File Operations MCP Server

smithery badge

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides enhanced file operation capabilities with streaming, patching, and change tracking support.

Features

Basic File Operations: Copy, read, write, move, and delete files
Directory Operations: Create, remove, and copy directories
File Watching: Monitor files and directories for changes
Change Tracking: Track and query file operation history
Streaming Support: Handle large files efficiently with streaming
Resource Support: Access files and directories through MCP resources
Progress Reporting: Real-time progress updates for long operations
Rate Limiting: Protection against excessive requests
Enhanced Security: Path validation and input sanitization
Robust Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling and reporting
Type Safety: Full TypeScript support with strict type checking

Installation

Installing via Smithery

To install File Operations Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @bsmi021/mcp-file-operations-server --client claude

Manual Installation

npm install

Usage

Starting the Server

npm start

For development with auto-reloading:

npm run dev

Available Tools

Basic File Operations

copy_file: Copy a file to a new location
read_file: Read content from a file
write_file: Write content to a file
move_file: Move/rename a file
delete_file: Delete a file
append_file: Append content to a file

Directory Operations

make_directory: Create a directory
remove_directory: Remove a directory
copy_directory: Copy a directory recursively (with progress reporting)

Watch Operations

watch_directory: Start watching a directory for changes
unwatch_directory: Stop watching a directory

Change Tracking

get_changes: Get the list of recorded changes
clear_changes: Clear all recorded changes

Available Resources

Static Resources

file:///recent-changes: List of recent file system changes

Resource Templates

file://{path}: Access file contents
metadata://{path}: Access file metadata
directory://{path}: List directory contents

Example Usage

// Copy a file await fileOperations.copyFile({ source: 'source.txt', destination: 'destination.txt', overwrite: false }); // Watch a directory await fileOperations.watchDirectory({ path: './watched-dir', recursive: true }); // Access file contents through resource const resource = await mcp.readResource('file:///path/to/file.txt'); console.log(resource.contents[0].text); // Copy directory with progress tracking const result = await fileOperations.copyDirectory({ source: './source-dir', destination: './dest-dir', overwrite: false }); // Progress token in result can be used to track progress console.log(result.progressToken);

Rate Limits

The server implements rate limiting to prevent abuse:

Tools: 100 requests per minute
Resources: 200 requests per minute
Watch Operations: 20 operations per minute

Rate limit errors include a retry-after period in the error message.

Security Features

Path Validation

All file paths are validated to prevent directory traversal attacks:

No parent directory references (../)
Proper path normalization
Input sanitization

Resource Protection

Rate limiting on all operations
Proper error handling and logging
Input validation on all parameters
Safe resource cleanup

Progress Reporting

Long-running operations like directory copying provide progress updates:

interface ProgressUpdate { token: string | number; message: string; percentage: number; }

Progress can be tracked through the progress token returned in the operation result.

Development

Building

npm run build

Linting

npm run lint

Formatting

npm run format

Testing

npm test

Configuration

The server can be configured through various settings:

Rate Limiting: Configure request limits and windows
Progress Reporting: Control update frequency and detail level
Resource Access: Configure resource permissions and limits
Security Settings: Configure path validation rules
Change Tracking: Set retention periods and storage options
Watch Settings: Configure debounce times and recursive watching

Error Handling

The server provides detailed error information through the FileOperationError class and MCP error codes:

Standard MCP Error Codes

InvalidRequest: Invalid parameters or request format
MethodNotFound: Unknown tool or resource requested
InvalidParams: Invalid parameters (e.g., path validation failure)
InternalError: Server-side errors

Custom Error Types

File operation failures
Rate limit exceeded
Path validation errors
Resource access errors

Each error includes:

Specific error code
Detailed error message
Relevant metadata (file paths, limits, etc.)
Stack traces in development mode

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Deploy Server

HTTP connection URL

A

security – no known vulnerabilities

A

license - permissive license

A

quality - confirmed to work

How are these scores calculated?

hybrid server

The server is able to function both locally and remotely, depending on the configuration or use case.

A Model Context Protocol server that enables enhanced file system operations including reading, writing, copying, moving files with streaming capabilities, directory management, file watching, and change tracking.

Related Resources

Reddit Discussion about this server

Related MCP Servers

Filesystem MCP Server
bsmi021
-
security
A
license
-
quality
A Model Context Protocol server that provides file system operations, analysis, and manipulation capabilities through a standardized tool interface.
Last updated -
5
MIT License
MCP Filesystem Server
safurrier
A
security
A
license
A
quality
A Model Context Protocol server that provides secure and intelligent interaction with files and filesystems, offering smart context management and token-efficient operations for working with large files and complex directory structures.
Last updated -
21
48
MIT License
MCP File System
Wayazi
A
security
A
license
A
quality
A server implementing the Model Context Protocol that provides filesystem operations (read/write, directory management, file movement) through a standardized interface with security controls for allowed directories.
Last updated -
9
3
MIT License
FS-MCP Server
boleyn
-
security
A
license
-
quality
A Model Context Protocol server that provides intelligent file reading and semantic search capabilities across multiple document formats with security-first access controls.
Last updated -
5
MIT License

View all related MCP servers