WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) Setup Guide

This guide provides detailed instructions for setting up Zen MCP Server on Windows using WSL.

Prerequisites for WSL

# Update WSL and ensure you have a recent Ubuntu distribution
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install required system dependencies
sudo apt install -y python3-venv python3-pip curl git

# Install Node.js and npm (required for Claude Code CLI)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Install Claude Code CLI globally
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

WSL-Specific Installation Steps

Clone the repository in your WSL environment (not in Windows filesystem):

# Navigate to your home directory or preferred location in WSL
cd ~

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/BeehiveInnovations/zen-mcp-server.git
cd zen-mcp-server

Run the setup script:

# Make the script executable and run it
chmod +x run-server.sh
./run-server.sh

Verify Claude Code can find the MCP server:

# List configured MCP servers
claude mcp list

# You should see 'zen' listed in the output
# If not, the setup script will provide the correct configuration

Troubleshooting WSL Issues

Python Environment Issues

# If you encounter Python virtual environment issues
sudo apt install -y python3.12-venv python3.12-dev

# Ensure pip is up to date
python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip

Path Issues

Always use the full WSL path for MCP configuration (e.g., /home/YourName/zen-mcp-server/)
The setup script automatically detects WSL and configures the correct paths

Claude Code Connection Issues

# If Claude Code can't connect to the MCP server, check the configuration
cat ~/.claude.json | grep -A 10 "zen"

# The configuration should show the correct WSL path to the Python executable
# Example: "/home/YourName/zen-mcp-server/.zen_venv/bin/python"

Performance Tip

For best performance, keep your zen-mcp-server directory in the WSL filesystem (e.g., ~/zen-mcp-server) rather than in the Windows filesystem (/mnt/c/...).

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