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From Zero to Package in Seconds: the new Conan MCP (#298)
* conan-mpc-blog * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Daniel <danimanzaneque@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Daniel <danimanzaneque@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Daniel <danimanzaneque@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Daniel <danimanzaneque@gmail.com> * reviews with new videos * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Abril Rincón Blanco <5364255+AbrilRBS@users.noreply.github.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Abril Rincón Blanco <5364255+AbrilRBS@users.noreply.github.com> * Update _posts/2025-11-01-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Abril Rincón Blanco <5364255+AbrilRBS@users.noreply.github.com> * Apply suggestion from @ErniGH * armv and gif * killer features first * assumes uv * change date * Update _posts/2025-12-04-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-12-04-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-12-04-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-12-04-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * wip * Update _posts/2025-12-04-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-12-04-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * Update _posts/2025-12-04-From-Zero-to-Package-in-Seconds-the-new-Conan-MCP.markdown Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> * the Conan MCP *Server* Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> --------- Co-authored-by: Carlos Zoido <mrgalleta@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Daniel <danimanzaneque@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Abril Rincón Blanco <5364255+AbrilRBS@users.noreply.github.com>
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---
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layout: post
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comments: false
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title: "From Zero to Package in Seconds: the new Conan MCP Server"
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description: "The integration of Conan with the MCP server offers several compelling advantages, particularly for developers working with C and C++ dependencies"
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meta_title: "From Zero to Package in Seconds: the new Conan MCP Server"
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categories: [MCP, AI, GPT, conan, conan-mcp]
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---
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MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an [open-source standard](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro) that allows language models and AI applications like ChatGPT,
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Claude, or Grok to connect with other systems, enabling them to access data sources such as local files or databases,
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workflows like specific prompts, and tools, such as, in our case, the Conan client.
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## Why should I use it?
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The Conan MCP Server offers several compelling advantages, particularly for developers working
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with C and C++ dependencies and AI development tools:
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### Enhanced Automation and Efficiency
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* **Easier Packaging Workflow**: The MCP server allows the language model to run Conan commands directly. This makes it
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possible to generate the basic structure of a C++ project, add dependencies in natural language, and prepare the project by
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installing the Conan dependencies it needs.
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It can also run security scans on your dependencies and list their declared licenses. All of this happens through simple natural
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language prompts, using your preferred LLM.
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* **Reduced Context Switching**: Developers no longer need to jump between their development environment, command line,
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and documentation to manage dependencies. The AI acts as an intelligent intermediary, handling complex Conan tasks
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in the background.
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### Easy Dependency Management and Auditing
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* **Natural Language Package Search**: Thanks to the Conan MCP Server, you can search for the exact package you need from your
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remotes by specifying the operating system, architecture, compiled binary options, or even complex version range
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filters, all without resorting to command line syntax.
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* **Simplified Dependency Definition**: Leveraging the power of natural language processing through MCP, developers can
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define their required C/C++ dependencies without needing to memorize specific Conan syntax for creating recipe files.
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For instance, a simple request like "I need the latest version of Boost for my project,
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compiled with C++17 support" is translated by the AI agent into the necessary Conan commands and configuration.
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* **Proactive Auditing and Security**: The AI agent can proactively audit dependencies as they are installed, automatically
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checking for known vulnerabilities (CVEs) and verifying license compliance against project policies, giving immediate
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feedback in natural language.
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## Let’s dive into real examples
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### Bootstrapping new Conan projects
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Let’s move on to one of the highlights of the MCP server: initial project setup using prompts. Suppose we want to start a project of a library
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that uses CMake, with dependencies on fmt and OpenSSL. We can let Conan MCP create the entire project scaffolding and
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install the dependencies.
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{% highlight bash %}
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Create a project for a CMake library using Conan, with dependencies on the
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latest versions of fmt and OpenSSL. Install the dependencies of the project.
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{% endhighlight %}
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<img src="{{ site.baseurl }}/assets/post_images/2025-12-04/gif3-Create-project-x6.gif"
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alt="Create project gif example"/>
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</div>
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<br>
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### Auditing project and checking licenses
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One of the most powerful features is how easily the Conan MCP server helps you check vulnerabilities and list dependency licenses. Using the previous
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project as a base, let’s ask the language model to ensure that the resolved versions have no vulnerabilities and that
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all the licenses used by our dependencies are suitable for commercial use.
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{% highlight bash %}
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Ensure my project’s third-party libraries are secure and licensed for commercial use.
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{% endhighlight %}
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<img src="{{ site.baseurl }}/assets/post_images/2025-12-04/gif4-Verify-x10.gif"
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alt="Verify project gif example"/>
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</div>
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<br>
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### Listing packages
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Let’s see a simpler one: we’re going to try to search for the compiled packages on ConanCenter for a library,
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such as zlib, with some options, including the architecture being arm and the shared option set to false, and have it tell
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us which versions we have packages for.
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{% highlight bash %}
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Tell me which versions of zlib packages are available with armv8 architecture and statically linked
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{% endhighlight %}
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<img src="{{ site.baseurl }}/assets/post_images/2025-12-04/gif1-List-versions-x6.gif"
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alt="List versions gif example"/>
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</div>
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<br>
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### Manage existing profiles
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The Conan MCP Server can also access the list of profiles and is able to query it, so that, for example, if you want to check which
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C++ version my Windows profile with MSVC 193 is configured for, you can simply ask:
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{% highlight bash %}
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Check my Conan profiles and tell me which cppstd is configured in the Windows profile that uses compiler version 193.
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{% endhighlight %}
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<img src="{{ site.baseurl }}/assets/post_images/2025-12-04/gif2-profile-x6.gif"
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alt="Search profile gif example"/>
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</div>
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<br>
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It will list the profiles using a `conan profile list` command and then use `conan profile show` with the selected profile
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to obtain the required information. For this type of functionality to work correctly, we recommend maintaining a proper
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order when naming your Conan profiles.
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## Installing the Conan MCP Server
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To install the Conan MCP Server, the first thing you need is an MCP client. You can use for example LibreChat or
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Cursor. Then, simply add to your MCP configuration.
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This assumes you have `uv` installed on your machine. `uv` has become a common way to run MCP servers. You can find installation instructions here: [uv installation guide](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/).
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{% highlight bash %}
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{
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"mcpServers": {
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"conan": {
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"command": "uvx",
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"args": ["conan-mcp"]
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}
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}
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}
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{% endhighlight %}
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## What is next?
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The Conan MCP Server is still in an early stage, with a strong focus on the most critical developer workflows, and we are gradually
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expanding support for more Conan features. We would love to hear your feedback about what you are missing or which
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workflows you would like to see supported next.
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We have prioritized the features most critical for the developer workflow: powerful **package search** and filtering,
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seamless **project creation** and dependency installation, profile checking, and the most essential: **vulnerability
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scanning and license listing**.
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We would love to hear your ideas. Feel free to share your thoughts in our [repository](https://github.com/conan-io/conan-mcp)!
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If you have any suggestions for new features you would like to see addressed by the Conan MCP Server, or even if you wish to
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contribute code to the project, don't hesitate to do so!
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Your feedback and contributions are invaluable in shaping the future of this tool.
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Happy prompting with the Conan MCP Server!
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‎assets/post_images/2025-12-04/gif3-Create-project-x6.gif‎

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