Unix Timestamps MCP Server

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A lightweight MCP server for converting ISO 8601 date/time strings to Unix timestamps.

Features

• ISO 8601 to Unix Timestamp Conversion: Provides a tool (iso8601_to_unix) to convert standard ISO 8601 date/time strings into Unix timestamps (seconds since the epoch).
• Input Validation: Basic check to ensure the input string is a valid date recognized by JavaScript's Date parser.
• Error Handling: Returns an error message if the input string is not a valid ISO 8601 date/time.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 18 or higher recommended)
• npm or npx (usually included with Node.js)

Client Configuration (Claude Desktop)

To use this server with a client like Claude Desktop, add the following configuration to your client's settings file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unix_timestamps_mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "github:Ivor/unix-timestamps-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Usage

This server provides tools accessible via an MCP client.

Available Tools

Tool: iso8601_to_unix(iso8601: string)

Converts an ISO 8601 formatted date/time string into a Unix timestamp (seconds since epoch).

• Input Parameter: iso8601 (string) - The date/time string in ISO 8601 format (e.g., "2024-07-26T10:00:00Z", "2024-07-26T12:00:00+02:00").

• Output: Text containing the calculated Unix timestamp and confirmation of the parsed date. Example:

  Unix Timestamp: 1721988000
  
  Original ISO8601: 2024-07-26T10:00:00Z
  Parsed as: Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:00:00 GMT
  

• Error Handling: Returns an error message if the input string is not a valid ISO 8601 date/time.

Examples in Claude Desktop

1. Configure the server as shown in the Installation section.
2. Use the iso8601_to_unix tool in your prompts:
   • "Convert '2023-03-15T12:00:00Z' to a Unix timestamp: iso8601_to_unix(iso8601: '2023-03-15T12:00:00Z')"
   • "What is the Unix timestamp for '2024-01-01T00:00:00-05:00'? iso8601_to_unix(iso8601: '2024-01-01T00:00:00-05:00')"

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details. (Please create a LICENSE file or update this section if using a different license).