File Tools MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides file and directory tools for LLMs, with built-in support for respecting .gitignore patterns.

Features

Tools

• project_structure: Generates a tree view of directory structures while respecting .gitignore patterns

• read_multiple_files: Reads multiple files in a single request with clear content separation

Resources

• project://info: Comprehensive project information (type, dependencies, scripts, git status)

• git://status: Detailed git repository status with file changes and recent commits

• dependencies://list: Lists all project dependencies by package manager

• config://list: Finds and lists all configuration files in the project

• files://recent: Shows the 20 most recently modified files

• context://full: Complete project context with directory structure and all text files under 50KB

Additional Features

• Handles circular symlinks and permission errors gracefully

• Supports depth limiting and hidden file visibility options

• Clear error messages with helpful context for path issues

Installation

For Claude Desktop

1. Install the server to Claude Desktop:

   uv run mcp install main.py --name "File Tools"

2. Restart Claude Desktop

For Development

1. Clone the repository

2. Install dependencies:

   uv sync

Usage

Development Mode (with Inspector)

uv run mcp dev main.py

This opens the MCP Inspector for debugging and testing.

Standalone Mode

uv run python main.py

Runs the server in stdio mode, waiting for MCP client connections.

Testing

uv run python test_client.py

Runs a test client to verify server functionality.

Available Tools

project_structure

Generates a tree view of a directory structure while respecting .gitignore patterns.

Parameters:

• path (str, optional): Directory path to analyze (default: current working directory)

• max_depth (int, optional): Maximum depth to traverse (default: None for unlimited)

• show_hidden (bool, optional): Include hidden files and directories (default: False)

Example:

# Get structure of current directory
result = await session.call_tool("project_structure", {})

# Get structure with depth limit
result = await session.call_tool("project_structure", {
    "path": "/path/to/project",
    "max_depth": 3
})

# Include hidden files
result = await session.call_tool("project_structure", {
    "show_hidden": True
})

read_multiple_files

Reads multiple files and returns their contents in a single response.

Parameters:

• paths (list[str], required): List of file paths to read

Features:

• Clear separation between files with headers showing path and size

• Graceful error handling for missing or inaccessible files

• Efficient for reading multiple files in one request

Example:

# Read multiple files
result = await session.call_tool("read_multiple_files", {
    "paths": [
        "src/main.py",
        "config.json",
        "README.md"
    ]
})

Available Resources

project://info

Provides comprehensive project information in one request:

• Project type detection (Node.js, Python, Rust, etc.)

• Package metadata (name, version, description)

• Available scripts/commands

• Dependency counts

• Git status summary

• Recent commits

git://status

Detailed git repository status:

• Current branch and tracking information

• Ahead/behind status with remote

• Staged, modified, and untracked files

• Last 10 commits

dependencies://list

Lists all project dependencies:

• Supports npm, yarn, pnpm, pip, poetry, uv

• Shows production and development dependencies

• Handles multiple package manager formats

config://list

Finds all configuration files:

• Environment files (.env)

• Language configs (tsconfig.json, pyproject.toml)

• Linters and formatters

• CI/CD configurations

• Editor settings

files://recent

Shows recently modified files:

• 20 most recently modified files

• File modification timestamps

• File sizes

• Excludes common ignore patterns

context://full

Complete project context in one request:

• Full directory structure

• Contents of all text files under 50KB

• Respects .gitignore patterns

• Skips binary files automatically

• Provides summary of files included/skipped

• Perfect for giving LLMs complete project understanding

Configuration

Root Paths

When using the MCP Inspector or other MCP clients, you may need to configure root paths to allow the server to access your project directories. This is a security feature that prevents unauthorized file access.

In the MCP Inspector:

1. Click on the server configuration

2. Add root paths for directories you want to access

3. Example: /home/user/projects/my-project

Without proper root paths configured, you may see "File not found" errors even for files that exist.

Security Considerations

When deploying this server:

• Bind to localhost (127.0.0.1) only for local deployments

• Use proper authentication if exposing to network

• Consider path traversal risks - the server allows reading any accessible directory

• Configure root paths to limit file access to specific directories

License

MIT