The Complete Cline Agent Setup Guide with OrbitalMCP

Cline (formerly Claude Dev) has become one of the most popular autonomous coding agents for VS Code. Its ability to plan, execute, and iterate on complex coding tasks makes it an invaluable development partner. But to truly unlock Cline's potential, you need to give it access to the right tools.

This guide shows you the professional way to set up Cline with a comprehensive toolkit—using OrbitalMCP to manage everything efficiently and securely.

Understanding Cline's Tool Requirements

Cline is built to be autonomous. It can:

• Read and write files across your project
• Execute terminal commands
• Browse the web for documentation
• Interact with APIs and services
• Manage databases and cloud resources

But by default, Cline's capabilities are limited to what's built into VS Code. To make it truly powerful, you need to connect it to MCP servers that extend its functionality.

The Traditional Cline Setup Problem

Most developers start by manually configuring MCP servers in Cline's settings:

{
  "mcp_servers": {
    "postgres": {
      "url": "stdio://path/to/postgres-server",
      "env": {
        "DB_PASSWORD": "your-password-here"
      }
    },
    "github": {
      "url": "https://github-mcp.example.com",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "token ghp_your-token-here"
      }
    }
    // ... repeat for every tool
  }
}

This approach has serious problems:

• Security: Credentials in plaintext config files
• Repetition: Same setup needed for every project or team member
• Maintenance: Updating a credential means editing multiple config files
• Discovery: Hard to find and try new MCP servers
• Complexity: Different setup process for stdio, SSE, and HTTP servers

The OrbitalMCP Approach: Cline Setup Done Right

OrbitalMCP transforms Cline setup from a tedious, error-prone process into a simple, secure workflow.

Step 1: Build Your Tool Library

Sign into OrbitalMCP and browse the MCP server directory. Install tools relevant to your development workflow:

Essential Development Tools:

• File system operations (beyond Cline's defaults)
• Git and GitHub integration
• Database connectors (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB)
• Package manager tools (npm, pip, cargo)

Testing & Quality:

• Test framework runners (Jest, Pytest, Playwright)
• Code linters and formatters
• Coverage analyzers

Cloud & Infrastructure:

• AWS/Azure/GCP management
• Docker and Kubernetes tools
• CI/CD pipeline integration

Specialized Tools:

• Web scraping and browser automation
• Document generation
• Data analysis and visualization
• Custom company-specific APIs

Step 2: Configure Credentials Securely

For each tool that requires authentication, add credentials to OrbitalMCP's encrypted vault:

• Database passwords
• API keys
• OAuth tokens
• SSH keys

These credentials are encrypted at rest and never exposed to Cline directly.

Step 3: Connect Cline to OrbitalMCP

In Cline's VS Code settings, add a single MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcp_servers": {
    "orbitalmcp": {
      "url": "https://api.orbitalmcp.com/v1/your-unique-endpoint",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your_orbitalmcp_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

That's it. Cline now has access to your entire toolkit through this one secure connection.

Step 4: Start Building

Cline automatically discovers all available tools through the OrbitalMCP connection. You can now use natural language to leverage any of your configured tools:

You: "Cline, check the users table schema in our PostgreSQL database, then create a TypeScript interface that matches it."

Cline: Uses the PostgreSQL MCP server to query the schema, then generates the interface automatically.

Real-World Cline Workflows with OrbitalMCP

Full-Stack Feature Development

Task: "Build a user authentication system with email verification"

Tools Cline Uses:

• Database connector to create user tables
• GitHub integration to check existing auth code
• npm tools to install necessary packages
• Testing framework to generate tests
• Email service API for verification

Result: Complete, tested authentication system in one autonomous session.

Database Migration

Task: "Migrate our user data from MongoDB to PostgreSQL"

Tools Cline Uses:

• MongoDB connector to read existing data
• PostgreSQL connector to create new schema
• Data transformation tools
• Testing tools to verify migration

Result: Automated migration with validation and rollback capability.

API Development

Task: "Create a REST API for our product catalog with full CRUD operations"

Tools Cline Uses:

• Database connector for data layer
• Testing framework for endpoint tests
• Documentation generator for OpenAPI spec
• Docker tools to containerize the API

Result: Production-ready API with tests and documentation.

Security Best Practices for Cline + OrbitalMCP

Principle of Least Privilege: Only enable tools Cline actually needs for your projects

Credential Rotation: Regularly update API keys in OrbitalMCP vault

Audit Logs: Review Cline's tool usage in OrbitalMCP dashboard

Revocable Access: If Cline is compromised, revoke OrbitalMCP key instantly

Environment Separation: Use different OrbitalMCP profiles for dev/staging/prod

Team Cline Deployments

OrbitalMCP shines for teams using Cline:

Standardized Setup: Everyone gets the same tool configuration

Quick Onboarding: New developers set up Cline in minutes, not hours

Centralized Management: DevOps controls tool access from one dashboard

Cost Control: Monitor and limit tool usage across the team

Shared Improvements: When one person adds a useful tool, everyone benefits

Advanced Cline Configurations

Project-Specific Tool Sets

Create different OrbitalMCP profiles for different project types:

• Frontend: React tools, design system integrations, Storybook
• Backend: Database tools, API testing, message queues
• Mobile: iOS/Android build tools, simulator management
• Data: Jupyter, data connectors, ML frameworks

Local Development Tools

Install OrbitalMCP's local connector to give Cline access to:

• Local databases and services
• File watchers and build tools
• Development servers
• Local Docker containers

All managed securely without exposing services to the internet.

CI/CD Integration

Configure tools for Cline to:

• Trigger builds
• Check deployment status
• Run integration tests
• Monitor production metrics

Troubleshooting Common Cline Setup Issues

Issue: Cline can't find tools after connecting to OrbitalMCP

Solution: Verify your API key has the correct permissions in OrbitalMCP dashboard

Issue: Credentials not working for a specific tool

Solution: Check credential format in OrbitalMCP vault matches the tool's requirements

Issue: Slow tool responses

Solution: Use OrbitalMCP's local connector for local resources instead of routing through the cloud

Getting Started with Cline + OrbitalMCP

1. Install Cline from the VS Code marketplace
2. Sign up at www.orbitalmcp.com
3. Install tools from the MCP server directory
4. Configure credentials in your secure vault
5. Add OrbitalMCP endpoint to Cline's settings
6. Start building with autonomous AI

Transform Cline from Assistant to Partner

Out of the box, Cline is a helpful coding assistant. With OrbitalMCP, it becomes an autonomous development partner that can:

• Architect complete features
• Manage databases and infrastructure
• Write and run comprehensive tests
• Deploy applications
• Debug production issues
• And much more

Stop manually configuring tools. Stop worrying about security. Start building with Cline's full autonomous potential, powered by OrbitalMCP.

Ready to set up Cline the right way? Get started with OrbitalMCP today.