# Canvas MCP Server

Automatically pull Canvas LMS course materials into Obsidian instead of manually downloading and organizing them.

## Why This Exists

Canvas LMS is great for courses, but managing materials requires constant downloads and folder organization. Canvas MCP Server bridges the gap: use an AI assistant to sync course files, assignments, grades, and announcements directly into your Obsidian vault, organized by course and module.

## Quick Example

```bash
# Your AI assistant runs these MCP tools:
list_courses()                              # → Find course ID
discover_course_files("123")                # → Preview all files/structure
download_course("123", "My Course")         # → Sync everything to Obsidian

# Result: Obsidian vault/Canvas/My Course/Modules/Week 1/lecture.pdf (downloaded)
```

## Status

**Dormant** — Not actively maintained. Provided as-is for reference.

## Available Tools

**Discovery:** `list_courses`, `discover_course_files`, `get_course_modules`
**Download:** `download_file`, `download_module`, `download_course`, `sync_course_files`
**Info:** `get_course_assignments`, `get_course_announcements`, `get_course_grades`, `get_upcoming_events`
**Jobs:** `get_job_status`, `list_jobs` (for background operations)

## Gotchas

**Auth Token Setup**
- Get from Canvas: Account Settings → Approved Integrations → New Access Token
- Token is required; server won't run without it

**Rate Limits**
- Canvas API allows ~3000 requests/hour
- Use `background=True` on large downloads to avoid timeout

**File Access Issues**
- Server uses 4-strategy fallback (global scope → public URL → course scope → user scope) to work around permission restrictions
- Students with limited Canvas API access still work in most cases
- Rare: if all 4 fail, manually download from Canvas web UI

## Setup

### Configuration

Environment variables or `.env` file:
```
CANVAS_BASE_URL=https://your-canvas-instance.edu
CANVAS_API_TOKEN=<your-token>
OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=C:\path\to\your\vault
CANVAS_FOLDER=Canvas  # subfolder in vault (default: Canvas)
PORT=8080
```

### Quick Start

```bash
pip install -r requirements.txt
python canvas_server.py
```

### Docker

```bash
docker build -t canvas-mcp-server .
docker run -e CANVAS_BASE_URL=... -e CANVAS_API_TOKEN=... \
  -v /path/to/obsidian:/obsidian canvas-mcp-server
```

## Tech Stack

- Python 3.11, FastMCP, httpx, python-dotenv, Docker

## License

See CLAUDE.md for notes.

## Screenshots

_TODO (Patrik): add screenshots here._