To use mcp-kafka, prerequisites include Go 1.24 or higher and a running Kafka cluster. The tool can be built from source and integrated as a Claude Desktop Tool. Configuration parameters such as topic, number of partitions, replication factor, and message details can be set, with some defaults provided. Authentication supports SASL_PLAINTEXT and PLAINTEXT, but not SASL_SSL. Contributions to the project are encouraged, and it is licensed under the MIT License.
Key takeaways:
- mcp-kafka serves as a bridge between AI assistants and Apache Kafka, enabling interaction with Kafka clusters via the Model Context Protocol.
- The tool supports various Kafka operations, including creating, listing, deleting, and describing topics, as well as producing and consuming messages.
- Installation requires Go 1.24 or higher and a running Kafka cluster, with options to build from source or install as a Claude Desktop Tool.
- Configuration parameters and CLI flags allow customization of Kafka client operations, with support for SASL_PLAINTEXT and PLAINTEXT authentication.