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GitHub MCP Installation and Usage

This guide explains how to install and use the GitHub MCP server with ai-parrot.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js & npm: Required to run the MCP server.
  • GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT): Required for authentication.
    • Scopes needed: repo (all), user (read:user).
    • Can be created here.

Installation

We use the @modelcontextprotocol/server-github package.

To install it locally (without modifying package.json):

make install-github

This runs: npm install @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

Usage

You can use the GitHub MCP server in two modes:

  1. Local (Stdio): Uses npx to run the server process locally.
  2. Remote (Insiders): Connects to the GitHub Copilot MCP HTTP endpoint.

1. Local Mode (Stdio)

This mode runs the server as a subprocess. It requires npx to be available in your PATH.

Environment Setup: Set your PAT in the environment variables: 

export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=ghp_...

Code Example: 

# In your agent setup (e.g., in a bot wrapper or handler)

# Option A: Using environment variable (Recommended)
await agent.tool_manager.add_github_mcp()

# Option B: Passing token explicitly
await agent.tool_manager.add_github_mcp(
    personal_access_token="ghp_..."
)

2. Remote Mode (GitHub Insiders)

This mode connects to the remote MCP server hosted by GitHub Copilot. This is useful for "insiders" builds or when local node execution is restricted.

Code Example: 

# Basic usage (defaults: readonly=True, toolsets="repos,issues")
await agent.tool_manager.add_github_remote_mcp(
    personal_access_token="ghp_..."
)

# Advanced usage
await agent.tool_manager.add_github_remote_mcp(
    personal_access_token="ghp_...",
    toolsets=["repos", "issues", "code"],  # Enable code search
    readonly=False,                        # Allow write operations (e.g. creating issues)
    lockdown=False                         # Disable lockdown mode if needed
)

Configuration Options for Remote Mode

  • toolsets: List of activated toolsets. Common values: repos, issues, code, users.
  • readonly: If True (default), prevents modifying data.
  • lockdown: If True, restricts access further (server-side implementation specific).