MCP Setup

One command (Claude Code)

claude mcp add dna -- dna mcp

This registers dna mcp as a project-scoped MCP server in Claude Code. Restart the session once to pick it up, then ask: "Run the DNA setup checklist" — Claude will confirm the connection with a live status report.

Manual config (all IDEs)

Add the following to your IDE's MCP config file:

Claude Code — .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dna": {
      "command": "dna",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor — .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dna": {
      "command": "dna",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf — ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dna": {
      "command": "dna",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Setting the project root

By default, dna mcp uses the MCP client's workspace root, then the server process's own cwd. To pin it to a specific directory:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dna": {
      "command": "dna",
      "args": ["mcp", "--cwd=/path/to/your/project"]
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

dna mcp hangs when run in a terminal.

Expected. dna mcp starts a stdio MCP server — it holds the process open waiting for JSON-RPC messages from a client. There is no output to see in a terminal without a client attached. Use Ctrl+C to exit. Register it as an MCP server in your IDE instead.

Cannot find package '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk' when running dna mcp.

This only occurs on a local git clone of the monorepo where packages/dna hasn't been installed separately. It does not occur on a real npm install -g @calibrate-ds/dna. Fix with:

cd packages/dna
npm install

The AI isn't calling DNA tools automatically.

Check that dna start has been run — it auto-writes the cooperation instructions into CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md. If the file already existed before dna start, run dna start --force to backfill the instruction block.