DDEV MCP Server
# DDEV MCP Server
## Overview
This project provides a [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) server that enables Large
Language Models (LLMs) and AI assistants to interact with [DDEV](https://ddev.com/) local development environments.
Features include:
- 🗄️ **Query databases directly** - Execute SQL queries, inspect schemas, and analyze data in your DDEV MySQL/PostgreSQL databases
- 🚀 **Manage DDEV projects** - Start, stop, restart projects and check their status
- 🔧 **Execute development commands** - Run Composer, access logs, control Xdebug, and execute shell commands in containers
- 🛡️ **Maintain security** - Whitelist-based protection ensures only safe operations are allowed by default
**Use Cases:**
- **Database Development**: "Show me all users with pending orders" → LLM queries your local database directly
- **Debugging**: "Check the error logs for the last hour" → LLM retrieves and analyzes DDEV service logs
- **Project Management**: "Start my e-commerce project and check if the database is ready" → LLM manages your DDEV environment
- **Schema Analysis**: "What's the relationship between users and orders tables?" → LLM inspects your actual database structure
- **Development Workflow**: "Run the latest migrations and show me the updated schema" → LLM executes commands and verifies results
## Features
### Tools
#### Database Operations
- `ddev_db_backup` - Create database snapshots
- `ddev_db_describe_table` - Get table structure/schema (PostgreSQL \d or MySQL DESCRIBE)
- `ddev_db_list_backups` - List available database backups
- `ddev_db_list_databases` - List all databases (PostgreSQL \l or MySQL SHOW DATABASES)
- `ddev_db_list_tables` - List all tables in the database (auto-detects database type)
- `ddev_db_query` - Execute SQL queries with detailed error reporting (supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB)
- `ddev_db_restore` - Restore from database snapshots
#### Project Management
- `ddev_list_projects` - List all DDEV projects with status
- `ddev_project_status` - Get current status and configuration of a DDEV project
- `ddev_start_project` - Start a DDEV project
- `ddev_stop_project` - Stop a DDEV project
- `ddev_restart_project` - Restart a DDEV project
#### DDEV Service Operations
- `ddev_exec_command` - Execute commands in DDEV web service
- `ddev_exec_service` - Execute commands in specific DDEV services (web, db, redis, etc.)
- `ddev_ssh` - SSH access and connection information
- `ddev_logs` - Get service logs
#### Development Tools
- `ddev_composer_command` - Run Composer commands
- `ddev_xdebug` - Control Xdebug (on/off/toggle/status)
- `ddev_share` - Share project via ngrok tunnel
- `ddev_mailpit` - Access Mailpit for email testing
#### Database Management
- `ddev_export_db` - Export database dumps
- `ddev_import_db` - Import database dumps
**🔒 Security Features:**
- **Whitelist Security Model**: Only explicitly allowed read-only operations are permitted (default deny)
- **Comprehensive Protection**: Blocks hundreds of potentially dangerous operations by default
- **Write Protection**: All data modification blocked by default unless `--allow-write` is used
- **Catastrophic Operation Blocking**: DROP DATABASE, SHUTDOWN, file operations always blocked
- **Configuration Protection**: Blocks SET, FLUSH, GRANT, and other config changes
### Resources
- `ddev://current` - Current project context and server configuration
- `ddev://config` - Current project DDEV configuration
## Security Features
**🔒 Whitelist Security Model (Default Deny)**
The MCP server uses a comprehensive whitelist approach where only explicitly allowed read-only operations are permitted.
Any query not matching the whitelist is automatically blocked.
### ✅ Allowed Operations (Whitelist)
- `SELECT` - Data queries and joins
- `SHOW` - Database/table inspection (TABLES, DATABASES, COLUMNS, etc.)
- `DESCRIBE` / `DESC` - Table structure
- `EXPLAIN` - Query execution plans
- `WITH ... SELECT` - Common Table Expressions (read-only)
- PostgreSQL meta-commands (`\dt`, `\d`, `\l`, etc.)
- System catalog queries (`INFORMATION_SCHEMA`, `pg_catalog`)
### 🚫 Always Blocked (Even with --allow-write)
- `DROP DATABASE` / `DROP SCHEMA` - Catastrophic deletions
- `SHUTDOWN`, `KILL` - System control
- File system access (`LOAD_FILE`, `INTO OUTFILE`)
- Shell commands (`\!`, `COPY ... FROM PROGRAM`)
- Other system-level operations
### Enabling Write Operations
To enable write operations, use the `--allow-write` flag:
```bash
# Enable write operations
ddev-mcp --allow-write
# Enable write operations with single project mode
ddev-mcp --allow-write --single-project my-project
```
**⚠️ Warning**: Only enable write operations when necessary and ensure you trust the LLM application accessing the server.
## Multi-Database Support
The MCP server automatically detects the database type from your DDEV configuration and uses the appropriate commands:
### PostgreSQL Projects
- Commands: `psql`, `\dt`, `\d table_name`, `\l`
- Detected from: `database.type: postgres` in `.ddev/config.yaml`
### MySQL/MariaDB Projects
- Commands: `mysql`, `SHOW TABLES`, `DESCRIBE table_name`, `SHOW DATABASES`
- Detected from: `database.type: mysql` or `database.type: mariadb` in `.ddev/config.yaml`
### Automatic Detection
- Reads `.ddev/config.yaml` to determine database type
- Falls back to MySQL if no configuration found
- Database type is shown in command output for clarity
## Installation & Deployment
### Option 1: Download from GitHub Releases (Recommended)
Download the NPM package from the [latest release](https://github.com/AkibaAT/ddev-mcp/releases/latest) and install locally:
```bash
# Download the .tgz file from releases, then:
npm install -g ./ddev-mcp-0.8.0.tgz
# Verify installation
ddev-mcp --help
```
### Option 2: NPM Installation (Currently Unavailable)
```bash
# NPM publishing is currently disabled
# Use Option 1 (GitHub Releases) instead
npm install -g ddev-mcp # This will not work currently
# Or install directly from the downloaded package
tar -xzf ddev-mcp-1.0.0.tgz
cd package
npm install -g .
```
### Option 3: Build from Source
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/AkibaAT/ddev-mcp.git
cd ddev-mcp
# Install dependencies and build
npm install
npm run build
# Install globally (optional)
npm install -g .
```
### Option 4: Quick Installation Script
```bash
# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/AkibaAT/ddev-mcp.git
cd ddev-mcp
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh
```
This will:
- ✅ Check system requirements (Node.js 20+, DDEV)
- 📦 Install the server globally via npm
- 📋 Provide MCP client configuration
## MCP Client Configuration
### Basic Configuration
#### Global Installation
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ddev": {
"command": "ddev-mcp"
}
}
}
```
#### Local Installation
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ddev": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/ddev-mcp/dist/index.js"]
}
}
}
```
### Advanced Configuration with Single Project Mode
**⚠️ Important:** When you configure single project mode, the MCP server becomes **limited to that single project only**. All tools will automatically target the configured project, project selection parameters (`project_name`) will be hidden from the interface, and the `ddev_list_projects` command will be disabled for security reasons (to prevent information disclosure about other projects on the system).
#### Single Project Mode (Recommended for dedicated development)
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ddev": {
"command": "ddev-mcp",
"args": ["--single-project", "project-id"]
}
}
}
```
**Use Case:** Perfect when working on a single project and you want a clean, dedicated interface without repetitive
project parameters.
#### Enable Write Operations (Use with Caution)
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ddev-write": {
"command": "ddev-mcp",
"args": ["--allow-write", "--single-project", "development-site"]
}
}
}
```
#### Multi-Project Mode (Flexible for multiple projects)
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ddev": {
"command": "ddev-mcp"
}
}
}
```
**Use Case:** When working with multiple DDEV projects, you can specify `project_name` or `project_path` for each command.
All tools will show project selection parameters.
#### Multiple Dedicated Servers (Different projects and security levels)
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"ddev-production": {
"command": "ddev-mcp",
"args": ["--single-project", "main-site"]
},
"ddev-development": {
"command": "ddev-mcp",
"args": ["--allow-write", "--single-project", "dev-site"]
}
}
}
```
**Use Case:** Separate MCP servers for different projects with different security levels (e.g., read-only for production,
write-enabled for development).
### Configuration Summary
| Mode | Configuration | Project Parameters | `ddev_list_projects` | Use Case |
|----------------------|-------------------------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| **Single Project** | `--single-project name` | Hidden (automatic) | **Disabled** (security) | Dedicated development on one project |
| **Multi-Project** | No default args | Visible (required) | **Available** | Working across multiple projects |
| **Multiple Servers** | Multiple servers with different single projects | Hidden per server | **Disabled** per server | Different projects with different access levels |
### Configuration File Locations
Configuration file locations depend on your MCP client. Common examples:
- **Generic MCP Client**: `~/.config/mcp/config.json`
- **Application-specific**: Check your MCP client documentation for the correct path
## Project Context Features
**🎯 Intelligent Project Context**
When you configure single project mode, the MCP server provides rich contextual information to LLMs through the
`ddev://current` resource.
### Current Project Information
The `ddev://current` resource provides real-time:
- **Project Details**: Name, status, database type, URL
- **Server Configuration**: Security mode, default settings
- **Dynamic Status**: Current project state (updated when accessed)
**Example Response:**
```json
{
"project": {
"name": "project-id",
"status": "running",
"dbType": "postgres",
"url": "https://project-id.ddev.site",
"description": "DDEV project 'project-id' (running) using postgres database"
},
"serverConfig": {
"securityMode": "read-only",
"allowWriteOperations": false
}
}
```
## Usage Examples
### Project Targeting Options
The MCP server supports different project targeting modes depending on your configuration:
#### Single Project Mode (Single Project Configured)
```json5
// Clean interface - no project parameters needed or visible
{
"name": "ddev_db_query",
"arguments": {
"query": "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM games;"
}
}
```
**All commands automatically target the configured single project.**
#### Multi-Project Mode (No Single Project Restriction)
```json5
// Use Project Name
{
"name": "ddev_db_query",
"arguments": {
"project_name": "project-id",
"query": "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM users;"
}
}
```
```json5
// Start a specific project
{
"name": "ddev_start_project",
"arguments": {
"project_name": "my-site"
}
}
```
**Project parameters are visible and required for targeting specific projects.**
### Project Resolution (Multi-Project Mode Only)
When no single project restriction is configured, the server resolves projects in this order:
1. **Explicit `project_name`** - Uses the specified DDEV project name
2. **Current directory** - Fallback if no project name provided
**Note:** In single project mode, all commands automatically use the configured project.
## Testing & Debugging
### Test with MCP Inspector
```bash
# Global installation
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector ddev-mcp
# Local installation
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node dist/index.js
# Development mode
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node --loader ts-node/esm index.ts
```
### Verify Installation
```bash
# Check if globally installed
which ddev-mcp
# Test DDEV integration
ddev list --json-output
```
## Requirements
- Node.js 20+
- DDEV installed and accessible via PATH
- DDEV projects configured
## Development
### Building and Running
```bash
npm run dev # Run with ts-node
npm run build # Build TypeScript
npm run start # Run built version
```
### Code Quality
```bash
npm run lint # Run ESLint
npm run lint:fix # Fix auto-fixable ESLint issues
npm run lint:check # Run ESLint with strict checking (CI)
```
### Testing
```bash
npm run test # Run tests
npm run test:watch # Run tests in watch mode
npm run test:ci # Run tests for CI (with coverage)
```
TDQS
Scored across 5 tools
Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose with no ambiguity: composer commands, database queries, command execution, project listing, and project status retrieval. The descriptions specify different targets (Composer, database, web service, projects) and actions (run, execute, list, get), making misselection unlikely.
All tool names follow a consistent 'ddev_' prefix with a descriptive verb_noun pattern (e.g., ddev_composer_command, ddev_db_query). This predictable naming scheme enhances readability and agent usability without any deviations or mixed conventions.
With 5 tools, the server is well-scoped for managing DDEV projects, covering key operations like project listing, status checks, and command execution. Each tool earns its place by addressing distinct aspects of DDEV management without being overly sparse or bloated.
The tool set provides solid coverage for core DDEV workflows, including project discovery, status monitoring, and execution of commands. A minor gap exists in lifecycle management (e.g., starting/stopping projects or creating new ones), but agents can likely work around this using existing tools like ddev_exec_command.