Install GitHub MCP Server in Windsurf

Prerequisites

Windsurf IDE installed (latest version)
GitHub Personal Access Token with appropriate scopes
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.

{
  "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

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

Manual Configuration

Click the hammer icon (🔨) in Cascade
Click Configure to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
Add your chosen configuration from above
Save the file
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:

Look for "1 available MCP server" in the MCP toolbar
Click the hammer icon to see available GitHub tools
Test with: "List my GitHub repositories"
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

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