GCloud Tools Setup

Source: googleapis/gcloud-mcp

Check GCloud MCP status and configure CLI authentication if needed.

Step 1: Check gcloud CLI

Run: gcloud --version

If not installed: Continue to Step 2. If installed: Skip to Step 3.

Step 2: Install gcloud CLI

Tell the user:

Install Google Cloud SDK:

macOS (Homebrew):
  brew install google-cloud-sdk

macOS/Linux (Manual):
  curl https://sdk.cloud.google.com | bash
  exec -l $SHELL

Windows:
  Download from: https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install

After install, restart your terminal.

Step 3: Authenticate

Run these commands:

# Login with your Google account
gcloud auth login

# Set up Application Default Credentials (required for MCP)
gcloud auth application-default login

Both commands will open a browser for authentication.

Step 4: Set Default Project

# List available projects
gcloud projects list

# Set default project
gcloud config set project YOUR_PROJECT_ID

Step 5: Verify Setup

Run: gcloud auth list

Should show your authenticated account with asterisk (*).

Step 6: Restart Claude Code

Tell the user:

After authentication:
1. Exit Claude Code
2. Run `claude` again

The MCP will use your gcloud credentials.

Troubleshooting

If GCloud MCP fails:

Common fixes:
1. ADC not found - Run gcloud auth application-default login
2. Project not set - Run gcloud config set project PROJECT_ID
3. Permission denied - Check IAM roles in Cloud Console
4. Quota exceeded - Check quotas in Cloud Console
5. Token expired - Run gcloud auth application-default login again

Alternative: Disable Plugin

If user doesn't need GCloud integration:

To disable this plugin:
1. Run /mcp command
2. Find the gcloud-observability server
3. Disable it

This prevents errors from missing authentication.