pack · tripwire tier

MCP Debug Kit

Fix MCP tools that never show up — layered diagnosis, error atlas, 5-client matrix.

The most-asked, worst-answered question in agent tooling: the MCP server is configured and running, and the client still shows no tools. This kit turns that four-hour guessing session into a layered diagnosis your agent runs for you — process, transport, handshake, tools/list, client registry — each layer verified with evidence before moving on. Ships an error atlas for the exact strings you're staring at (“MCP error -32000: Connection closed”, silent tool exclusion, server starts then dies) and a client matrix covering where Claude Code, Claude Desktop, VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf each hide their MCP config and logs.

mcp-debug-kit/
├── README.md · INSTALL.md · LICENSE · install.json
├── skills/
│   ├── mcp-doctor/SKILL.md           ← layered connection diagnosis
│   └── mcp-server-hardening/SKILL.md ← vendor-side: ship a server that survives clients
└── docs/
    ├── ERROR-ATLAS.md    ← exact error strings → cause → fix
    └── CLIENT-MATRIX.md  ← config paths, logs, quirks per client

Why it's different

• ▸ Layer-by-layer: never guesses — each layer produces evidence before the next
• ▸ Covers both sides: users debugging a connection, vendors hardening a server
• ▸ Written from real failure cases, not docs — the errors people actually paste

Questions, answered