CMR MCP Client

Connect to the CMR Course Repository with just an API key.

This package provides a lightweight proxy that allows Claude Desktop, ChatGPT Desktop, and other MCP clients to connect to the CMR MCP server.

Installation

No installation required! Just use npx:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cmr-courses": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cmr-institute/mcp-client"],
      "env": {
        "CMR_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or install globally:

npm install -g @cmr-institute/mcp-client

Setup

Claude Desktop

1. Open Claude Desktop settings
2. Find the config file:
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
3. Add the configuration above
4. Replace your-api-key-here with your API key
5. Restart Claude Desktop

ChatGPT Desktop

Similar configuration - add as an MCP server with the npx command.

Available Tools

Once connected, you'll have access to:

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | cmr_search_courses | Search courses by keyword | | cmr_list_courses | Browse the course catalog | | cmr_get_course | Get detailed course metadata | | cmr_get_course_content | Get full course content |

Example Usage

After setup, just ask Claude:

• "Search for compliance training courses"
• "List all advanced level courses"
• "Get the content for course 1088"
• "Find courses about communication skills"

Environment Variables

| Variable | Required | Description | |----------|----------|-------------| | CMR_API_KEY | Yes | Your CMR API key | | CMR_ENDPOINT | No | Override server URL (for testing) | | CMR_DEBUG | No | Set to "1" for debug logging |

Troubleshooting

"CMR_API_KEY environment variable is required"

Make sure your config includes the env section:

"env": {
  "CMR_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
}

Tools not appearing

1. Restart Claude Desktop completely (Cmd+Q / Alt+F4)
2. Check the config file JSON syntax
3. Enable debug mode: add "CMR_DEBUG": "1" to env

Connection errors

• Check your internet connection
• Verify your API key is correct
• Try with debug mode enabled to see detailed errors

How It Works

This package is a thin proxy that bridges Claude Desktop's stdio transport to our HTTP server:

Claude Desktop <--stdio--> cmr-mcp <--HTTPS--> CMR Server

Your API key is sent securely to authenticate requests. All course data comes from the CMR server.

Support

Contact your CMR account representative for:

• API key requests
• Technical support
• Feature requests

License

MIT