retoor
251c3dc2ba
- wire spec: lifecycle, stdio + Streamable HTTP transports, tools, utilities, legacy SSE, versioning, changelog (14 Tier 1) - client ecosystem: Claude Code/VS Code/Cursor/Codex configs, mcp-remote, Smithery, registries, Glama (12 Tier 1) - security/ops: authorization draft, trust model, poisoning, rug pulls, production hardening (12 Tier 1) + 68 Tier 2 cards - conclusions: minimal stdlib client on 2025-11-25, normalizer + resolver agent for pasted configs/GitHub URLs, untrusted-until- consent trust model; nothing built yet - audit PASS (14 subjects, 797 sources, 32 conclusions)
55 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
55 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
# VS Code: MCP configuration reference
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## Metadata
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| Field | Value |
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| Institute | Molodetz Institute - Research and Retrieval Division |
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| Subject | mcp-client-support |
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| Document type | Source Dossier |
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| Tier | 1 |
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| Source title | MCP configuration reference |
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| Source URL | https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/agents/reference/mcp-configuration |
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| Source publisher / author | Microsoft |
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| Source type | vendor docs |
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| Source date (published) | Unknown, not stated (living doc) |
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| Date researched | 2026-10-18 |
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| Researched by | tai (agent), model: Claude Sonnet 5, on behalf of retoor |
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| Research method | gather-subagent direct page fetch, parent synthesis from evidence pack |
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| Confidence | High |
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| Status | Active |
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## Summary
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Microsoft's field-level reference for VS Code MCP configuration. It covers the secrets story (input variables with secure storage plus `envFile`), entry shapes that mirror the task doc under both wrapper keys, enable/disable state kept out of shared files, and the `chat.mcp.autostart` setting with its three modes.
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## Key findings
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- Secrets via input variables: "When you reference an input variable using `${input:variable-id}`, VS Code prompts you for the value when the server starts for the first time. The value is then securely stored"; plus `envFile` ("Path to an environment file", e.g. `"${workspaceFolder}/.env"`).
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- Same server entry works under either wrapper key; docs show identical `{"type": "http", "url": ...}` and `{"command": "npx", "args": [...]}` examples under `mcpServers` and under `servers`.
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- "You can enable or disable an MCP server globally or for a specific workspace... The enable/disable state is stored separately from the server configuration in `mcp.json`, so it does not affect shared configuration files."
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- `chat.mcp.autostart` (`never`/`onlyNew`/`newAndOutdated`) controls editor autostart; "Disabled servers and servers in an error state are excluded from the autostart pass."
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- Workspace `.vscode/mcp.json` (top-level `servers`) is the location for "input variables, development mode, and per-server sandboxing", while workspace `.mcp.json` (top-level `mcpServers`) is "Preferred for configurations that you share with your team".
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## Pros / strengths
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- Gives the two secret idioms (`${input:}` prompting with secure storage, `envFile` path) as concrete fields a resolver can detect and rewrite.
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- Autostart modes and the disabled/error exclusion rule are stated exactly, grounding editor-behavior claims.
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- Pairs with the task doc (Add and manage MCP servers) so the overview and the field reference corroborate each other.
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## Cons / limitations / caveats
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- Living doc with no publish date; field details could drift without notice.
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- Whether VS Code supports `${env:VAR}` interpolation remains unresolved (only seen in an unopened mirror's table; Microsoft's own pages document `${input:}` and `envFile`).
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- Documents VS Code conventions only; the `${input:}` idiom has no direct counterpart in Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex configs.
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## Relevance to tai
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Gives the exact `${input:}`/`envFile` syntax tai must translate when importing VS Code configs, and confirms wrapper-key interchangeability plus out-of-band enable/disable state that an importer should not try to preserve in the resolved entry.
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## Changelog
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| Date | Change |
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| 2026-10-18 | Initial dossier created. |
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