The Step Most Cursor Users Miss

When you run npx -y local-mcp@latest setup, the installer writes LMCP's configuration to ~/.cursor/mcp.json automatically. But unlike Claude Desktop, Cursor does not enable new MCP servers by default — you have to toggle them on in Settings.

That one missing step is why most Cursor users install LMCP but never see it working.

Step 1: Install LMCP

Run this in your terminal:

npx -y local-mcp@latest setup

The installer will detect Cursor and write the MCP config. You should see ✓ Cursor configured in the output.

Step 2: Quit Cursor Completely

Press Cmd+Q to quit Cursor (not just close the window). Cursor only reads its MCP config at startup, so a full restart is required.

Step 3: Reopen Cursor

Launch Cursor again from Applications or Spotlight.

Step 4: Enable LMCP in Cursor Settings

Open Cursor Settings — click the gear icon (⚙) in the bottom-left corner, or press Cmd+Shift+J
Go to Features → MCP Servers(or search for “MCP” in the settings search bar)
Find local-mcp in the list
Toggle it ON if it is not already enabled

Once enabled, you should see a green status indicator next to “local-mcp”. LMCP's 100 tools are now available in your Cursor chat.

Step 5: Test It

Open a Cursor chat window and type:

Summarize my unread emails

Cursor will ask for macOS permissions on first use (Calendar, Contacts, Mail) — approve each one. After that, the tools work instantly without re-authorizing.

Manual Config (if auto-setup didn't work)

If the installer didn't configure Cursor automatically, add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "local-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "local-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Then follow Steps 2–5 above.

Troubleshooting

Tools not appearing in chat

Confirm the toggle in Cursor Settings → MCP Servers is ON
Quit and reopen Cursor after enabling the toggle
Run npx -y local-mcp@latest status in your terminal to verify the server is running

Permission error on first tool call

macOS will prompt for Calendar, Contacts, or Mail access — click Allow
If you denied a permission, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and re-enable it

Server shows as “failed” in Cursor Settings

Make sure Node.js 18 or later is installed: node --version
Run npx -y local-mcp@latest setup again to re-download the runtime

What You Can Do Now

With LMCP connected, try these in Cursor chat:

Email: “Read my last 10 emails”
Calendar: “What's on my calendar today?”
Teams: “Summarize the last messages in my Teams #engineering channel”
Files: “Search my Mac for files named design-spec”
Morning briefing: “Give me a morning briefing: emails, calendar, and Teams”