Claude Desktop Integration

Claude Desktop is the primary client for local MCP servers. This guide covers complete setup and usage.

Prerequisites

• Claude Desktop installed
• ByteMCP built and configured
• Database with ATM location data

Configuration

1. Locate Config File

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Linux:

~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add ByteMCP Server

Edit the config file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bytefederal-atm": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/byte-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "DB_HOST": "localhost",
        "DB_PORT": "3306",
        "DB_DATABASE": "bytefederal",
        "DB_USER": "your_user",
        "DB_PASSWORD": "your_password"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop

Completely quit and restart Claude Desktop for changes to take effect.

Verify Installation

Check MCP Tools

1. Open Claude Desktop
2. Look for the tools icon (hammer/wrench) in the input area
3. Click to see available tools
4. You should see:
   • find_nearest_bitcoin_atm
   • get_atm_details
   • check_atm_status
   • list_atms_by_city

Test Query

Ask Claude:

“Find Bitcoin ATMs near Miami, FL”

Claude should:

1. Recognize the ATM search intent
2. Call find_nearest_bitcoin_atm
3. Return formatted results

Usage Examples

Find Nearby ATMs

“Where can I find a Bitcoin ATM near downtown Los Angeles?”

“Bitcoin ATMs within 5 miles of 90210”

“Nearest ATM to my current location” (Claude may ask for location)

Get ATM Details

“What are the hours for ATM #456?”

“Tell me more about the Shell station ATM in Miami”

Check Status

“Are there open Bitcoin ATMs in Dallas right now?”

“How many ATMs are currently available in Chicago?”

List by City

“Show me all Bitcoin ATMs in Austin, Texas”

“List ATMs in New York City”

Tips for Best Results

Be Specific

More context helps Claude choose the right tool:

Less Effective	More Effective
”ATMs?"	"Find Bitcoin ATMs near Miami"
"Hours"	"What are the hours for ATM 123?"
"Open?"	"Which ATMs are open in Dallas right now?”

Chain Queries

Claude can use multiple tools in sequence:

“Find ATMs near Miami and tell me which ones are open”

“List ATMs in Austin and give me details on the closest one”

Use Follow-ups

After getting results:

“What about the second one?”

“Are any of those open 24/7?”

“How do I get directions to that one?”

Troubleshooting

Tools Not Appearing

1. Check config syntax - Validate JSON
2. Verify path - Use absolute path to dist/index.js
3. Check build - Run npm run build
4. Restart fully - Quit Claude Desktop completely

Connection Errors

Check Claude Desktop logs:

macOS:

tail -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log

Database Errors

Test database connection:

mysql -h localhost -u your_user -p your_database -e "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM locations_map"

Slow Responses

• Check database performance
• Verify network connectivity
• Consider adding database indexes

Multiple MCP Servers

You can run multiple MCP servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bytefederal-atm": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/byte-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": { ... }
    },
    "other-server": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/path/to/other/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Privacy Note

• Database credentials are stored in the config file
• Queries are processed locally
• ATM data stays on your network

Next Steps

• AI Assistants - Other MCP clients
• Remote Mode - Deploy for remote access