modes mcp server

An MCP server for managing Roo's custom operational modes, providing programmatic control over mode configuration and management.

Features

• Full CRUD operations for custom modes
• Schema validation with Zod
• File system watching for config changes
• Error handling with standard MCP error codes
• Atomic file operations

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mkc909/modes-mcp-server.git
cd modes-mcp-server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

Configuration

1. Environment Variables

Copy .env.example to .env and adjust as needed:

cp .env.example .env

Available environment variables: - MODES_CONFIG_PATH: Path to custom modes configuration file (default: %APPDATA%/Code/User/globalStorage/rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/settings/cline_custom_modes.json)

2. Custom Modes Configuration

Create a JSON file for your custom modes configuration. See examples/modes.example.json for the format:

{
  "customModes": [
    {
      "slug": "example-mode",
      "name": "Example Mode",
      "roleDefinition": "Example role definition describing the mode's capabilities and responsibilities.",
      "groups": [
        "read",
        ["edit", {
          "fileRegex": ".md$",
          "description": "Can edit markdown files only"
        }],
        "command",
        "mcp"
      ],
      "customInstructions": "Example custom instructions for the mode."
    }
  ]
}

3. MCP Settings

Add the server configuration to your MCP settings file (typically at %APPDATA%/Code/User/globalStorage/rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json). See examples/mcp-settings.example.json for the format:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "modes": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/modes-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "MODES_CONFIG_PATH": "/path/to/custom/modes.json"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "alwaysAllow": []
    }
  }
}

Operational Modes Framework

The server manages a comprehensive set of operational modes:

Core System Modes

1. Planning Mode ?
2. Strategic Planning Specialist
3. System design and resource allocation

4. Project roadmap development

5. Analytics Mode ?

6. Data Analysis Expert
7. Metrics tracking and analysis

8. Performance monitoring

9. Research Mode ?

10. System Research Specialist
11. Best practices research

12. Solution exploration

13. Implementation Mode ⚙️

14. Operations Implementation Expert
15. System deployment

16. Process execution

17. Troubleshooting Mode ?

18. System Resolution Specialist
19. Problem identification

20. Issue resolution

21. Quality Control Mode ✅

22. Quality Assurance Expert
23. System validation

24. Performance verification

25. Integration Mode ?

26. Systems Integration Specialist
27. Cross-system coordination

28. Workflow optimization

29. Documentation Mode ?

30. Knowledge Management Specialist
31. Process documentation

32. Standard maintenance

33. Session Management Mode ⚡

34. Session Management Specialist
35. Daily workflow orchestration
36. State management

Specialized Modes

• Trade Ops Manager
• Systematic trading and risk management
• Trade documentation and analysis
• Market analysis and strategy optimization

Mode Transition Flow

graph TD
    A[Planning] --> B[Research]
    B --> C[Implementation]
    C --> D[Integration]
    D --> E[Quality Control]
    E --> F[Analytics]
    F --> G[Troubleshooting]
    G --> H[Documentation]
    H --> A

Available Tools

list_modes

Lists all custom modes currently configured.

get_mode

Get details of a specific mode by its slug.

Parameters: - slug: The unique identifier of the mode

create_mode

Create a new custom mode.

Parameters: - slug: Unique identifier (lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens) - name: Display name for the mode - roleDefinition: Detailed description of the mode's role and capabilities - groups: Array of allowed tool groups - customInstructions: (optional) Additional instructions for the mode

update_mode

Update an existing custom mode.

Parameters: - slug: The unique identifier of the mode to update - updates: Object containing the fields to update (name, roleDefinition, groups, customInstructions)

delete_mode

Delete a custom mode.

Parameters: - slug: The unique identifier of the mode to delete

validate_mode

Validate a mode configuration without saving it.

Parameters: - mode: Complete mode configuration object to validate

Mode Configuration Schema

interface CustomMode {
  slug: string;  // Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only
  name: string;  // Display name
  roleDefinition: string;  // Detailed description
  groups: (string | [string, { fileRegex: string, description: string }])[];
  customInstructions?: string;  // Optional additional instructions
}

Development

1. Make changes to the source code in src/
2. Build the project:

   npm run build

3. Start the server:

   npm start

Best Practices

1. Mode Selection
2. Choose appropriate mode for task
3. Follow mode-specific workflows

4. Use designated tool groups

5. Mode Transitions

6. Follow natural transition flow
7. Complete current mode tasks

8. Preserve context between modes

9. Configuration Management

10. Validate changes before saving
11. Maintain clear role definitions
12. Document mode capabilities

Error Handling

The server uses standard MCP error codes: - InvalidParams: Invalid input parameters or mode not found - MethodNotFound: Unknown tool requested - InternalError: File system errors or other internal issues

Testing

See TESTING.md for comprehensive test cases and validation procedures.

Contributing

1. Fork repository
2. Create feature branch
3. Submit pull request
4. Follow coding standards

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details