Install Design Pattern MCP in Gemini CLI

What you need first

  • Gemini CLI, installed.
  • Docker, which gives the docker command the server starts with.
  • Your own values for YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_GENERATOR_API_KEY,YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_EMBEDDER_BASE_URL,YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_RERANKER_BASE_URL.

Steps

  1. Open ~/.gemini/settings.json, or create it. For one project only, use .gemini/settings.json in that project.
  2. Add this block. If the file already has mcpServers, add only the entry inside it.
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-pattern-mcp": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "DESIGN_PATTERN_GENERATOR_API_KEY", "-e", "DESIGN_PATTERN_EMBEDDER_BASE_URL", "-e", "DESIGN_PATTERN_RERANKER_BASE_URL", "docker.io/olkowa/design-pattern-mcp:1.0.1", "--transport", "stdio"],
      "env": { "DESIGN_PATTERN_GENERATOR_API_KEY": "YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_GENERATOR_API_KEY", "DESIGN_PATTERN_EMBEDDER_BASE_URL": "YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_EMBEDDER_BASE_URL", "DESIGN_PATTERN_RERANKER_BASE_URL": "YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_RERANKER_BASE_URL" }
    }
  }
}
  1. Replace YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_GENERATOR_API_KEY,YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_EMBEDDER_BASE_URL,YOUR_DESIGN_PATTERN_RERANKER_BASE_URL with your own values.
  2. Save the file and restart Gemini CLI.

Check it worked

Ask Gemini CLI: List the tools of design-pattern-mcp.

If it does not start

Cannot connect to the Docker daemon
Docker is not running. Start it, then restart Gemini CLI.
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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