prompt: "run a query against db_prod". Then it calls connections_select, ide99 asks for confirmation, and the active connection switches.
Multiple clients at once
You can connect Claude Code and Cursor at the same time — ide99 distinguishes them by client_id. Both appear in Authorized clients, and you can revoke either individually.
Disable MCP
Settings → AI / MCP → Disable MCP server. The socket closes; active client connections terminate.
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