Installation¶

This page covers supported BioMCP installation paths and verification checks.

After installation, the biomcp command should be available in your shell.

Option 1: Installer script¶

curl -fsSL https://biomcp.org/install.sh | bash

The installer downloads a prebuilt binary for your platform (Linux x86_64/arm64, macOS x86_64/arm64, Windows x86_64), verifies the SHA256 checksum, and places biomcp in ~/.local/bin.

Pin a specific version:

curl -fsSL https://biomcp.org/install.sh | bash -s -- --version 0.8.0

Verify:

biomcp --version

Option 2: PyPI package¶

uv tool install biomcp-cli
# or, inside an active Python environment:
# pip install biomcp-cli

Install the biomcp-cli package, then use the biomcp command in the rest of this guide.

Verify:

biomcp --version

Homebrew¶

brew tap genomoncology/biomcp
brew install biomcp

The separate genomoncology/homebrew-biomcp tap repository must exist before these commands can work; creating that tap is a one-time release prerequisite.

Verify:

biomcp --version

Option 3: Source build¶

From a local checkout:

make install
"$HOME/.local/bin/biomcp" --version

Option 4: Docker image¶

Use the published GHCR image when you want BioMCP without a local Rust or Python toolchain:

docker run --rm ghcr.io/genomoncology/biomcp --version
docker run --rm ghcr.io/genomoncology/biomcp list

For stdio MCP clients, run the same image with serve and keep stdin open:

docker run --rm -i ghcr.io/genomoncology/biomcp serve

Pass provider keys from your shell when needed, for example -e ONCOKB_TOKEN or -e NCBI_API_KEY. Do not put secret values in documentation or checked-in client configs.

Post-install smoke checks¶

biomcp list
biomcp health --apis-only
biomcp search gene -q BRAF --limit 1

Environment notes¶

Default output is markdown.
Use --json when a workflow needs structured output.
Add BioMCP to Codex, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, VS Code, or another MCP client with the MCP clients guide.
Optional API keys are documented in API keys.

Troubleshooting quick hits¶

Command not found: ensure install location is on PATH.
Build fails at protobuf step: install protoc.
Network-related health failures: retry and inspect upstream API status.