BTRFS Snapper MCP
# BTRFS Snapper MCP
[](https://pypi.org/project/snapper-mcp/)
[](https://claude.ai/code)
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for managing BTRFS snapshots via [Snapper](http://snapper.io/) and monitoring BTRFS filesystem health. Exposes two unified tools with action-based dispatch to minimize tool proliferation while providing full snapshot management and disk health monitoring.
## Features
- **Two-tool design**: `snapper` for snapshots, `btrfs_health` for filesystem monitoring
- **Full Snapper support**: list, create, delete, rollback, cleanup, diff, status
- **BTRFS health monitoring**: usage, device stats, scrub status, balance status
- **Flexible configuration**: Environment variables for cross-system portability
- **No hardcoded paths**: Works with any Snapper configuration and mount points
## Installation
### From PyPI (recommended)
```bash
pip install snapper-mcp
```
### Using uvx (no install required)
```bash
uvx snapper-mcp
```
### From source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/danielrosehill/BTRFS-Snapper-MCP.git
cd BTRFS-Snapper-MCP
pip install -e .
```
## Configuration
The server is configured via environment variables, making it portable across systems:
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `SNAPPER_MCP_USE_SUDO` | `true` | Set to `false` if user has direct permissions |
| `SNAPPER_MCP_SNAPPER_PATH` | `snapper` | Path to snapper binary |
| `SNAPPER_MCP_BTRFS_PATH` | `btrfs` | Path to btrfs binary |
| `SNAPPER_MCP_SUDO_PATH` | `sudo` | Path to sudo binary |
| `SNAPPER_MCP_DEFAULT_CONFIG` | `root` | Default snapper config name |
| `SNAPPER_MCP_DEFAULT_MOUNT` | `/` | Default BTRFS mount point |
| `SNAPPER_MCP_TIMEOUT` | `60` | Command timeout in seconds |
## MCP Client Configuration
### Claude Code / Claude Desktop
Add to your MCP settings (e.g., `~/.claude/settings.json` or Claude Desktop config):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"btrfs-snapper": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["snapper-mcp"]
}
}
}
```
### With custom configuration
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"btrfs-snapper": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["snapper-mcp"],
"env": {
"SNAPPER_MCP_DEFAULT_CONFIG": "root",
"SNAPPER_MCP_DEFAULT_MOUNT": "/",
"SNAPPER_MCP_USE_SUDO": "true"
}
}
}
}
```
## Tools
### `snapper` - Snapshot Management
Manages BTRFS snapshots via Snapper.
#### Actions
| Action | Description | Required Parameters |
|--------|-------------|---------------------|
| `configs` | List available snapper configurations | - |
| `list` | Show all snapshots for a config | `config` (optional) |
| `create` | Create a new snapshot | `config`, `description` (optional) |
| `delete` | Remove a snapshot by number | `config`, `snapshot_id` |
| `rollback` | Restore to a previous snapshot | `config`, `snapshot_id` |
| `cleanup` | Prune snapshots using an algorithm | `config`, `cleanup_algorithm` |
| `diff` | Show file differences between snapshots | `config`, `snapshot_id`, `snapshot_id_end` |
| `status` | List changed files between snapshots | `config`, `snapshot_id`, `snapshot_id_end` |
#### Examples
```json
// List configurations
{"action": "configs"}
// List snapshots
{"action": "list", "config": "root"}
// Create snapshot
{"action": "create", "config": "root", "description": "Before system update"}
// Delete snapshot
{"action": "delete", "config": "root", "snapshot_id": 5}
// Rollback (requires reboot)
{"action": "rollback", "config": "root", "snapshot_id": 3}
// Cleanup with algorithm
{"action": "cleanup", "config": "root", "cleanup_algorithm": "number"}
// Compare snapshots
{"action": "diff", "config": "root", "snapshot_id": 1, "snapshot_id_end": 5}
```
Cleanup algorithms:
- `number`: Keep a fixed number of snapshots
- `timeline`: Keep snapshots based on age (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)
- `empty-pre-post`: Remove empty pre/post snapshot pairs
### `btrfs_health` - Filesystem Health Monitoring
Monitors BTRFS filesystem health and status.
#### Actions
| Action | Description | Parameters |
|--------|-------------|------------|
| `usage` | Comprehensive filesystem space usage | `mount_point` (optional) |
| `devices` | List devices in the BTRFS array | `mount_point` (optional) |
| `stats` | Device error statistics | `mount_point`, `device` (optional) |
| `scrub_status` | Status of scrub operation | `mount_point` (optional) |
| `balance_status` | Status of balance operation | `mount_point` (optional) |
| `df` | Space allocation by data type | `mount_point` (optional) |
| `filesystem_show` | Filesystem information | `mount_point` (optional) |
#### Examples
```json
// Check filesystem usage
{"action": "usage", "mount_point": "/"}
// Check for device errors
{"action": "stats", "mount_point": "/"}
// Check scrub status
{"action": "scrub_status", "mount_point": "/"}
// Show data/metadata allocation
{"action": "df", "mount_point": "/"}
// Show filesystem info
{"action": "filesystem_show"}
```
## Prerequisites
- Linux with BTRFS filesystem
- [Snapper](http://snapper.io/) installed and configured (for snapshot management)
- Python 3.10+
- Sudo access (unless running as root or with appropriate permissions)
### Installing Snapper
**Ubuntu/Debian:**
```bash
sudo apt install snapper
```
**Fedora/openSUSE:**
```bash
sudo dnf install snapper
# or
sudo zypper install snapper
```
### Creating Snapper Configs
```bash
# For root filesystem
sudo snapper -c root create-config /
# For home partition
sudo snapper -c home create-config /home
```
## Sudo Configuration
For passwordless operation, add to `/etc/sudoers.d/btrfs-snapper`:
```
yourusername ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/snapper
yourusername ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/btrfs
```
Or disable sudo if you have direct permissions:
```json
{
"env": {
"SNAPPER_MCP_USE_SUDO": "false"
}
}
```
## Adapting for Other Systems
### Different Snapshot Tools
The architecture can be adapted for other snapshot tools (e.g., Timeshift, ZFS snapshots) by:
1. Replacing the `run_snapper_command()` function with your tool's CLI
2. Adjusting the action handlers for your tool's command syntax
3. Updating environment variables as needed
### Different Filesystems
For ZFS or other filesystems:
1. Replace `run_btrfs_command()` with your filesystem's CLI
2. Update `BtrfsAction` enum with relevant actions
3. Implement new handlers for your filesystem's commands
The action-dispatch pattern remains the same regardless of underlying tools.
## License
MIT
TDQS
Scored across 2 tools
The two tools have completely distinct purposes: btrfs_health monitors filesystem health, and snapper manages snapshots. There is no overlap in functionality, so an agent can easily distinguish when to use each.
Both tool names are descriptive and use a clear style (btrfs_health uses prefix 'btrfs_', snapper uses the application name). While there is no strict pattern like verb_noun, the names are intuitive and consistent in being self-explanatory.
Only two tools for a complex domain like BTRFS management is minimal. Each tool bundles many sub-actions, which could be separate tools for better discoverability. The low count suggests an incomplete surface for tasks like defragmentation or advanced configuration.
The tools cover essential BTRFS operations: health monitoring (usage, errors, scrub, balance) and snapshot management (create, delete, rollback, diff, cleanup). Missing are direct balance initiation or defragmentation, but these are covered by status checks, making the set fairly comprehensive for core tasks.