---
title: 'Getting Started with Development'
description: 'Learn how to set up your development environment for MCPHub'
---

# Getting Started with Development

This guide will help you set up your development environment for contributing to MCPHub.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

- **Node.js** (version 18 or higher)
- **pnpm** (recommended package manager)
- **Git**
- **Docker** (optional, for containerized development)

## Setting Up the Development Environment

### 1. Clone the Repository

```bash
git clone https://github.com/your-username/mcphub.git
cd mcphub
```

### 2. Install Dependencies

```bash
pnpm install
```

### 3. Environment Configuration

Create a `.env` file in the root directory:

```bash
cp .env.example .env
```

Configure the following environment variables:

```env
# Server Configuration
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

# Database Configuration
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/mcphub

# JWT Configuration
JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=24h

# OpenAI Configuration (for smart routing)
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
```

### 4. Database Setup

If using PostgreSQL, create a database:

```bash
createdb mcphub
```

### 5. MCP Server Configuration

Create or modify `mcp_settings.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fetch": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-fetch"]
    },
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest", "--headless"]
    }
  }
}
```

## Development Workflow

### Running the Development Server

Start both backend and frontend in development mode:

```bash
pnpm dev
```

This will start:

- Backend server on `http://localhost:3000`
- Frontend development server on `http://localhost:5173`

### Running Backend Only

```bash
pnpm backend:dev
```

### Running Frontend Only

```bash
pnpm frontend:dev
```

### Building the Project

Build both backend and frontend:

```bash
pnpm build
```

## Project Structure

```
mcphub/
├── src/                    # Backend source code
│   ├── controllers/        # Express controllers
│   ├── routes/            # API routes
│   ├── services/          # Business logic
│   ├── models/            # Database models
│   └── utils/             # Utility functions
├── frontend/              # Frontend React application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/    # React components
│   │   ├── pages/         # Page components
│   │   ├── services/      # API services
│   │   └── utils/         # Frontend utilities
├── docs/                  # Documentation
├── bin/                   # CLI scripts
└── scripts/               # Build and utility scripts
```

## Development Tools

### Linting and Formatting

```bash
# Run ESLint
pnpm lint

# Format code with Prettier
pnpm format
```

### Testing

```bash
# Run tests
pnpm test

# Run tests in watch mode
pnpm test --watch
```

### Debugging

To debug the backend with Node.js inspector:

```bash
pnpm backend:debug
```

Then attach your debugger to `http://localhost:9229`.

## Making Changes

### Backend Development

1. **Controllers**: Handle HTTP requests and responses
2. **Services**: Implement business logic
3. **Models**: Define database schemas
4. **Routes**: Define API endpoints

### Frontend Development

1. **Components**: Reusable React components
2. **Pages**: Route-specific components
3. **Services**: API communication
4. **Hooks**: Custom React hooks

### Adding New MCP Servers

1. Update `mcp_settings.json` with the new server configuration
2. Test the server integration
3. Update documentation if needed

## Common Development Tasks

### Adding a New API Endpoint

1. Create a controller in `src/controllers/`
2. Define the route in `src/routes/`
3. Add any necessary middleware
4. Write tests for the new endpoint

### Adding a New Frontend Feature

1. Create components in `frontend/src/components/`
2. Add routes if needed
3. Implement API integration
4. Style with Tailwind CSS

### Database Migrations

When modifying database schemas:

1. Update models in `src/models/`
2. Create migration scripts if using TypeORM
3. Test migrations locally

## Troubleshooting

### Common Issues

**Port conflicts**: Ensure ports 3000 and 5173 are available

**Database connection**: Verify PostgreSQL is running and credentials are correct

**MCP server startup**: Check server configurations in `mcp_settings.json`

**Permission issues**: Ensure MCP servers have necessary permissions

### Getting Help

- Check the [Contributing Guide](/development/contributing)
- Review [Architecture Documentation](/development/architecture)
- Open an issue on GitHub for bugs
- Join our community discussions

## Next Steps

- Read the [Architecture Overview](/development/architecture)
- Learn about [Contributing Guidelines](/development/contributing)
- Explore [Configuration Options](/configuration/environment-variables)