> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://usemci.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Get started with MCI

No installation needed! Run MCI directly using `uvx`

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Install uv if you haven't already">
    `bash curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh `
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

1. **Initialize a new project**:

   ```bash theme={null}
   uvx mcix install
   ```

   This creates `mci.json` with example tools and `mci/` directory with example toolsets.

2. **List your tools**:

   ```bash theme={null}
   uvx mcix list
   uvx mcix list --file copilot.mci.json
   ```

   Example output:

   <img src="https://mintcdn.com/modelcontextinterface/uXS-2u35kha1nc5o/assets/list-output.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=uXS-2u35kha1nc5o&q=85&s=2ade0951c44974617b4db7c2526b398c" alt="alt text" width="429" height="112" data-path="assets/list-output.png" />

3. **Validate your configuration**:

   ```bash theme={null}
   uvx mcix validate
   ```

4. **Run an MCP server**:

   ```bash theme={null}
   uvx mcix run
   ```

   Example from VS Code:

   <img src="https://mintcdn.com/modelcontextinterface/uXS-2u35kha1nc5o/assets/vscode-mcp.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=uXS-2u35kha1nc5o&q=85&s=d9af9014530fd943d594d56bf239e0bc" alt="alt text" width="300" height="210" data-path="assets/vscode-mcp.png" />

That's it! Your MCI tools are now available via the MCP protocol.

### Optional: Install MCI Globally

If you prefer to install MCI permanently:

```bash theme={null}
# Install globally with uv
uv tool install mcix

# Then use without uvx prefix
mcix install
mcix list
mcix run
```

Or install from source:

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/Model-Context-Interface/mci-uvx.git
cd mci-uvx
uv sync --all-extras
uv tool install --editable .
```

## Next Steps

Now that you have MCI set up, explore these core concepts:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Commands" icon="terminal" href="/documentation/commands">
    Learn about all available MCI commands and their options.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tools" icon="wrench" href="/documentation/tools">
    Understand how to define and use tools in your MCI configuration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Toolsets" icon="cubes" href="/documentation/toolsets">
    Organize your tools into reusable toolsets.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP Servers" icon="server" href="/documentation/mcp_servers">
    Learn how MCI integrates with the Model Context Protocol.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>