mcp-dev-tools

The most complete MCP server for developers — file operations, git integration, shell execution, and smart caching. Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible client.

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✨ Why mcp-dev-tools?

Most MCP servers give you one or two basic tools. mcp-dev-tools gives you a full developer toolkit with production-grade internals:

• 🗂️ File Tools — read, write, list, inspect with validation & caching
• 🐚 Shell Tools — safe command execution with output capture
• 🌿 Git Tools — status, log, diff, branches without leaving your AI chat
• ⚡ LRU Cache — repeated file reads served instantly
• 🛡️ Built-in Validator — blocks dangerous commands and unsafe paths
• 📋 Structured Logging — clean, leveled logs that don't clutter stdio

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🚀 Quick Start

1. Clone & Install

git clone https://github.com/lucaskristina/mcp-dev-tools.git
cd mcp-dev-tools
npm install

2. Add to Claude Desktop

Open your Claude Desktop config file:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Add the following:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-tools": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/path/to/mcp-dev-tools/src/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. You'll see the 🔌 icon confirming the server is connected.

3. Add to Cursor

In Cursor settings → MCP → Add Server:

{
  "name": "dev-tools",
  "command": "node",
  "args": ["/path/to/mcp-dev-tools/src/index.js"]
}

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🛠️ Available Tools

File Operations

Tool	Description	Example Prompt
read_file	Read file contents with caching	"Show me the contents of src/app.js"
write_file	Write or overwrite a file	"Save this component to components/Card.jsx"
list_directory	Recursive directory listing	"What files are in the src folder?"
file_info	Size, dates, permissions metadata	"When was package.json last modified?"

Shell Execution

Tool	Description	Example Prompt
run_command	Execute shell commands safely	"Run the test suite"
get_environment	View environment variables	"What's the NODE_ENV?"
process_list	List running processes	"What's currently running?"

Git Integration

Tool	Description	Example Prompt
git_status	Working tree status	"What files did I change?"
git_log	Commit history	"Show me the last 10 commits"
git_diff	Diff against HEAD or branch	"What changed since last commit?"
git_branches	List local/remote branches	"What branches do we have?"

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🔧 Configuration

Create an optional mcp-config.json in your project root:

{
  "server": {
    "maxConcurrentRequests": 10,
    "requestTimeoutMs": 30000
  },
  "tools": {
    "enableFileAccess": true,
    "enableShellExecution": true,
    "allowedPaths": ["./src", "./docs"]
  },
  "logging": {
    "level": "warn"
  }
}

Option	Default	Description
logging.level	info	debug / info / warn / error
tools.allowedPaths	[cwd]	Restrict file access to these directories
tools.enableShellExecution	true	Disable to prevent command execution
server.requestTimeoutMs	30000	Tool execution timeout

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🧪 Test It

After setup, try these prompts in Claude or Cursor:

"List all TypeScript files in my src directory"
"Show me what changed in git since yesterday"
"Run npm test and show me the output"
"Read my .env file and tell me which variables are set"

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🏗️ Architecture

src/
├── index.js              # Server entry point & tool registration
├── lib/
│   ├── logger.js         # Structured logging (stderr, non-blocking)
│   ├── config.js         # Config loader with defaults & merging
│   ├── cache.js          # LRU cache (200 entries, 2min TTL)
│   ├── validator.js      # Path & command safety checks
│   ├── metrics.js        # Anonymous usage metrics (opt-out below)
│   └── utils.js          # Shared helpers & error wrappers
└── tools/
    ├── file-tools.js     # File system operations
    ├── shell-tools.js    # Command execution
    └── git-tools.js      # Git repository tools

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📊 Anonymous Metrics

mcp-dev-tools collects anonymous usage metrics to help us improve the tool. This includes:

• Node.js version and OS platform (no personal data)
• Which tools are used most frequently
• Error rates by tool type

To opt out, set the environment variable before starting:

MCP_NO_TELEMETRY=1 node src/index.js

Or add to your shell profile:

export MCP_NO_TELEMETRY=1

We never collect file contents, command output, or any user data.

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🤝 Contributing

PRs welcome! Please read CONTRIBUTING.md first.

git clone https://github.com/lucaskristina/mcp-dev-tools
cd mcp-dev-tools
npm install
npm test

Contributors

<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-LIST:START -->

Avatar	Name	Role
👤	alexkowalski	Core maintainer
👤	priya-dev	Git tools, caching
👤	t.brennan	Validator, security hardening
👤	lucaskristina-bot	CI/CD, releases
<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-LIST:END -->

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📈 Changelog

v2.3.1 — 2025-06-18

• 🐛 Fixed git_diff on Windows paths with spaces
• ⚡ Improved cache TTL handling for large files
• 📋 Added process_list tool

v2.3.0 — 2025-05-30

• ✨ Added full git tools suite
• 🛡️ Validator now blocks 12 additional dangerous patterns
• 📊 Telemetry opt-out via MCP_NO_TELEMETRY

v2.2.0 — 2025-04-12

• ✨ LRU cache for file reads (2x faster repeated reads)
• ✨ get_environment tool with sensitive key filtering
• 🔧 Config file support (mcp-config.json)

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📄 License

MIT © lucaskristina

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