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Prerequisites

Before starting any camp in the MCP Security Summit workshop, ensure you have the required tools installed and configured. This page provides installation instructions and verification steps for all tools used throughout the workshop.

Required Tools

Azure Subscription

You'll need an Azure subscription with Contributor access to deploy resources.

Free Trial

If you don't have an Azure subscription, you can create a free account with $200 in credits.

Azure CLI

The Azure CLI is required for authenticating with Azure and managing resources.

brew install azure-cli


winget install Microsoft.AzureCLI
Or download the MSI installer

curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCLIDeb | sudo bash

Verify installation: 

az --version
# Expected: azure-cli 2.x.x or higher

Authenticate: 

az login

📚 Full installation guide

Azure Developer CLI (azd)

The Azure Developer CLI simplifies provisioning and deploying applications to Azure.

curl -fsSL https://aka.ms/install-azd.sh | bash


winget install microsoft.azd
Or use PowerShell: 
powershell -ex AllSigned -c "Invoke-RestMethod 'https://aka.ms/install-azd.ps1' | Invoke-Expression"

Verify installation: 

azd version
# Expected: azd version 1.x.x or higher

Authenticate: 

azd auth login

📚 Full installation guide

Python 3.10+

Python is required for running the MCP servers and exploitation scripts.

brew install python@3.11

Python command on macOS

macOS may install Python as python3 instead of python. This is normal and won't affect the workshop.

Download from python.org

Add to PATH

During installation, check "Add Python to PATH"

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3.11 python3-pip

Verify installation: 

python --version
# Or on some systems: python3 --version
# Expected: Python 3.10.x or higher

📚 Download Python

uv - Fast Python Package Installer

We use uv for faster Python package management and virtual environment handling.

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

powershell -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

Verify installation: 

uv --version
# Expected: uv 0.x.x or higher

Why uv?

uv is significantly faster than pip and handles virtual environments automatically. It's developed by the creators of Ruff and provides a modern Python packaging experience.

📚 uv documentation

Docker

Docker is required for Camp 1+ to build and deploy container images to Azure.

Download and install Docker Desktop for Mac

After installation, launch Docker Desktop from Applications to start the Docker daemon.

Download and install Docker Desktop for Windows

After installation, launch Docker Desktop to start the Docker daemon.

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

# Add your user to docker group to run without sudo
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in for group changes to take effect

Verify installation: 

docker --version
docker ps
# Expected: Docker version info and running containers list

Docker Desktop must be running

Before running azd up in Camp 1, ensure Docker Desktop is running. You should see the Docker icon in your system tray (macOS) or taskbar (Windows).

📚 Docker Desktop documentation

VS Code with Extensions

Visual Studio Code is recommended for the best workshop experience, especially for AI-powered exploitation scenarios.

Install VS Code:
Download from code.visualstudio.com

Recommended Extensions:

Install extensions: 

code --install-extension github.copilot
code --install-extension ms-python.python
code --install-extension ms-vscode.vscode-node-azure-pack
code --install-extension ms-azuretools.vscode-bicep

Git

Git is required for cloning the workshop repository.

brew install git

Download from git-scm.com

sudo apt install git

Verify installation: 

git --version

Clone the Workshop Repository

Once you have the prerequisites installed, clone the workshop repository:

git clone https://github.com/Azure-Samples/sherpa.git
cd sherpa

Verification Checklist

Run these commands to verify your setup:

# Azure CLI
az --version
az account show

# Azure Developer CLI
azd version
azd auth login --check-status

# Python (try python3 first, then python)
python3 --version || python --version

# uv
uv --version

# Git
git --version

# Azure CLI
az --version
az account show

# Azure Developer CLI
azd version
azd auth login --check-status

# Python
python --version

# uv
uv --version

# Git
git --version

All Set!

If all commands run successfully, you're ready to start the workshop!

Camp-Specific Requirements

Base Camp

Python 3.10+
uv
VS Code (recommended for exploitation scenarios)

Camp 1: Identity & Access Management

Azure subscription
Azure CLI (authenticated)
Azure Developer CLI (authenticated)
Python 3.10+
uv
Docker (running)

Camp 2-4

Requirements will be listed in each camp's documentation.

Troubleshooting

Azure CLI: 'az' command not found

Solution: Ensure Azure CLI is in your PATH.

  • macOS/Linux: Restart your terminal or run source ~/.bashrc / source ~/.zshrc
  • Windows: Restart PowerShell or Command Prompt
azd: Authentication failed

Solution: Ensure you're logged into both Azure CLI and azd: 

az login
azd auth login
# Verify
az account show
azd auth login --check-status

Python: Module not found after installation

Solution: Verify you're using the correct Python installation: 

which python
python --version
# If multiple Python versions exist, use python3 explicitly
python3 --version

uv: Installation script fails

Solution: Manual installation:

  • macOS/Linux: Download from GitHub releases
  • Windows: Use pip as fallback: pip install uv
VS Code: Extensions not installing

Solution: Install manually through VS Code:

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS)
  3. Search for extension name
  4. Click "Install"

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

  • Homebrew is recommended for package management
  • Ensure Xcode Command Line Tools are installed: xcode-select --install
  • M1/M2 Macs: All tools support Apple Silicon natively

Windows

  • PowerShell 7+ is recommended over Windows PowerShell 5.1
  • Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is supported for all tools
  • Some scripts use bash - consider Git Bash or WSL

Linux

  • Ubuntu 20.04+ and similar distributions are tested
  • Ensure curl, wget, and sudo are available
  • SELinux may require configuration adjustments

Next Steps

Once your prerequisites are installed and verified:

  1. New to MCP Security? Start with Base Camp
  2. Ready for Azure? Jump to Camp 1: Identity & Access Management
  3. Explore the Guide: OWASP MCP Azure Security Guide

Questions or issues? Open an issue on GitHub.