## Setting up a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server
> [!CAUTION]
> Before using a third-party MCP server, ensure you trust its source and understand the tools it provides. Your use of third-party servers is at your own risk.
This tutorial demonstrates how to set up a MCP server, using the [GitHub MCP server](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server) as an example. The GitHub MCP server provides tools for interacting with GitHub repositories, such as creating issues and commenting on pull requests.
### Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed and configured:
- **Docker:** Install and run [Docker].
- **GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT):** Create a new [classic] or [fine-grained] PAT with the necessary scopes.
In your project's root directory, create or open the [`.qwen/settings.json` file](./configuration.md). Within the file, add the `mcpServers` configuration block, which provides instructions for how to launch the GitHub MCP server.
> Using a broadly scoped personal access token that has access to personal and private repositories can lead to information from the private repository being leaked into the public repository. We recommend using a fine-grained access token that doesn't share access to both public and private repositories.
Use an environment variable to store your GitHub PAT:
When you launch Qwen Code, it automatically reads your configuration and launches the GitHub MCP server in the background. You can then use natural language prompts to ask Qwen Code to perform GitHub actions. For example: