MCP-Grep

# MCP-Grep [](https://smithery.ai/server/@erniebrodeur/mcp-grep) A grep server implementation that exposes grep functionality through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). ## Installation ### Installing via Smithery To install Grep Server for Claude Desktop automatically via [Smithery](https://smithery.ai/server/@erniebrodeur/mcp-grep): ```bash npx -y @smithery/cli install @erniebrodeur/mcp-grep --client claude ``` ### Manual Installation ```bash pip install mcp-grep ``` ## Usage MCP-Grep runs as a server that can be used by MCP-compatible clients: ```bash # Start the MCP-Grep server mcp-grep-server # Or use the MCP Inspector for interactive debugging and testing mcp-grep-inspector ``` The server exposes the following MCP functionality: - **Resource:** `grep://info` - Returns information about the system grep binary - **Tool:** `grep` - Searches for patterns in files using the system grep binary ## Features - Information about the system grep binary (path, version, supported features) - Search for patterns in files using regular expressions - Support for common grep options: - Case-insensitive matching - Context lines (before and after matches) - Maximum match count - Fixed string matching (non-regex) - Recursive directory searching - Natural language prompt understanding for easier use with LLMs - Interactive debugging and testing through MCP Inspector ## Example API Usage Using the MCP Python client: ```python from mcp.client import MCPClient # Connect to the MCP-Grep server client = MCPClient() # Get information about the grep binary grep_info = client.get_resource("grep://info") print(grep_info) # Search for a pattern in files result = client.use_tool("grep", { "pattern": "search_pattern", "paths": ["file.txt", "directory/"], "ignore_case": True, "recursive": True }) print(result) ``` ## Natural Language Prompts MCP-Grep understands natural language prompts, making it easier to use with LLMs. Examples: ``` # Basic search Search for 'error' in log.txt # Case-insensitive search Find all instances of 'WARNING' regardless of case in system.log # With context lines Search for 'exception' in error.log and show 3 lines before and after each match # Recursive search Find all occurrences of 'deprecated' in the src directory and its subdirectories # Fixed string search (non-regex) Search for the exact string '.*' in config.js # Limited results Show me just the first 5 occurrences of 'TODO' in the project files # Multiple options Find 'password' case-insensitively in all .php files, show 2 lines of context, and limit to 10 results ``` ## MCP Inspector Integration MCP-Grep includes an MCP Inspector integration for interactive debugging and testing: ```bash # Start the MCP Inspector with MCP-Grep mcp-grep-inspector ``` This opens a web-based UI where you can: - Explore available resources and tools - Test grep operations with different parameters - View formatted results - Debug issues with your grep queries ## Development ```bash # Clone the repository git clone https://github.com/erniebrodeur/mcp-grep.git cd mcp-grep # Install in development mode pip install -e ".[dev]" # Run tests pytest ``` ## License MIT