Setting Up Penfield with MCP-Remote¶

Penfield works with any AI platform that supports MCP (Model Context Protocol) via mcp-remote. This guide covers setup for popular platforms.

Prerequisites¶

Most platforms require Node.js to run mcp-remote. If you don't have Node.js installed, download it from nodejs.org.

Configuration Reference¶

Most platforms use the same core configuration. Copy and adapt as needed:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Penfield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.penfield.app/"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Note: If you already have other MCP servers configured, add the "Penfield": { ... } block inside your existing "mcpServers" object. Don't create a second "mcpServers" key.

Authorization¶

The first time you use Penfield in any application, a browser window will open asking you to authorize access. After authorizing once, other applications will share the same mcp-remote authorization automatically. If mcp-remote is upgrade, a new authorization may be required.

If authorization doesn't trigger automatically, try restarting the application after adding the configuration.

Antigravity¶

In the Agent panel on the right side of the screen, click the three-dot menu (⋯).

Step 2: Open MCP Servers¶

From the dropdown menu, click MCP Servers.

Click MCP Servers

Step 3: Open Manage MCP Servers¶

In the MCP Store panel, click Manage MCP Servers in the top right.

Click Manage MCP Servers

Step 4: View Raw Config¶

Click View raw config to open the configuration file.

Click View raw config

This opens ~/.gemini/antigravity/mcp_config.json for editing.

Step 5: Add Configuration¶

Add the Penfield configuration and save the file:

Antigravity mcp_config.json with Penfield

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Penfield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.penfield.app/"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 6: Restart and Test¶

Restart Antigravity. If you haven't authorized Penfield previously, a browser tab will open automatically. Start a new chat and type "Penfield Awaken" to test the connection.

Perplexity¶

Perplexity Desktop has a built-in connector interface that doesn't require editing JSON files directly.

Step 1: Open Settings¶

Click the Settings icon in Perplexity Desktop, then click Connectors.

Perplexity settings showing Connectors option

Step 2: Add Connector¶

Click Add Connector.

Connectors page with Add Connector option

Step 3: Configure (Simple View)¶

On the Simple tab, enter:

Field	Value
Server Name	`Penfield`
Command	`npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.penfield.app/`

Simple configuration view

Step 4: Verify Advanced Settings¶

Click the Advanced tab to confirm the JSON matches:

Advanced view showing JSON configuration

Step 5: Save and Restart¶

Click Save, then restart Perplexity Desktop. If you haven't authorized Penfield previously, a browser window will open for authorization.

Gemini CLI¶

Step 1: Edit Settings File¶

Open ~/.gemini/settings.json in your preferred editor:

nano ~/.gemini/settings.json
# or
code ~/.gemini/settings.json

Step 2: Add Penfield Configuration¶

Add the Penfield configuration to your settings file. Your file structure may vary depending on your authentication method:

Gemini CLI settings.json with Penfield configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Penfield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.penfield.app/"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart and Authorize¶

Run gemini again. If you haven't authorized Penfield previously, the authorization flow will open in your browser automatically. After authorizing, quit and restart Gemini CLI.

Windsurf¶

Step 1: Install mcp-remote¶

If you haven't already, install mcp-remote:

npm install -g mcp-remote

Step 2: Open MCP Configuration¶

Click the plug icon (1), then click the settings icon (2) to open the configuration file.

Windsurf showing MCP plugin and settings icons

This opens ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. If this is your first MCP server, the file may be empty.

Step 3: Add Configuration¶

Add the Penfield configuration:

Windsurf mcp_config.json with Penfield

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Penfield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.penfield.app/"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Restart and Verify¶

Quit and restart Windsurf. If you haven't authorized Penfield previously, a browser tab will open automatically.

After authorization, click the plug icon to verify Penfield is connected with 18 tools available:

Windsurf showing Penfield connected with 18 tools

Cursor¶

Known Issue: Cursor's MCP authentication can be unreliable. If you experience problems, try authorizing Penfield in another application first (such as Windsurf, Gemini CLI, or LM Studio), then return to Cursor.

Note: MCP tools may only be available in Agent mode, not in Ask or Plan modes.

Step 1: Open MCP Settings¶

Click the gear icon to open settings
Click Tools & MCP
Click Add Custom MCP

Cursor settings showing Tools & MCP

This opens ~/.cursor/mcp.json for editing.

Step 2: Add Configuration¶

Add the Penfield configuration:

Cursor mcp.json with Penfield configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Penfield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.penfield.app/"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart¶

Save the file and restart Cursor. If authorization doesn't trigger automatically, you may need to restart again after authorizing through another application.

LM Studio¶

Important: Local models have significant limitations compared to frontier models. See LM Studio Notes below.

Step 1: Open MCP Configuration¶

Click the Program tab, click the Install dropdown, and select Edit mcp.json.

LM Studio showing Edit mcp.json option

Step 2: Add Configuration¶

Add the Penfield configuration and save the file:

LM Studio mcp.json configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Penfield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.penfield.app/"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart and Load Model¶

Restart LM Studio and load your model. If you haven't authorized Penfield previously, a browser tab will open automatically.

LM Studio Notes¶

Model requirements:

Only models with explicit tool use support will work with Penfield
Set Context Length to the maximum your hardware supports—MCP tool calls generate long contexts that can overflow smaller windows

LM Studio model settings showing context length

Performance expectations:

Local models typically have single or low double-digit billions of parameters, while frontier models operate in the hundreds of billions or trillions. Expect correspondingly different output quality.

Recommended system prompt:

You are my personal AI assistant and you will use Penfield to manage recalling and storing memories.

Other Platforms¶

Any AI platform that supports mcp-remote can use Penfield. Add this configuration to your platform's MCP configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Penfield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.penfield.app/"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Common configuration file locations:

Platform	Configuration File
Antigravity	`~/.gemini/antigravity/mcp_config.json`
Windsurf	`~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`
Cursor	`~/.cursor/mcp.json`
Gemini CLI	`~/.gemini/settings.json`
LM Studio	Via Program > Install > Edit mcp.json

Troubleshooting¶

Authorization doesn't trigger: - Restart the application after adding the configuration - Try authorizing through a different application first

"Command not found" or npm errors: - Ensure Node.js is installed: node --version - Try installing mcp-remote globally: npm install -g mcp-remote

Tools not appearing: - Verify the JSON syntax is correct (no trailing commas, matching braces) - Check that you're in the correct mode (e.g., Agent mode in Cursor) - Restart the application

Still having issues? Contact [email protected] for assistance.

Setting Up Penfield with MCP-Remote¶

Prerequisites¶

Configuration Reference¶

Authorization¶

Platform-Specific Instructions¶

Antigravity¶

Step 1: Open Agent Panel Menu¶

Step 2: Open MCP Servers¶

Step 3: Open Manage MCP Servers¶

Step 4: View Raw Config¶

Step 5: Add Configuration¶

Step 6: Restart and Test¶

Perplexity¶

Step 1: Open Settings¶

Step 2: Add Connector¶

Step 3: Configure (Simple View)¶

Step 4: Verify Advanced Settings¶

Step 5: Save and Restart¶

Gemini CLI¶

Step 1: Edit Settings File¶

Step 2: Add Penfield Configuration¶

Step 3: Restart and Authorize¶

Windsurf¶

Step 1: Install mcp-remote¶

Step 2: Open MCP Configuration¶

Step 3: Add Configuration¶

Step 4: Restart and Verify¶

Cursor¶

Step 1: Open MCP Settings¶

Step 2: Add Configuration¶

Step 3: Restart¶

LM Studio¶

Step 1: Open MCP Configuration¶

Step 2: Add Configuration¶

Step 3: Restart and Load Model¶

LM Studio Notes¶

Other Platforms¶

Troubleshooting¶