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Add troubleshooting section to docs covering common MCP server startup failures #258

Description

@KryptosAI

Summary

Add a troubleshooting section to the docs covering the most common MCP server startup failures users encounter.

Files to modify

  • docs/troubleshooting.md (new file)
  • docs/README.md or README.md — add a link to the new troubleshooting page

What to change

  1. Create docs/troubleshooting.md with the following sections:

    Server fails to start

    • "command not found" → ensure the package is installed or use npx
    • "EACCES permission denied" → check file permissions, avoid running as root
    • "port already in use" → change the port in config or kill the existing process

    Scan times out

    • Increase timeout: --timeout 30000
    • Check network connectivity to the MCP server
    • Verify the server is not hanging on startup

    Tool listing returns empty

    • Some servers require environment variables (API keys, config paths)
    • Run with --verbose to see stderr from the server process
    • Try the server standalone first: npx -y <package>

    Rate limiting errors

    • API-backed MCP servers may rate-limit. Add --delay 1000 between checks
    • Check the server's API key quota
  2. Link to this page from the main README under a "Troubleshooting" heading.

Expected behavior

Users hitting common failures can self-serve solutions without opening an issue.

Estimated time

~20 minutes

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    area:docsREADME, docs, and contributor guidancegood first issueGood for newcomers

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