Claude Config Management

Manages configuration files for Claude Desktop and Claude Code, including MCP server setup, project settings, and developer options.

Configuration File Locations

Claude Desktop (macOS):

• Config: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claudedesktopconfig.json
• Logs: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/
• Developer settings: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/developer_settings.json

Claude Desktop (Windows):

• Config: %APPDATA%\Claude\claudedesktopconfig.json
• Logs: %APPDATA%\Claude\Logs\

Claude Code (Project-specific):

• Settings: .claude/settings.json
• Plugin marketplace: .claude-plugin/marketplace.json

Claude Desktop Configuration

Basic Structure

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server-name": {
      "command": "command-to-run",
      "args": ["arg1", "arg2"],
      "env": {
        "VAR_NAME": "value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important Notes

• Always use absolute paths - Working directory may be undefined
• Windows paths: Use forward slashes or double backslashes
• Restart required: Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes
• Environment variables: Limited by default (USER, HOME, PATH); set explicitly in env

Claude Code Project Settings

.claude/settings.json

{
  "enabledPlugins": ["plugin-name"],
  "extraKnownMarketplaces": {
    "team-tools": {
      "source": {
        "source": "github",
        "repo": "company/claude-plugins"
      }
    }
  }
}

Team Configuration

Automatically install marketplaces when team members trust the folder:

{
  "extraKnownMarketplaces": {
    "company-tools": {
      "source": {
        "source": "github",
        "repo": "company/plugins"
      }
    },
    "project-tools": {
      "source": {
        "source": "git",
        "url": "https://git.company.com/project-plugins.git"
      }
    }
  }
}

Quick Validation

# Validate JSON syntax
jq empty ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
jq empty .claude/settings.json

# Check server names
jq -r '.mcpServers | keys[]' ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Quick Troubleshooting

If MCP server not loading:

1. Validate JSON syntax
2. Verify command paths are absolute
3. Check environment variables are set
4. Review logs: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
5. Restart Claude Desktop

References

Detailed documentation for specific scenarios:

• [MCP Patterns](references/mcp-patterns.md) - Server configuration examples (Python, Node.js, environment variables)
• [Troubleshooting](references/troubleshooting.md) - Common issues, log locations, debugging tools
• [Workflows](references/workflows.md) - Step-by-step guides for adding servers, team setup, migration

Next Steps

• See [EXAMPLES.md](EXAMPLES.md) for real-world configuration examples