troubleshoot with mcp inspector when servers don't load

[dazzaji]

Invoking MCP Inspector from VS Code:

Here's how to open a terminal in VS Code and use MCP Inspector to debug your `mcp-agent-router` project:

1. **Start Servers:**  Launch your servers (`server-a`, `server-b`, and the gateway-agent) *outside* of VS Code using the regular terminal. They should be running independently before doing anything in VS Code.


2. **VS Code Terminal:** In VS Code, open a new terminal (View > Terminal or Ctrl+`).


3. **Activate Virtual Environment:** Activate the virtual environment where you've installed `mcp` and other project dependencies.  This is the virtual environment you've used to launch servers A and B and other project components earlier. If you are not sure, here is code that will show current virtual environment in VS Code Terminal (make sure Python extension is loaded in VS Code):

    ```bash
    echo $VIRTUAL_ENV
    ```

    If the virtual env path is wrong, close VS Code and re-open and try again.  Make sure that Python extension is installed and the python path is set correctly.  If still issues, follow these steps:

    * Go to VS Code settings (Cmd+,)
    * Search for "python.venvPath"
    * Add the absolute path to the virtualenv directory
    * Re-open VS Code.

    Then activate the environment in the VS Code terminal. You should be in the root of your project when doing this:
    ```bash
    source /Users/dazzagreenwood/mcp-agent-router/venv/bin/activate
    ```
    (replace with your specific path and Python version if needed)



4. **Run Inspector:** Execute the following command in the VS Code terminal, replacing `/absolute/path/to/your/project` with the actual absolute path to your `mcp-agent-router` project directory on your machine:
    ```bash
    cd /absolute/path/to/your/project/gateway-agent
    npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector python -m gateway_agent  // use the module name of the entry point script 
    ```



Now MCP Inspector should start, allowing you to interact with and debug your gateway agent, as well as server a and b.

Important Considerations:

• Absolute Paths: Using absolute paths everywhere, both when launching the servers and in the claude_desktop_config.json, is crucial for reliable operation. This avoids confusion due to relative paths that VS Code or other tools might create.
• Server Startup Order: Start your servers before launching Claude Desktop. This ensures the initial connection attempts succeed.
• Verify Virtual Environments: Make sure your virtual environments are properly set up and used consistently across all server processes and the MCP Inspector command. Using the correct virtual environment when running Inspector in the VS Code terminal is particularly important for accessing the correct mcp package version.

If you're still having problems, provide the exact contents of your claude_desktop_config.json and the commands you're using to launch each server. Also, share the specific error message Claude Desktop is displaying so I can debug more effectively.