mcp-agent-sandbox

MCP Agent Python Starter (Built on MCP SDK)

A practical starter project using the [Model Context Protocol (MCP)] to demonstrate how to build local tool-using AI agents with Claude, LangChain, and Groq.

📚 Reference

This project is built on top of the official MCP Python SDK and follows the Model Context Protocol specification.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) – Python Implementation

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🧠 What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard developed by Anthropic to allow large language models (LLMs) to interact with external tools and environments. It introduces a communication method where the LLM acts as a "client" and interacts with tools via a "server" using a standardized transport layer like STDIO or SSE.

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🛠️ Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.11 or higher
• uv (package manager): Installation Guide
• Claude Desktop (for testing with MCP tools)
• Cursor (recommended editor for debugging)
• Basic understanding of:
  • JSON-based communication
  • LangChain
  • Python or TypeScript
  • MCP documentation: modelcontextprotocol.io

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📦 Dependencies

• mcp[cli] (via uv)
• langchain
• langchain_openai
• langchain_groq
• python-dotenv

📦 Installation

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/model-context-protocol.git
cd model-context-protocol

# Initialize environment using uv
uv init

# Create folders
mkdir server docs testcode

# Create and activate virtual environment
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

📄 Documentation Setup

• Download the MCP Python SDK README
• Save it in your docs/ folder.
• Load it into Claude Desktop and prompt it to generate a server and client using that reference.

✍️ Tip: Be specific in your prompts.

▶️ Running the Client

In a new terminal window:

source .venv/bin/activate  # Reactivate env
uv add mcp-use langchain langchain_groq python-dotenv

Create a .env file:

env
GROQ_API_KEY=your_groq_api_key  # Get from groq.com

Run the client:

uv run path/to/your_client_file.py

🧪 Testing with Claude
You can also install your tool config to Claude:

uv install mcp path/to/your_server_file.py

This creates a config file that lets Claude Desktop access your tool natively for use in prompts.

⚠️ Note: This project uses the open-source MCP SDK (MIT Licensed). This repository itself is for demonstration purposes and retains custom licensing. See LICENSE for terms.