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Configuring the MCP Server in LinearB

This article explains how to configure the LinearB MCP (Model Context Protocol) server using mcp-remote. Once configured, Claude Desktop can connect to the LinearB MCP server, allowing you to securely use LinearB-specific prompts and extended capabilities directly in Claude. The guide covers prerequisites, installation steps for different operating systems, configuration details, and how to access the Prompts panel in Claude Desktop.

Steven Silverstone
Updated by Steven Silverstone

This article describes how to configure the LinearB MCP (model context protocol) using mcp-remote, which enables Claude Desktop to communicate with a remote LinearB MCP server. Once configured, Claude Desktop can use the LinearB MCP server via mcp-remote.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following:

  • Brew installed (for Mac)
  • Claude Desktop installed
  • Your LinearB API Key

Installation Procedure

  1. Run node --version in a terminal to check if Node.js is installed.
  • If Node.js is installed, the command output displays a version number, for example v18.x.x.
  • If Node.js is not installed, proceed with the relevant installation method, as described below.

OS

Procedure

Windows/macOS

  • Go to https://nodejs.org, and download the LTS version.
  • Run the installer and check the box to “Add to PATH”

MacOS (via Homebrew)

Run brew install node

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

Run curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash - sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

  1. Make the command line interface (CLI) available globally, by running npm install -g mcp-remote.
  2. Locate the executables:
  • Get path to node: which node
  • Get path to mcp-remote: which mcp-remote

On Windows (Command Prompt or PowerShell), use:

where node

where mcp-remote

  1. Save the two paths—they will be needed to configure Claude.
  2. In Claude, go to Settings > Developer > Edit Config
  3. Add the following JSON block:
    {
    "mcpServers": {
    "linearb": {
    "command": "FULL_PATH_TO_NODE",
    "args": [
    "FULL_PATH_TO_MCP_REMOTE",
    "https://mcp.linearb.io/mcp",
    "--header",
    "x-api-key: YOUR-API-KEY"
    ]
    }
    }
    }
  4. Replace the following in the JSON block:
  • FULL_PATH_TO_NODE: from which node or where node
  • FULL_PATH_TO_MCP_REMOTE: from which mcp-remote or where mcp-remote
  • YOUR-API-KEY: your actual LinearB API Key
  1. Save the config file.
  2. Restart Claude Desktop.

Usage

Once configured, the MCP server allows you to:

  • Manage settings through a single JSON file instead of multiple manual configurations.
  • Authenticate securely with your LinearB API token.
  • Apply consistent configuration across environments.
  • Access extended capabilities beyond the public API, using supported internal endpoints.
  • Access Claude’s built-in Prompts panel to use LinearB-specific prompts.

Accessing the Prompts Panel in Claude Desktop

  1. Open Claude Desktop. From the welcome screen, you’ll see the main prompt bar.
  2. Click +, and select Add from LinearB Metrics to load the set of unique LinearB prompts.
  3. Once enabled, these prompts will appear directly in the Claude interface, allowing you to quickly generate PR reports, lead time reports, merge rate reports, and other LinearB-specific outputs without additional configuration.

Exploring the Power of LinearB’s MCP Server

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