Agent Setup Guide

This guide explains how to set up AI coding agents to work with the responsible-vibe-mcp server.

Overview

The responsible-vibe-mcp server requires proper integration with an AI coding agent. The agent needs:

1. System Prompt Configuration: Instructions on how to use the MCP tools
2. MCP Server Connection: Configuration to connect to the responsible-vibe-mcp server
3. Tool Permissions: Access to call the necessary MCP tools

Quick Setup (Recommended)

Use the automated configuration generator for your preferred agent:

Amazon Q CLI

npx responsible-vibe-mcp --generate-config amazonq-cli

Creates: .amazonq/cli-agents/vibe.json

Claude Code

npx responsible-vibe-mcp --generate-config claude

Creates: CLAUDE.md, .mcp.json, settings.json

Gemini CLI

npx responsible-vibe-mcp --generate-config gemini

Creates: settings.json, GEMINI.md

Manual Setup

If you prefer manual configuration or use a different agent:

Step 1: Get the System Prompt

npx responsible-vibe-mcp --system-prompt

Copy the output and configure it in your AI agent as the system prompt or rules.

Step 2: Configure MCP Server Connection

Add the responsible-vibe-mcp server to your agent's MCP configuration:

For Claude Desktop (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "responsible-vibe-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["responsible-vibe-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

For Amazon Q (.amazonq/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "responsible-vibe-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["responsible-vibe-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Configure Tool Permissions

Ensure your agent has permission to call these essential tools:

• whats_next
• start_development
• proceed_to_phase
• conduct_review
• list_workflows
• get_tool_info

Agent-Specific Instructions

Amazon Q CLI

Automated Setup:

npx responsible-vibe-mcp --generate-config amazonq-cli

Manual Setup:

1. Create .amazonq/cli-agents/vibe.json:

{
  "name": "Vibe Development Assistant",
  "systemPrompt": "[paste system prompt here]",
  "mcpServers": {
    "responsible-vibe-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["responsible-vibe-mcp"]
    }
  },
  "allowedTools": [
    "responsible-vibe-mcp___whats_next",
    "responsible-vibe-mcp___start_development",
    "responsible-vibe-mcp___proceed_to_phase",
    "responsible-vibe-mcp___conduct_review",
    "responsible-vibe-mcp___list_workflows",
    "responsible-vibe-mcp___get_tool_info"
  ]
}

2. Use the agent:

q chat --agent vibe

Claude Desktop

Automated Setup:

npx responsible-vibe-mcp --generate-config claude

Manual Setup:

1. Add system prompt to Claude's custom instructions
2. Configure MCP server in claude_desktop_config.json
3. Restart Claude Desktop

Claude Code (VS Code Extension)

Automated Setup:

npx responsible-vibe-mcp --generate-config claude

Manual Setup:

1. Create .mcp.json with server configuration
2. Create CLAUDE.md with system prompt as rules
3. Configure VS Code settings if needed

Gemini CLI

Automated Setup:

npx responsible-vibe-mcp --generate-config gemini

Manual Setup:

1. Configure system prompt in Gemini settings
2. Set up MCP server connection
3. Ensure tool permissions are granted

Custom Project Path

To use a different project directory, set the PROJECT_PATH environment variable:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "responsible-vibe-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["responsible-vibe-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PROJECT_PATH": "/path/to/your/project"
      }
    }
  }
}

Verification

After setup, verify the integration works:

1. Start a conversation with your AI agent
2. Ask for development help: "Help me implement a new feature"
3. Check for tool calls: The agent should automatically call whats_next()
4. Verify plan file creation: Look for .vibe/development-plan-*.md files

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Agent doesn't call MCP tools:

• Verify system prompt is configured correctly
• Check MCP server connection in agent settings
• Ensure tool permissions are granted

"Tool not found" errors:

• Verify MCP server is running (npx responsible-vibe-mcp works)
• Check server configuration in agent settings
• Restart your agent/IDE

System prompt not working:

• Use exact output from --system-prompt command
• Don't modify the system prompt text
• Ensure it's configured as system prompt, not user message

Project path issues:

• Verify PROJECT_PATH environment variable if using custom path
• Ensure the path exists and is writable
• Check file permissions

Getting Help

1. Check server status: Run npx responsible-vibe-mcp directly to test
2. Verify configuration: Use --generate-config to create fresh config
3. Review logs: Check your agent's logs for MCP-related errors
4. Test with MCP Inspector: Use npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector for debugging

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Projects

You can set up different configurations for different projects by using different PROJECT_PATH values or creating separate agent configurations.

Custom Workflows

If you have custom workflows in .vibe/workflow.yaml, the system will automatically detect and use them.

Development vs Production

For development/testing, you can run the MCP server directly:

npx responsible-vibe-mcp

For production use, the agent will automatically spawn the server as needed.

Next Steps

Once your agent is set up:

1. Read How It Works to understand the development flow
2. Try a simple feature: Ask your agent to help implement something small
3. Explore workflows: Use list_workflows to see available development approaches
4. Check examples: Review the comprehensive examples in the documentation

The agent will guide you through structured development workflows, maintaining project context and helping you build features systematically.