MCP Bundle (.mcpb) Install

An MCP Bundle (.mcpb, formerly DXT) lets a desktop app such as Claude Desktop register this server from a single file instead of hand-editing a JSON config.

Scope and honesty

This bundle is a configuration convenience, not a fully self-contained one-click install. It carries only the manifest and icon — it does not embed KiCad, uv, or the server code. Specifically:

• KiCad must already be installed (the server shells out to kicad-cli).
• uv must be installed; the bundle launches uvx kicad-mcp-pro, which resolves and caches the published package on first run (needs network the first time).
• It always tracks the published kicad-mcp-pro release, so there is no bundled-code drift.

If you would rather not install a bundle, the manual config in Claude Desktop Integration does exactly the same thing.

Install

1. Download kicad-mcp-pro.mcpb (built from packaging/mcpb/, attached to releases where available).
2. Open your desktop app's extensions/MCP settings and install the .mcpb file.
3. Restart the app and confirm the kicad server appears.

Build it yourself

corepack pnpm run mcpb:validate   # schema + icon check
corepack pnpm run mcpb:pack       # writes dist/kicad-mcp-pro.mcpb

The manifest lives at packaging/mcpb/manifest.json. Its version field is kept in sync with the package version by release-please, so it never drifts.

Verification

kicad-mcp-pro doctor --agent claude-desktop

Then ask the agent: "Use the kicad MCP server to inspect the current project." For environment variables (project dir, profile, operating mode) and troubleshooting, see Claude Desktop Integration.