linkup-mcp
Provides web search and local document RAG using Ollama, enabling privacy-preserving AI assistance in Cursor IDE.
README
Cursor Linkup MCP Server
Custom MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Cursor IDE with:
- π Web Search - Deep web searches using Linkup API
- π RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) - Query documents using LlamaIndex with Ollama
β¨ Key Features
- β Local AI - Uses Ollama (llama3.2) for complete privacy
- β Zero API Costs - RAG tool is completely free (uses local models)
- β Source Citations - Know where answers come from
- β Multiple Document Types - Supports PDF, DOCX, MD, TXT, and more
- β Cursor Integration - Works seamlessly in Cursor IDE
π Prerequisites
- Python 3.12+
- uv package manager
- Ollama installed locally with llama3.2 model
- Linkup API key (optional, only for web search)
π Quick Start
1. Clone & Install Dependencies
git clone https://github.com/RanneG/linkup_mcp.git
cd linkup_mcp
uv sync
Default install (uv sync / pip install -e .) is Cursor MCP + RAG only (lighter venv). For stitch_rag_bridge.py, face/OAuth/Gmail, and server-side voice STT, add --extra stitch-bridge. For ElevenLabs voice/music asset generation (elevenlabs-gen CLI), add --extra elevenlabs β see docs/elevenlabs/README.md.
2. Install Ollama & Model
# Download from https://ollama.ai/download
# Then pull the model:
ollama pull llama3.2
3. Configure Environment (Optional)
Create a .env file for web search (RAG works without API keys):
LINKUP_API_KEY=your_linkup_api_key # Optional, for web_search tool
4. Configure Cursor
Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or C:\Users\<username>\.cursor\mcp.json on Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"linkup-server": {
"command": "C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\python.exe",
"args": [
"-m", "uv", "run",
"--directory", "C:\\path\\to\\linkup_mcp",
"python", "server.py"
]
}
}
}
Replace YOUR_USERNAME and path with your actual values.
5. Free local dev ports (optional)
If 8765 (Stitch bridge / bundled UI), 1420 (Tauri), or 5173 (Vite) are stuck after a crash, run Close-DevPorts.bat at the repo root (or .\scripts\Close-StitchDevPorts.ps1). Use -DryRun to list listeners without killing. This stops processes listening on those ports, not βlocalhostβ itself.
6. Restart Cursor & Use!
In Cursor's chat:
- "Use the rag tool to tell me about [topic]"
- "Use the rag_stitch tool to get a UI-ready answer payload"
- "Search the web for [query]" (requires Linkup API key)
- Local Whisper (no Linkup):
whisper_stt_statusthentranscribe_wav_filewith a path to a.wavfile. Requirespip install -e ".[stitch-whisper]"and a Cursor MCP restart.
7. Voice-to-prompt hotkey tool (offline)
Use voice_prompt_tool.py for one-shot dictation directly into your coding flow:
uv sync --extra stitch-whisper --extra voice-prompt
python voice_prompt_tool.py --hotkey ctrl+shift+v
What it does:
- global start/stop hotkey for microphone capture
- local faster-whisper transcription (offline)
- file reference extraction (
auth.ts->@auth.ts) - prompt envelope copied to clipboard:
[FILE REFERENCE: ...][TASK: ...]
Optional direct paste after copy:
python voice_prompt_tool.py --autopaste
π Using the RAG Tool
Add documents to the data/ folder:
data/
βββ document1.pdf
βββ notes.md
βββ research/
βββ paper.pdf
Supported: PDF, DOCX, TXT, MD, HTML, and more.
Stitch-style response shape
The rag tool now returns a JSON string with:
answer: final synthesized answer textconfidence:low,medium, orhighfallback:truewhen evidence is weak/insufficientsources: ranked source snippets (source_id,score,snippet)
The rag_stitch tool returns a UI-oriented JSON string:
state:answeredorfallbackanswerconfidence(low,medium, orhigh)source_cards(empty whenstateisfallbackso the UI stays clean)show_sources(falseon fallback)debug_retrieval_cards(only whenSTITCH_RAG_DEBUG=1and fallback β raw top chunks for debugging)
Repository split (Stitch production)
The Stitch desktop app (React + Tauri) is migrating to RanneG/stitch-app; linkup_mcp remains the MCP server and HTTP bridge for local RAG, OAuth, subscriptions, face, and in-app help. Cutover checklist and file inventory: docs/stitch/MIGRATION.md (see docs/stitch/README.md).
stitch-api-types (TypeScript)
NPM workspace packages/stitch-api-types publishes .d.ts for POST /api/rag/stitch, POST /api/rag/stitch-help, GET /api/health, and related payloads. Build from repo root: npm run build:stitch-api-types. stitch-app can depend on it with a file: path (see stitch-app docs/BACKEND.md).
Stitch HTTP bridge (for the Stitch desktop app)
Run a small Flask server that exposes the same payload as rag_stitch, plus optional local face verification (/api/face/*, DeepFace + OpenCV liveness β see face_verification/). Requires stitch-bridge extras:
uv sync --extra stitch-bridge
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe stitch_rag_bridge.py
Then point the Stitch appβs Vite dev proxy at http://127.0.0.1:8765 (see stitch-app docs/BACKEND.md or integrations/stitch/README.md; proxy /api for RAG, face, auth, subscriptions, and help routes).
Who needs what: Anyone can run the Stitch UI from stitch-app with Node (see docs/RUNNING.md). linkup_mcp is required for /api/* backend capabilities (auth, data, RAG, face, server-backed Help).
Develop Stitch UI from this repo (optional)
Root scripts npm run dev:browser, npm run dev:desktop, npm run build:stitch-web, npm run build:stitch-app use scripts/run-stitch-ui.mjs, which resolves STITCH_APP_ROOT or sibling ../stitch-app only. See docs/stitch/MIGRATION.md.
Stitch single-window GUI
The canonical bundled flow now starts from stitch-app (Stitch.bat there). It uses this repo for backend bridge capabilities when needed.
- Build the Stitch desktop bundle inside stitch-app (
npm run build). - Run
Stitch.batfrom stitch-app root. - Keep this repo available for the bridge runtime (
stitch_rag_bridge.py) on127.0.0.1:8765.
Stitch as a native desktop app (no long manual command chain)
Stitchβs apps/desktop package uses Tauri for a real windowed app (npm run dev there = tauri dev). Run these from stitch-app:
| Goal | What to do |
|---|---|
| One double-click (bridge + sync + Tauri) | Run Stitch-Desktop.bat in the stitch-app repo root. |
| Same from a terminal | npm run dev (stitch-app) |
| Bridge already running | Start Stitch from stitch-app and keep this repo bridge on 127.0.0.1:8765 |
| Tauri only (you start the bridge yourself) | npm run dev:desktop |
| Browser tab only (no Tauri) | npm run dev:browser (uses stitch-app via run-stitch-ui.mjs) |
Packaged .exe / installer |
npm run build:stitch-app (after Tauri prerequisites and a stitch-app clone) |
You need Node on PATH and a local stitch-app clone (sibling ../stitch-app or STITCH_APP_ROOT). The first Tauri dev run may compile Rust dependencies (one-time wait).
Quick regression run
To run the v1 prompt suite against your local PDF corpus:
python rag_regression.py
This prints each response payload and a small summary (sourced count, fallback count, low-confidence count).
Stitch JSON contract tests
python -m unittest tests.test_rag_stitch_contract -v
Validates rag_stitch_contract._to_stitch_view shapes (answered vs fallback, show_sources, optional debug_retrieval_cards).
If MCP-security prompts fall back, add the MCP landscape paper to data/:
π οΈ Project Structure
linkup_mcp/
βββ server.py # Main MCP server
βββ local_whisper_stt.py # faster-whisper helpers (MCP transcribe_wav_file)
βββ rag.py # RAG workflow
βββ stitch_rag_bridge.py # Local HTTP bridge for Stitch UI dev (RAG + /api/face)
βββ face_verification/ # Local 1:1 face match + liveness (used by bridge)
βββ integrations/stitch/ # Pointer README β UI lives in stitch-app repo
βββ docs/ # e.g. stitch_user_guide.md (bridge Help / Ask Stitch)
βββ data/ # Your documents
βββ pyproject.toml # Dependencies
βββ .cursorrules # AI context for Cursor
βββ .env # Environment variables (create this)
π§ How It Works
Cursor IDE β MCP Server (server.py)
β
ββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββββ
β RAG Tool β Web Searchβ
β (rag.py) β (Linkup) β
ββββββββ¬βββββββ΄βββββββββββββ
β
Ollama (llama3.2) - runs locally
π° Cost
| Tool | Cost |
|---|---|
| RAG | $0 (local Ollama) |
| Web Search | ~$10-50/month (Linkup API) |
| Ollama | $0 (runs locally) |
π Troubleshooting
MCP server not loading?
- Check Ollama is running:
ollama list - Verify path in
mcp.json - Check Cursor logs:
%APPDATA%\Cursor\logs\
Ollama connection refused?
ollama serve
π Privacy
- β RAG Tool: 100% local, documents never leave your machine
- β Ollama: Runs locally, no cloud API calls
- β οΈ Web Search: Queries sent to Linkup servers
π Related Projects
| Repository | Purpose |
|---|---|
| chatbot-rag-core | Reusable Python RAG library |
| chatbot-api-server | Production Docker API server |
π Resources
π License
MIT License - See LICENSE
π Credits
- Original: patchy631/ai-engineering-hub
- Linkup for web search
- LlamaIndex for RAG
- Ollama for local AI
Made with β€οΈ for Cursor IDE users
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