How to add CKB — Code Knowledge Backend to Windsurf

Turn your codebase into a queryable knowledge base: search, impact analysis, ownership, dead code — via MCP. Paste the config into ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json and restart Windsurf.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 102★ · stdio · no auth

Windsurf config for CKB — Code Knowledge Backend

npx @tastehub/ckb setup

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ckb-code-knowledge-backend": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@tastehub/ckb",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Windsurf → Cascade → the hammer/MCP icon → Configure (or edit ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json).
2Paste the CKB — Code Knowledge Backend config below.
3Fill in placeholder secrets, then save.
4Click Refresh in the MCP panel.
5CKB — Code Knowledge Backend's tools become available to Cascade.

Before you start

Node.js 16+ and Git (npm install path), OR Go 1.21+ and Git (build from source)
Optional: a SCIP indexer for your language (scip-go, scip-typescript, etc.) — run `ckb index` to auto-install; without it CKB falls back to tree-sitter basic mode
Optional: LIP v2.0 semantic embedding daemon (requires Rust/cargo) for best search quality
Run `ckb init` in your project, then `ckb setup` to generate the MCP config

What CKB — Code Knowledge Backend can do in Windsurf

explore

Compound area exploration: returns symbols, dependencies, and hotspots for a region of code in a single call.

understand

Compound symbol deep-dive: references, callers, and an explanation for a given symbol in one call.

prepareChange

Pre-change analysis: impact (blast radius), affected tests, and risk scoring before you modify code.

batchGet

Fetch up to 50 symbols at once.

batchSearch

Run up to 10 symbol searches at once.

expandToolset

Dynamically expand the active MCP toolset mid-session beyond the loaded preset.

searchSymbols

Semantic / symbol search across the codebase; supports SSE streaming with real-time progress.

findReferences

Find references to a symbol (who calls / uses it); supports SSE streaming with real-time progress.

Security

The MCP server runs locally over stdio with no auth. CKB performs static analysis on your local repository; it includes secret/credential scanning (26 patterns) with allowlists. The HTTP/index-server mode (not the MCP path) supports Bearer API tokens (ckb_xxx) for remote uploads. CKB is static analysis, not runtime analysis — verify critical decisions against the actual code.

CKB — Code Knowledge Backend + Windsurf FAQ

Where is the Windsurf config file?

Windsurf reads MCP servers from ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. Paste the CKB — Code Knowledge Backend config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is CKB — Code Knowledge Backend safe to use with Windsurf?

How do I connect CKB to Claude Code?

Run `npx @tastehub/ckb setup` in your project (or `--global`), which creates the .mcp.json automatically. You can also run `claude mcp add --transport stdio ckb -- npx @tastehub/ckb mcp`, or add the mcpServers block manually.

Why does the MCP server only show 14 tools when it has 80+?

CKB defaults to the 'core' preset (14 essential tools, ~1k tokens) to reduce context overhead by up to 83%. Use --preset (review, refactor, federation, docs, ops, full) to load more, or the expandToolset tool to expand mid-session.

Do I need a SCIP index?

No — CKB works in basic mode using tree-sitter parsing. With a SCIP index (run `ckb index`) you also get cross-file references, precise impact analysis, and call-graph navigation. Incremental indexing is Go-only; other languages require a full reindex.

View repo Full CKB — Code Knowledge Backend page