# Quick Start

Deploy the MCP Drift State Tracker and integrate it with a coding client.

## Prerequisites

- **Node.js** >= 20.0.0 — [download](https://nodejs.org/) or use your package manager
- An MCP-compatible coding client

## 1. Install

```bash
git clone https://git.dcos.net/dcosnet/mcp-drift-state-tracker.git
cd mcp-drift-state-tracker
make
```

## 2. Verify with the MCP Inspector

Test the server in isolation before connecting a client. The Inspector provides
a sandboxed UI to invoke every tool (`scan_file`, `scan_workspace`,
`get_drift_report`, `reset_drift_state`) without a full orchestration stack.

```bash
make inspect
```

The Inspector opens at `http://localhost:6274`. Invoke tools, inspect responses,
and confirm the server parses your target language correctly.

## 3. Integration

### Claude Desktop / Claude Code

Add the following to `claude_desktop_config.json`:

- macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- Linux: `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-drift-state-tracker": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["${MCP_TRACKER_PATH}/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code (Continue.dev)

Add to VS Code `settings.json`:

```json
{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "mcp-drift-state-tracker": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["${MCP_TRACKER_PATH}/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}
```

### Development Mode

Skip the compile step and run directly from source:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-drift-state-tracker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "--package", "tsx",
        "tsx",
        "${MCP_TRACKER_PATH}/src/index.ts"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## 4. First Scan

Connect to the client and invoke a workspace scan:

```
scan_workspace /path/to/your/project
```

The server walks the directory tree, respects `globalIgnoreDirs` from
`language_profiles.json`, parses every recognized source file, and writes
results to `.mcp_drift_state.json` at the project root.

## 5. Read the Report

```
get_drift_report /path/to/your/project
```

The response contains a structured summary of every file's drift score, flagged
stubs, missing imports, and structural gaps.

## Next Steps

- Extend `language_profiles.json` with project-specific stub patterns or new languages
- Set service endpoints in `controller_config.json` to match your local deployment
- Integrate `scan_workspace` as a post-edit hook in CI pipelines
- See [BLOG.md](BLOG.md) for integration guides with Odysseus, Hermes, Open WebUI, Dify, and more