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Cursor Setup

Add arifOS constitutional governance to Cursor, the AI-first code editor.

Prerequisites​

  • Cursor installed
  • Cursor version 0.40+ (MCP support required)

Configuration​

Step 1: Open MCP Settings​

In Cursor:

  1. Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
  2. Search for "MCP: Open Settings"
  3. Or navigate to Settings → MCP Servers

Step 2: Add arifOS Server​

Add to your MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arifOS": {
      "url": "https://arifos.arif-fazil.com/sse"
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Reload Cursor​

Reload the window or restart Cursor to apply changes.

Verify Installation​

  1. Open a new chat with Cursor AI
  2. Ask: "What MCP tools are available?"
  3. You should see arifOS tools listed:
    • init_000
    • agi_genius
    • asi_act
    • apex_judge
    • vault_999

Using arifOS in Cursor​

Code Review with Governance​

Review this function and verify your suggestions with arifOS before applying:

function processPayment(amount) {
  // ... code here
}

Cursor will:

  1. Analyze the code
  2. Use agi_genius to verify suggestions
  3. Use asi_act to check for harmful changes
  4. Only suggest changes that pass governance

Fact-Checking Documentation​

Verify this JSDoc comment is accurate:

/**
 * Sorts array in O(n) time using radix sort
 * @param {number[]} arr - Input array
 */

arifOS will check the O(n) claim against F2 (Truth).

Safe Refactoring​

Refactor this module, but use 888_HOLD for any changes affecting the database layer.

arifOS will pause and ask for confirmation before database-affecting changes.

Local Server for Development​

For faster response times during development:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arifOS": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "arifos.mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Requires pip install arifos first.

Project-Level Rules​

Create .cursorrules with governance instructions:

# Cursor Rules

## arifOS Integration

- Use arifOS tools for all code modifications
- 888_HOLD required for:
  - Changes to authentication code
  - Database schema modifications
  - API endpoint changes
  - Package version upgrades

## Floor Priorities

- F2 (Truth): All comments must be verifiable
- F6 (Empathy): Consider junior developers reading this code
- F4 (Clarity): Code should be clearer after changes

Troubleshooting​

Tools Not Appearing​

  1. Check MCP settings JSON syntax
  2. Ensure Cursor version supports MCP
  3. Reload window (Cmd+Shift+R / Ctrl+Shift+R)

Slow Responses​

The cloud server adds ~50ms latency. For faster development:

  1. Use local server mode
  2. Or run arifOS on your local network

Governance Too Strict​

If you're getting too many VOIDs:

  1. Check which floor is failing
  2. Adjust your prompts to satisfy the floor
  3. Or explicitly ask to override (will be logged)

Best Practices​

  1. Keep governance enabled — It catches real issues
  2. Use project rules — Customize for your codebase
  3. Trust 888_HOLD — High-stakes operations need confirmation
  4. Review audit trail — Check /health for governance logs

Next Steps​