Provides tools for retrieving information about GitHub releases, enabling agents to fetch the latest stable release version of any GitHub repository.
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@MCP Releases Serverget the latest release for microsoft/vscode"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
MCP Releases Server
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides GitHub release information and PyPI package versions.
Features
GitHub Releases: Query the latest stable release from any GitHub repository
PyPI Integration: Look up the latest production version of Python packages
Smart Fallback: Automatically falls back to PyPI when GitHub releases aren't available
Repository Aliases: Configure short aliases for commonly used repositories
Tools
get_latest_release- Returns the latest stable release version of a GitHub repository (with PyPI fallback)get_pypi_version- Directly query PyPI for the latest stable version of any Python package
Configuration
Environment Variables
Create an optional .env file in the project root to configure the GitHub token:
The GitHub token is optional but recommended to avoid API rate limits. The server will work without it, but with lower rate limits.
Repository Mapping
Configure repository aliases and PyPI packages in repo_mapping.json:
Fields:
repo: GitHub repository inowner/nameformat (required)aliases: List of alternative names for this repository (optional)pypi_package: PyPI package name for fallback lookups (optional)
Running with Docker
The server will be available at http://localhost:8000/mcp.
Running Locally
VSCode Integration
Add the following to your VSCode settings (.vscode/mcp.json or user settings):
Or add to ~/.vscode/mcp.json:
After adding the configuration, restart VSCode or reload the window. The get_latest_release and get_pypi_version tools will be available to Copilot.
PyPI Integration
How It Works
The server includes two ways to query PyPI:
Direct PyPI Lookup: Use
get_pypi_version()to directly query PyPI for any packageAutomatic Fallback: When
get_latest_release()can't find a GitHub release, it automatically checks PyPI if apypi_packageis configured inrepo_mapping.json
PyPI Features
Filters out pre-release and dev versions
Returns only stable production versions
Includes package metadata (summary, homepage, URLs)
Handles non-existent packages gracefully
Usage Examples
Direct PyPI lookup:
With automatic fallback:
Test PyPI integration:
Running Integration Tests
To run the integration suite using pytest (dependencies are handled ephemerally by uv). The tests will automatically load the GITHUB_TOKEN from your .env file if present:
Or run specific test categories: