Get Started with winIDEA AI Kit for agent-assisted debugging
The procedure below uses Visual Studio Code (VS Code). The winIDEA AI kit also works with other agentic IDEs. For those IDEs, use the locations and configuration format required by the IDE.
Quick start
1. Confirm that you have winIDEA 9.26.11 or newer and an Expert or AI Add-on license.
2. Open winIDEA and select the correct license in Tools > License, then establish a debug session.
3. Download the AI kit from Help > AI > Download.
4. Start the winIDEA MCP server and copy its generated configuration into your agentic IDE.
5. Copy the AI kit skill files to the location used by your agentic IDE.
6. Ask the agent to report the current SoC status.
At the end, your agentic IDE can use the winIDEA MCP server and the supplied skills to work with the active winIDEA session.
Overview
The winIDEA AI kit gives an AI agent direct access to winIDEA through two components:
•winIDEA MCP server - Connects the agentic IDE to a winIDEA debug session.
•Skill files - Teach the agent how to use winIDEA capabilities.
This gives the agent runtime visibility that source code alone cannot provide. The agent can inspect how the application is running, read and modify variables, and debug the target through winIDEA.
Before you start
Requirements
•winIDEA 9.26.11 or newer
•winIDEA Expert license or an AI add-on license
•Agentic IDE, such as VS Code
•Permission to install or copy files into the configuration and skill locations used by your agentic IDE
Steps
Step 1: Select the correct winIDEA license
AI agents using winIDEA need to use the appropriate license.
In winIDEA:
1. Open Tools > License.
2. Verify that the selected license is winIDEA Expert or includes the AI add-on.
3. Confirm the license selection.
Step 2: Establish a debug session
1. Open the winIDEA workspace for your project.
2. Connect to the target.
3. Start a debug session.
4. Leave winIDEA running while you configure and test the agentic IDE connection.
Result: The target is connected and the application is available through the winIDEA debug session.
Step 3: Download the winIDEA AI kit
To be able to download the kit so that you receive the MCP server and the matching skill files, configured winIDEA workspace is required.
1. In winIDEA, select Help > AI > Download.
2. Open the download folder when winIDEA offers to do so.
4. Confirm that the folder contains the
•winIDEA-mcp folder
•skills folder
The AI kit is now available locally, including the MCP server files and skill files.
Step 4: Start the MCP server
The MCP server provides the connection between your agentic IDE and the active winIDEA session.
1. Open the winIDEA-mcp folder from the downloaded winIDEA AI kit.
2. Open README.md and follow the instructions to start the MCP server.
3. Locate the mcp.json file created by the server setup.
The MCP server is now configured, and an mcp.json file is available for your agentic IDE.
Step 5 (VS Code): Configure the MCP server in VS Code
VS Code needs the MCP server configuration in its user configuration. The configuration generated by winIDEA uses the mcpServers structure, while VS Code expects servers.
1. In VS Code, run the following command:
> MCP: Open User Configuration
2. Copy the settings from the generated mcp.json file into the VS Code configuration.
3. Rename that structure to servers to match the VS Code format.
4. Save the configuration.
Note that winIDEA AI kit can be used with any agentic IDE.
Step 6: Install the skill files
1. Open the skills folder from the downloaded winIDEA AI kit.
2. Copy the skill folders and files to the location expected by your agentic IDE. Preserve the folder structure when copying the files.
•(optional) For VS Code, copy them to %USERPROFILE%\.agents\skills\
The agentic IDE can now discover the winIDEA skills.
Step 7: Open the project in your agentic IDE
The agent uses the project folder as context and can use winIDEA workspaces found there.
1. Open your project folder in VS Code or another agentic IDE.
2. If the project contains a winIDEA workspace, keep it in the project folder so the agent can find it.
If you do not have a functional winIDEA workspace yet, ask the agent to help you create one before continuing with the verification steps.
Validation
Check the current CPU status
In the agentic IDE, ask:
Use the winIDEA MCP server to connect to my winIDEA debug session and tell me what is the current status of the SoC.
Expected result: The agent connects to the active winIDEA debug session and reports the current SoC status using information obtained from winIDEA.
Generate a Python script with the SDK
In the agentic IDE, ask:
List the skill files you have available.
Expected result: The agent lists the skill files, including the ones from the winIDEA AI kit, for example winidea-workspace.
See also
•Licensing - general information about Debugger licensing and how-to
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