Install GitHub MCP Server in Windsurf

Prerequisites

1. Windsurf IDE installed (latest version)
2. GitHub Personal Access Token with appropriate scopes
3. For local installation: Docker installed and running

Remote Server Setup (Recommended)

The remote GitHub MCP server is hosted by GitHub at https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/ and supports Streamable HTTP protocol. Windsurf currently supports PAT authentication only.

Streamable HTTP Configuration

Windsurf supports Streamable HTTP servers with a serverUrl field:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "serverUrl": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"
      }
    }
  }
}

Local Server Setup

Docker Installation (Required)

Important: The npm package @modelcontextprotocol/server-github is no longer supported as of April 2025. Use the official Docker image ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server instead.

Log in with OAuth instead of a token. On github.com the official image already includes the app credentials, so you provide none yourself — the server opens a browser login on first use and keeps the token in memory only. In Docker, publish a fixed callback port to loopback:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-p",
        "127.0.0.1:8085:8085",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT": "8085"
      }
    }
  }
}

See Local Server OAuth Login for the native-binary flow (no fixed port), headless/device-code fallback, GitHub Enterprise, and bringing your own OAuth or GitHub App.

To authenticate with a Personal Access Token instead (it takes precedence over OAuth):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"
      }
    }
  }
}

Installation Steps

Via Plugin Store

1. Open Windsurf and navigate to Cascade
2. Click the Plugins icon or hammer icon (🔨)
3. Search for "GitHub MCP Server"
4. Click Install and enter your PAT when prompted
5. Click Refresh (🔄)

Manual Configuration

1. Click the hammer icon (🔨) in Cascade
2. Click Configure to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
3. Add your chosen configuration from above
4. Save the file
5. Click Refresh (🔄) in the MCP toolbar

Configuration Details

• File path: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
• Scope: Global configuration only (no per-project support)
• Format: Must be valid JSON (use a linter to verify)

Verification

After installation:

1. Look for "1 available MCP server" in the MCP toolbar
2. Click the hammer icon to see available GitHub tools
3. Test with: "List my GitHub repositories"
4. Check for green dot next to the server name

Troubleshooting

Remote Server Issues

• Authentication failures: Verify PAT has correct scopes and hasn't expired
• Connection errors: Check firewall/proxy settings for HTTPS connections
• Streamable HTTP not working: Ensure you're using the correct serverUrl field format

Local Server Issues

• Docker errors: Ensure Docker Desktop is running
• Image pull failures: Try docker logout ghcr.io then retry
• Docker not found: Install Docker Desktop and ensure it's running

General Issues

• Invalid JSON: Validate with jsonlint.com
• Tools not appearing: Restart Windsurf completely
• Check logs: ~/.codeium/windsurf/logs/

Important Notes

• Official repository: github/github-mcp-server
• Remote server URL: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
• Docker image: ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server (official and supported)
• npm package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-github (deprecated as of April 2025 - no longer functional)
• Windsurf limitations: No environment variable interpolation, global config only