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Installing Plugins

This guide covers how to install, update, and manage Viben plugins.

Installation Methods​

Using pip​

The simplest way to install plugins:

pip install browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

Using uv​

If you use uv for package management:

uv pip install browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

Or add to your project:

uv add browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

Installing from Source​

For development or unreleased plugins:

git clone https://github.com/LinXueyuanStdio/viben.git
cd viben/backend/plugins/browse-mcp-plugin-social-media
pip install -e .

Verifying Installation​

After installing a plugin, verify it loaded by checking the server logs:

browse-mcp --debug

You should see output like:

INFO     Loading searcher plugins from namespace: browse_mcp.searchers
DEBUG    Loaded searcher plugin: arxiv (academic/arxiv)
DEBUG    Loaded searcher plugin: github (social/github)
DEBUG    Loaded searcher plugin: twitter (social/twitter)
INFO     Successfully loaded 15 searcher plugins: arxiv, github, twitter...

Managing Multiple Plugins​

Installing Multiple Plugins​

You can install multiple plugins at once:

pip install browse-mcp-plugin-social-media browse-mcp-plugin-news

Listing Installed Plugins​

View all installed browse-mcp packages:

pip list | grep browse-mcp

Output:

browse-mcp                    0.3.0
browse-mcp-plugin-social-media 0.1.0
browse-mcp-plugin-news        0.1.0

Updating Plugins​

Update a specific plugin:

pip install --upgrade browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

Update all browse-mcp packages:

pip install --upgrade browse-mcp browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

Uninstalling Plugins​

Remove a plugin:

pip uninstall browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

Plugin Dependencies​

Automatic Dependencies​

Plugins declare their dependencies in pyproject.toml. When you install a plugin, dependencies are installed automatically.

Core Dependency​

All plugins depend on the browse-mcp core:

[tool.poetry.dependencies]
browse-mcp = "*"

If browse-mcp is not installed, it will be installed automatically when you install a plugin.

Environment-Specific Installation​

Claude Desktop Configuration​

When using Claude Desktop, you can install plugins in the same Python environment:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browse-mcp": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "browse_mcp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Ensure plugins are installed in the Python environment that Claude Desktop uses.

Virtual Environments​

If you use virtual environments:

# Create and activate virtual environment
python -m venv browse-mcp-env
source browse-mcp-env/bin/activate  # Windows: browse-mcp-env\Scripts\activate

# Install core and plugins
pip install browse-mcp browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

# Use the virtual environment's Python in MCP client configuration

uv Inline Dependencies​

With uv, you can specify dependencies inline:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browse-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--with", "browse-mcp-plugin-social-media",
        "browse-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting​

Plugin Not Loading​

If a plugin is not loading:

  1. Check installation:

    pip show browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

  2. Check entry points:

    python -c "from stevedore import ExtensionManager; print([e.name for e in ExtensionManager('browse_mcp.searchers')])"

  3. Check import errors:

    python -c "from social_media_searchers import GithubSearcher"

  4. Enable debug logging:

    browse-mcp --debug

Version Conflicts​

If you see version conflicts:

  1. Check compatibility:

    pip check

  2. Upgrade all packages:

    pip install --upgrade browse-mcp browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

  3. Create a fresh environment:

    python -m venv fresh-env
    source fresh-env/bin/activate
    pip install browse-mcp browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

Missing Dependencies​

If a plugin has missing dependencies:

# Force reinstall with dependencies
pip install --force-reinstall browse-mcp-plugin-social-media

Next Steps​