DEV Community: GrahamduesCN

3 MCP servers I actually use daily (and how to set them up)

GrahamduesCN — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:00:03 +0000

Not a hype list. These are the three MCP servers I have running right now in Claude Desktop.

1. Filesystem

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

I use this to let Claude read project files directly instead of me copy-pasting code. Configure it to point at your project root.

Real usage: "Read the auth module and explain how the token validation works."

2. GitHub

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

Lets Claude check issues, read PRs, and browse repos. I use it for code reviews.

Real usage: "Check what changed in the last 3 PRs and summarize."

3. PostgreSQL

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Direct database access from Claude. I run queries without leaving the conversation.

Real usage: "Show me users who signed up this week but haven't logged in."

Setup

Each one takes 2 minutes:

mcp-hub install <server>
# Add to claude_desktop_config.json
# Restart Claude Desktop

Warning

The filesystem server can read your entire disk if you configure it that way. Be careful with paths.

All servers verified on npm. mcp-hub CLI to discover more.

MCP in 2026: The numbers behind the ecosystem explosion

GrahamduesCN — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:00:03 +0000

I spent an afternoon digging through the MCP ecosystem numbers. Here is what I found.

The numbers

13,000+ MCP servers on npm and GitHub (as of May 2026)
97 million monthly SDK downloads — that is 3x from 6 months ago
400% YoY growth in new server registrations
Anthropic official servers reach 48,500 downloads/month for filesystem alone

What this means

MCP is not just a protocol anymore. It is becoming the standard way to give AI models access to tools — databases, APIs, file systems, everything.

But here is the gap: discovery. Finding the right MCP server is still painful. You search npm with guesswork or dig through folders on GitHub.

What I built

npm install -g mcp-hub
mcp-hub search database
mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Six commands. Five official servers in the registry. Real packages, verified on npm.

What is next

Private registries for enterprise teams
Community submissions (open an issue if you want your server added)
CI/CD integration for auto-publishing MCP servers

GitHub: GrahamduesCN/mcp-platform

June 09, 2026 — update on MCP ecosystem growth.

How to build your first MCP server in 10 minutes

GrahamduesCN — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 18:00:03 +0000

I built my first MCP server last week and it was way simpler than I expected. Here is exactly how, no fluff.

Prerequisites

Node.js 20+
10 minutes

Step 1: Scaffold

npx create-mcp-server my-first-server
cd my-first-server
npm install

This generates a complete TypeScript project with one example tool.

Step 2: Add your tool

Open src/index.ts. Replace the hello tool with whatever you want:

server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (request) => {
  const { name, arguments: args } = request.params;

  if (name === 'current_time') {
    return {
      content: [{ type: 'text', text: new Date().toISOString() }]
    };
  }

  throw new Error(`Unknown tool: ${name}`);
});

Step 3: Build and connect

npm run build
npm start

Add to Claude Desktop config and you are done.

The whole thing took me 8 minutes. Most of that was reading the docs.

What I learned

The MCP SDK handles all the transport layer — you just define tools
StdioServerTransport means your server runs as a subprocess. No HTTP, no port conflicts
Error handling is important. If your tool crashes, the whole MCP connection breaks

Want to try it?

npm install -g mcp-hub
mcp-hub search mcp

Built with mcp-hub. If this helps, buy me a coffee.

3 MCP servers I actually use daily (and how to set them up)

GrahamduesCN — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 18:00:03 +0000

Not a hype list. These are the three MCP servers I have running right now in Claude Desktop.

1. Filesystem

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

I use this to let Claude read project files directly instead of me copy-pasting code. Configure it to point at your project root.

Real usage: "Read the auth module and explain how the token validation works."

2. GitHub

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

Lets Claude check issues, read PRs, and browse repos. I use it for code reviews.

Real usage: "Check what changed in the last 3 PRs and summarize."

3. PostgreSQL

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Direct database access from Claude. I run queries without leaving the conversation.

Real usage: "Show me users who signed up this week but haven't logged in."

Setup

Each one takes 2 minutes:

mcp-hub install <server>
# Add to claude_desktop_config.json
# Restart Claude Desktop

Warning

The filesystem server can read your entire disk if you configure it that way. Be careful with paths.

All servers verified on npm. mcp-hub CLI to discover more.

MCP in 2026: The numbers behind the ecosystem explosion

GrahamduesCN — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:00:03 +0000

I spent an afternoon digging through the MCP ecosystem numbers. Here is what I found.

The numbers

13,000+ MCP servers on npm and GitHub (as of May 2026)
97 million monthly SDK downloads — that is 3x from 6 months ago
400% YoY growth in new server registrations
Anthropic official servers reach 48,500 downloads/month for filesystem alone

What this means

MCP is not just a protocol anymore. It is becoming the standard way to give AI models access to tools — databases, APIs, file systems, everything.

But here is the gap: discovery. Finding the right MCP server is still painful. You search npm with guesswork or dig through folders on GitHub.

What I built

npm install -g mcp-hub
mcp-hub search database
mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Six commands. Five official servers in the registry. Real packages, verified on npm.

What is next

Private registries for enterprise teams
Community submissions (open an issue if you want your server added)
CI/CD integration for auto-publishing MCP servers

GitHub: GrahamduesCN/mcp-platform

June 06, 2026 — update on MCP ecosystem growth.

How to build your first MCP server in 10 minutes

GrahamduesCN — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:00:02 +0000

I built my first MCP server last week and it was way simpler than I expected. Here is exactly how, no fluff.

Prerequisites

Node.js 20+
10 minutes

Step 1: Scaffold

npx create-mcp-server my-first-server
cd my-first-server
npm install

This generates a complete TypeScript project with one example tool.

Step 2: Add your tool

Open src/index.ts. Replace the hello tool with whatever you want:

server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (request) => {
  const { name, arguments: args } = request.params;

  if (name === 'current_time') {
    return {
      content: [{ type: 'text', text: new Date().toISOString() }]
    };
  }

  throw new Error(`Unknown tool: ${name}`);
});

Step 3: Build and connect

npm run build
npm start

Add to Claude Desktop config and you are done.

The whole thing took me 8 minutes. Most of that was reading the docs.

What I learned

The MCP SDK handles all the transport layer — you just define tools
StdioServerTransport means your server runs as a subprocess. No HTTP, no port conflicts
Error handling is important. If your tool crashes, the whole MCP connection breaks

Want to try it?

npm install -g mcp-hub
mcp-hub search mcp

Built with mcp-hub. If this helps, buy me a coffee.

3 MCP servers I actually use daily (and how to set them up)

GrahamduesCN — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:00:03 +0000

Not a hype list. These are the three MCP servers I have running right now in Claude Desktop.

1. Filesystem

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

I use this to let Claude read project files directly instead of me copy-pasting code. Configure it to point at your project root.

Real usage: "Read the auth module and explain how the token validation works."

2. GitHub

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

Lets Claude check issues, read PRs, and browse repos. I use it for code reviews.

Real usage: "Check what changed in the last 3 PRs and summarize."

3. PostgreSQL

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Direct database access from Claude. I run queries without leaving the conversation.

Real usage: "Show me users who signed up this week but haven't logged in."

Setup

Each one takes 2 minutes:

mcp-hub install <server>
# Add to claude_desktop_config.json
# Restart Claude Desktop

Warning

The filesystem server can read your entire disk if you configure it that way. Be careful with paths.

All servers verified on npm. mcp-hub CLI to discover more.

MCP in 2026: The numbers behind the ecosystem explosion

GrahamduesCN — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:00:03 +0000

I spent an afternoon digging through the MCP ecosystem numbers. Here is what I found.

The numbers

13,000+ MCP servers on npm and GitHub (as of May 2026)
97 million monthly SDK downloads — that is 3x from 6 months ago
400% YoY growth in new server registrations
Anthropic official servers reach 48,500 downloads/month for filesystem alone

What this means

MCP is not just a protocol anymore. It is becoming the standard way to give AI models access to tools — databases, APIs, file systems, everything.

But here is the gap: discovery. Finding the right MCP server is still painful. You search npm with guesswork or dig through folders on GitHub.

What I built

npm install -g mcp-hub
mcp-hub search database
mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Six commands. Five official servers in the registry. Real packages, verified on npm.

What is next

Private registries for enterprise teams
Community submissions (open an issue if you want your server added)
CI/CD integration for auto-publishing MCP servers

GitHub: GrahamduesCN/mcp-platform

June 03, 2026 — update on MCP ecosystem growth.

How to build your first MCP server in 10 minutes

GrahamduesCN — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:00:04 +0000

I built my first MCP server last week and it was way simpler than I expected. Here is exactly how, no fluff.

Prerequisites

Node.js 20+
10 minutes

Step 1: Scaffold

npx create-mcp-server my-first-server
cd my-first-server
npm install

This generates a complete TypeScript project with one example tool.

Step 2: Add your tool

Open src/index.ts. Replace the hello tool with whatever you want:

server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (request) => {
  const { name, arguments: args } = request.params;

  if (name === 'current_time') {
    return {
      content: [{ type: 'text', text: new Date().toISOString() }]
    };
  }

  throw new Error(`Unknown tool: ${name}`);
});

Step 3: Build and connect

npm run build
npm start

Add to Claude Desktop config and you are done.

The whole thing took me 8 minutes. Most of that was reading the docs.

What I learned

The MCP SDK handles all the transport layer — you just define tools
StdioServerTransport means your server runs as a subprocess. No HTTP, no port conflicts
Error handling is important. If your tool crashes, the whole MCP connection breaks

Want to try it?

npm install -g mcp-hub
mcp-hub search mcp

Built with mcp-hub. If this helps, buy me a coffee.

3 MCP servers I actually use daily (and how to set them up)

GrahamduesCN — Sun, 31 May 2026 18:00:03 +0000

Not a hype list. These are the three MCP servers I have running right now in Claude Desktop.

1. Filesystem

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

I use this to let Claude read project files directly instead of me copy-pasting code. Configure it to point at your project root.

Real usage: "Read the auth module and explain how the token validation works."

2. GitHub

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

Lets Claude check issues, read PRs, and browse repos. I use it for code reviews.

Real usage: "Check what changed in the last 3 PRs and summarize."

3. PostgreSQL

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Direct database access from Claude. I run queries without leaving the conversation.

Real usage: "Show me users who signed up this week but haven't logged in."

Setup

Each one takes 2 minutes:

mcp-hub install <server>
# Add to claude_desktop_config.json
# Restart Claude Desktop

Warning

The filesystem server can read your entire disk if you configure it that way. Be careful with paths.

All servers verified on npm. mcp-hub CLI to discover more.

MCP in 2026: The numbers behind the ecosystem explosion

GrahamduesCN — Sat, 30 May 2026 18:00:03 +0000

I spent an afternoon digging through the MCP ecosystem numbers. Here is what I found.

The numbers

13,000+ MCP servers on npm and GitHub (as of May 2026)
97 million monthly SDK downloads — that is 3x from 6 months ago
400% YoY growth in new server registrations
Anthropic official servers reach 48,500 downloads/month for filesystem alone

What this means

MCP is not just a protocol anymore. It is becoming the standard way to give AI models access to tools — databases, APIs, file systems, everything.

But here is the gap: discovery. Finding the right MCP server is still painful. You search npm with guesswork or dig through folders on GitHub.

What I built

npm install -g mcp-hub
mcp-hub search database
mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Six commands. Five official servers in the registry. Real packages, verified on npm.

What is next

Private registries for enterprise teams
Community submissions (open an issue if you want your server added)
CI/CD integration for auto-publishing MCP servers

GitHub: GrahamduesCN/mcp-platform

May 31, 2026 — update on MCP ecosystem growth.

How to build your first MCP server in 10 minutes

GrahamduesCN — Fri, 29 May 2026 18:00:02 +0000

I built my first MCP server last week and it was way simpler than I expected. Here is exactly how, no fluff.

Prerequisites

Node.js 20+
10 minutes

Step 1: Scaffold

npx create-mcp-server my-first-server
cd my-first-server
npm install

This generates a complete TypeScript project with one example tool.

Step 2: Add your tool

Open src/index.ts. Replace the hello tool with whatever you want:

server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (request) => {
  const { name, arguments: args } = request.params;

  if (name === 'current_time') {
    return {
      content: [{ type: 'text', text: new Date().toISOString() }]
    };
  }

  throw new Error(`Unknown tool: ${name}`);
});

Step 3: Build and connect

npm run build
npm start

Add to Claude Desktop config and you are done.

The whole thing took me 8 minutes. Most of that was reading the docs.

What I learned

The MCP SDK handles all the transport layer — you just define tools
StdioServerTransport means your server runs as a subprocess. No HTTP, no port conflicts
Error handling is important. If your tool crashes, the whole MCP connection breaks

Want to try it?

npm install -g mcp-hub
mcp-hub search mcp

Built with mcp-hub. If this helps, buy me a coffee.