Claude Desktop - Installation Guide¶

Claude Desktop is the native macOS desktop application. Installing the F5 XC Cloud Status MCP server requires editing a configuration file and restarting the application.

Prerequisites¶

Before starting, ensure you have: - Claude Desktop installed (available from https://claude.ai/desktop) - Node.js 18.0.0 or higher (node --version) - npm installed (comes with Node.js)

Installation¶

Step 1: Backup Configuration¶

First, create a backup of your existing configuration:

cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json.backup

Step 2: Edit Configuration File¶

Open the Claude Desktop configuration file:

# macOS
vim ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Or use your preferred editor
code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Step 3: Add MCP Server Configuration¶

Add the F5 XC Cloud Status server to the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "f5xc-cloudstatus": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@robinmordasiewicz/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp@latest"]
    }
  },
  "preferences": {
    "quickEntryDictationShortcut": "capslock"
  }
}

Step 4: Verify JSON Syntax¶

Before restarting, verify the JSON is valid:

python -m json.tool ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

You should see no errors. If there are syntax errors, fix them before proceeding.

Step 5: Restart Claude Desktop¶

Completely close and restart Claude Desktop:

# Close Claude Desktop
pkill -f "Claude" || killall Claude

# Or manually: Cmd+Q or menu → Claude → Quit Claude

# Then relaunch the application
open -a Claude

Wait for Claude Desktop to fully start (watch for the tray icon to appear).

Verification¶

Method 1: New Conversation¶

1. Create a new conversation in Claude Desktop
2. Try this prompt:

   "What is the current status of F5 Cloud services?"
   

3. You should see F5 Cloud status in the response

Method 2: Check Available Tools¶

Look at the available tools list (usually shown in the chat interface) and verify f5xc-cloudstatus appears.

Step 3: Command Line Verification¶

# Test the package directly
npx @robinmordasiewicz/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp@latest --version

# You should see version information if successful

Quick Test Prompts¶

After installation, try these prompts to verify all tools work:

Basic Status Check:

Prompt: "What is the current status of F5 Cloud services?"
Expected: Overall status, operational indicator, timestamp
Response Time: < 5 seconds

Component Listing:

Prompt: "Show me all F5 Cloud service components"
Expected: 100+ components organized by category
Response Time: < 5 seconds

Incident Check:

Prompt: "Are there any active incidents affecting F5 Cloud?"
Expected: Active incidents or confirmation of no issues
Response Time: < 5 seconds

Complete Configuration Example¶

Here's what your complete configuration file should look like:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "f5xc-cloudstatus": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@robinmordasiewicz/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp@latest"]
    }
  },
  "preferences": {
    "quickEntryDictationShortcut": "capslock"
  }
}

Multiple MCP Servers¶

You can configure multiple MCP servers in the same file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "f5xc-cloudstatus": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@robinmordasiewicz/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp@latest"]
    },
    "other-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "other-mcp-package"]
    }
  },
  "preferences": {
    "quickEntryDictationShortcut": "capslock"
  }
}

Using Local Development Build¶

If you're developing the MCP server locally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "f5xc-cloudstatus": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp with your actual project path.

Configuration Reference¶

Troubleshooting¶

"npx: command not found"¶

• Cause: Node.js or npm not properly installed
• Solution: Install Node.js from https://nodejs.org (v18.0.0+)
• Verify: Run npm --version

"Cannot find module '@robinmordasiewicz/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp'"¶

• Cause: Package not on npm registry or network issue
• Solution: Check internet connection, run npm cache clean --force, then retry
• Verify: Run npm search @robinmordasiewicz/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp

"Invalid JSON syntax"¶

• Cause: Missing commas, quotes, or brackets in config file
• Solution: Validate JSON:

  python -m json.tool ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  

• Fix: Edit file and correct syntax errors

Server not appearing after restart¶

• Cause: Configuration file not properly saved or syntax error
• Solution:
• Verify JSON is valid: python -m json.tool ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Check file was saved: cat ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json | grep f5xc-cloudstatus
• Fully restart Claude Desktop (not just window)
• Check that Node.js can execute the package: npx @robinmordasiewicz/f5xc-cloudstatus-mcp@latest --version
• Verify: After restart, look for error messages in Claude Desktop

"EACCES: permission denied"¶

• Cause: Node.js modules directory permission issue
• Solution: Fix npm permissions: https://docs.npmjs.com/resolving-eacces-permissions-errors-when-installing-packages-globally
• Verify: Run npm list -g without sudo

Recovery¶

If something goes wrong, restore from your backup:

# Restore backup
cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json.backup ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Restart Claude Desktop
pkill -f "Claude" || killall Claude
open -a Claude

Configuration Paths by Platform¶

macOS¶

Configuration: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Backup location: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json.backup

Windows¶

Configuration: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Backup location: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json.backup

Linux¶

Note: Claude Desktop is only available for macOS and Windows

Uninstallation¶

To remove the F5 XC Cloud Status MCP server:

1. Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
2. Remove the f5xc-cloudstatus block from the mcpServers object
3. Verify JSON is valid
4. Restart Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    // f5xc-cloudstatus block removed
  },
  "preferences": {
    "quickEntryDictationShortcut": "capslock"
  }
}

Comparison with Other Platforms¶

Next Steps¶

• Review Troubleshooting Guide if issues arise
• Check Home for tool descriptions and verification queries

Installation Time: ~3-5 minutes (includes restart) Difficulty Level: Easy Restart Required: Yes Last Updated: January 2026