Linear (MCP)

The Linear MCP server is the API connection that lets any Viberia agent read and write to your Linear workspace.

Note: This page is about the MCP integration. If you want the project-level UI surface with prebuilt Backlog Planner / Issue Writer / Issue Resolver agents and an embedded Linear web view, see the Linear building. The two work together — the Linear building uses this MCP under the hood — but they’re separate concepts you can adopt independently.

Setup

You install the Linear MCP server through Viberia’s /learn-mcp skill, which handles the canonical configuration for you.

Prerequisites

A Linear account and a workspace you have permission to read from (and write to, if you want agents to create or update issues).
A Linear API key. Create one in Linear at Settings → API → Personal API keys → New API key. Copy the key immediately — Linear will only show it once.
npx available on your PATH. The MCP server runs as npx -y @tacticlaunch/mcp-linear, so Node.js needs to be installed.

Install via /learn-mcp

Open any agent’s chat (the Chief of Staff is a good place) and run:

/learn-mcp linear

The skill walks through the canonical setup: it asks where you want to install the server (user, building, or agent scope — see below), prompts you for the API key, and writes the configuration to the right place.

If you’d rather configure it by hand, the equivalent server entry looks like:

{
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "@tacticlaunch/mcp-linear"],
  "env": {
    "LINEAR_API_KEY": "<your-key>"
  }
}

You can paste that directly into Settings → MCP Servers (user scope), into a building’s MCP section (building scope), or into a specific agent’s MCP tab (agent scope).

Configuration

MCP servers in Viberia have three scopes. Pick the one that matches your trust model.

Scope	Where you configure it	Who can use it	When to pick
User	Settings → MCP Servers	every agent in every project	Recommended for Linear if you’re the only Linear user on this machine and you trust all your agents with Linear access.
Building	Building Window → MCP section	every agent in that building	Pick this if you want only the Linear building’s agents (or only some specific building) to talk to Linear.
Agent	Agent Window → MCP tab	that agent only	Tightest scope. Pick this when you want a single agent — say, a Backlog Planner — to be the only one that can hit Linear.

For most people, user-level is the right call: install it once, and any agent you spawn — including the Chief of Staff, the Linear building’s prebuilt agents, and any custom CodeForge or GenericBuilding agents — can reach Linear when they decide it’s relevant.

Linear API key scope

The Linear MCP authenticates with a single API key. The key’s permissions are whatever your Linear workspace settings allow that key to do. If you want agents to only read, create a read-scoped key in Linear. If you want agents to create, update, and close issues, the key needs write access on those resources.

Viberia stores the API key inside the MCP server’s environment variables at the chosen scope. It does not transmit the key outside your machine except in API requests to Linear.

Using this in a building

The Linear MCP is what makes the Linear building work, but you can use it anywhere.

Inside the Linear building

If you’ve placed a Linear building in a project, the building’s prebuilt agents (Backlog Planner, Issue Writer, Issue Resolver) already know how to use the Linear MCP. As long as the MCP is installed at user scope or in the building’s own MCP section, they can:

Pull the active backlog and triage it (/plan-sprint, /backlog-review, /whats-next).
Create new issues from a brief (/add-issue, /add-issue-advanced).
Analyze a specific issue against the project’s PRDs and reality (/analyze-issue).
Move issues through to Done as work completes (/resolve-issue, /fix-issue).

Outside the Linear building

Any agent — CodeForge Developer, GenericBuilding researcher, the Chief of Staff itself — can call Linear once the MCP is in scope. Common moves:

A Planner drafting a PRD can attach the resulting Linear issue link.
A Reviewer can comment on the originating issue when a PR closes.
A Chief of Staff can answer “what am I working on this week?” by querying Linear directly.

You don’t need the Linear building to take advantage of the MCP — but the building’s agents are pre-prompted for Linear-shaped work, so they’re more efficient at it than a generic agent invoking the MCP cold.

Features

Issue read and write — list, search, create, update, comment on, and close issues.
Cycles and projects — read cycle and project structure to support sprint planning.
Teams and labels — list teams, list labels, apply labels.
Drives the prebuilt skills — every Linear-shaped slash command (/plan-sprint, /backlog-review, /whats-next, /add-issue, /add-issue-advanced, /analyze-issue, /resolve-issue, /fix-issue) is implemented against this MCP.
Three install scopes — user, building, or per-agent, so you can match access to your trust model.

Limitations

API key required. No OAuth flow. You generate the key in Linear’s settings and paste it into Viberia. If the key is compromised or revoked, rotate it in Linear and update the MCP server’s environment variable.
Permissions match the key. Agents can only do what the API key is authorized to do. A read-only key lets agents observe but not mutate.
Network required. Every Linear call goes to Linear’s API. No offline mode.
Rate limits apply. Linear’s API has per-workspace rate limits. Heavy use across many agents in parallel can hit them; the agent’s tool call fails and surfaces the error in chat.
Node.js dependency. The MCP runs under npx, so Node.js must be installed and npx must be on PATH. If you don’t have Node, install it before running /learn-mcp linear.
Distinct from the building. Installing the MCP does not automatically create a Linear building in any project. The building is a separate placement step (Building Creation Wizard → pick Linear). Likewise, removing the building does not remove the MCP.
Server provided by a third party. The MCP package (@tacticlaunch/mcp-linear) is published by a third party, not by Linear or Anthropic. Updates and feature coverage track that package’s release cadence.

Linear building — the project-level UI surface with prebuilt agents and embedded Linear web view.
MCP Servers — what MCP is, scopes explained, install patterns.
Skills (Slash Commands) — the Linear-shaped skills that ride on this MCP.