plug.directory
Add my server

Install Cortex in Zed

What you need first

  • Zed, installed.
  • uv, which gives the uvx command the server starts with.
  • Your own value for YOUR_CORTEX_KB_PATH.

Steps

  1. Open Zed's settings file, ~/.config/zed/settings.json (on Windows %APPDATA%\Zed\settings.json), or .zed/settings.json for one project.
  2. Add this block. If the file already has context_servers, add only the entry inside it.
{
  "context_servers": {
    "cortex": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["cortex-local-rag==2026.1021.3", "serve"],
      "env": { "CORTEX_KB_PATH": "YOUR_CORTEX_KB_PATH" }
    }
  }
}
  1. Replace YOUR_CORTEX_KB_PATH with your own value.
  2. Save the file. Zed starts the server, and Settings › AI › MCP Servers lists it.

Check it worked

Ask Zed: List the tools of cortex.

If it does not start

spawn uvx ENOENT
uv is not on the PATH that Zed sees. Install it, or write the full path of uvx in the config.
The server starts, but its tools fail
A YOUR_… placeholder is still in the config, or its value is wrong.
Nothing changes after a restart
The file is not valid JSON any more. Look for a missing comma where the block was added.

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