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Developer Workstation

This guide helps you to set up your local environment for contributing to the Model Context Protocol (MCP) Gateway. It provides detailed instructions for tooling requirements, OS-specific notes, common pitfalls, and commit signing practices.

Tooling Requirements

  • Python (>= 3.11)
    • Download from python.org or use your package manager (e.g., brew install python on macOS, sudo apt-get install python3 on Ubuntu).
    • Verify: python3 --version.
  • Docker or Podman
    • Docker: Install docker.io, buildx, and docker-compose v2.
      • Docker Desktop for macOS/Windows.
      • Linux: sudo apt-get install docker.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin (Debian/Ubuntu) or sudo dnf install docker docker-buildx docker-compose (Fedora).
    • Podman: Install Podman Desktop for a rootless alternative.
    • Verify: docker --version or podman --version.
  • Permissions Setup
    • Docker: Add your user to the docker group: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER, then log out and back in (Linux). Restart Docker Desktop (Windows/macOS).
    • Podman: Configure rootless mode with podman system service.
  • Docker Compose or Compatible Wrapper
    • Included with Docker Desktop or as docker-compose-plugin.
    • For Podman: pip install podman-compose.
    • Verify: docker compose version or podman-compose --version.
  • GNU Make
    • macOS: brew install make.
    • Linux: sudo apt-get install make or sudo dnf install make.
    • Windows: Install via Chocolatey (choco install make) or use WSL2.
    • Verify: make --version.
  • (Optional) uv, ruff, mypy, isort
    • Install: pip install uv ruff mypy isort.
    • Usage: Run ruff check . or mypy . for linting/type checking.
  • Node.js and npm (for UI linters)
    • Install from nodejs.org.
    • Verify: node --version and npm --version.
    • Install linters: npm install -g eslint stylelint.
  • (Optional)Visual Studio Code and useful plugins

OS-Specific Setup

macOS

  • Installation:
    • Install Homebrew: /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)".
    • Run: brew install python docker make node.
  • Apple Silicon: Use Docker Desktop with ARM64 support. Homebrew handles architecture natively.
  • Troubleshooting: Ensure Rosetta 2 is installed for Intel-based tools if needed (softwareupdate --install-rosetta).

Linux

  • Installation:
    • Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install python3 docker.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin make nodejs npm.
    • Fedora: sudo dnf install python3 docker docker-buildx docker-compose make nodejs npm.
  • Permissions: Add user to docker group: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER, then reboot.
  • Troubleshooting: Use systemctl start docker if the service isn't running.

Windows

  • Recommended: WSL2
    • Install WSL2 and Ubuntu: wsl --install.
    • Install Docker Desktop with WSL2 integration.
  • File Paths and Volume Mounting
    • Use forward slashes (e.g., /f/All/ibm/mcp-forge/mcp-context-forge).
    • Avoid spaces/special characters; use absolute paths in docker run -v.
  • Podman in WSL2
    • Install: sudo apt-get install podman in WSL2.
    • Port exposure: Use podman system service and configure firewall (sudo ufw allow 4444).
  • Windows Terminal
    • Install from Microsoft Store. set WSL2 as default profile.
  • Make Alternatives
    • Use WSL2's make or install via Chocolatey (choco install make).

Common Gotchas

Docker Socket Permissions

  • Problem: You may encounter "permission denied while connecting to the Docker daemon" if your user lacks access to the Docker socket.
  • Fix:
    • Linux: Add your user to the docker group with sudo usermod -aG docker $USER, then log out and log back in. Verify with docker ps.
    • Windows/macOS: Restart Docker Desktop from the system tray or settings menu.
  • Troubleshooting: If the issue persists, ensure the Docker service is running (systemctl status docker on Linux) or reinstall Docker Desktop.

.venv Activation Across Shells

  • Problem: The virtual environment (.venv) may not activate automatically when opening new terminal sessions.
  • Fix:
    • Activate: Use source .venv/bin/activate (Linux/macOS) or .venv\Scripts\activate (Windows) for each session.
    • Persist: Add to your shell profile (e.g., echo "source ./.venv/bin/activate" >> ~/.bashrc for Bash on Linux). Replace . with the relative path to your .venv if different.
  • Troubleshooting: Verify activation with which python (should point to .venv/bin/python); deactivate with deactivate if needed.

Port 4444 Already in Use

  • Problem: Port 4444, used by the MCP Gateway and MkDocs, may be occupied by another process, causing conflicts.
  • Fix:
    • Check: Run netstat -aon | findstr :4444 (Windows) or ss -tuln | grep 4444 (Linux) to identify the process ID (PID).
    • Resolve: Use a different port for MkDocs with mkdocs serve --dev-addr=127.0.0.1:8001, or stop the conflicting process (e.g., taskkill /PID <PID> on Windows or kill <PID> on Linux).
  • Troubleshooting: If unsure which process to stop, check with docker ps (if a container) or review running services.

Snippet Examples

Set Up and Serve Documentation

# Build docs in an isolated environment
cd docs
make venv          # first run only; installs MkDocs + plugins
make serve         # http://127.0.0.1:8000 with live reload

Signing commits

To ensure commit integrity and comply with the DCO, sign your commits with a Signed-off-by trailer. Configure your Git settings:

# ~/.gitconfig
[user]
    name = Your Name
    email = your-exail@example.com

[init]
    defaultBranch = main  # Use 'main' instead of 'master' when creating new repos

[core]
    autocrlf = input       # On commit: convert CRLF to LF (Windows → Linux)
                           # On checkout: leave LF alone (no conversion)
    eol = lf               # Ensure all files in the repo use LF internally

[alias]
    cm = commit -s -m      # Short alias: 'git cm "message"' creates signed-off commit
    ca = commit --amend -s # Amend last commit and ensure it has a Signed-off-by trailer

[commit]
    template = ~/.git-commit-template
  • Setup: Replace Your Name and your-exail@example.com with your details.
  • Signing: Use git cm "Your message" to create signed commits automatically with the configured alias.
  • Sign-off: Use git commit -s -m "Your message" for manual signed commits without the alias.