MCP Filesystem

What is MCP Filesystem?

MCP Filesystem is an MCP server that exposes each non‑ignored file in a workspace directory as a resource and sends real‑time change notifications. It is intended for developers using MCP‑compatible clients (e.g. Claude Desktop) who want AI assistants to access and interact with local project files.

How to use MCP Filesystem?

Install the server binary via go install github.com/isaacphi/mcp-filesystem@latest. Add it to your client’s MCP server configuration (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json) with the command mcp-filesystem and the --workspace argument set to the absolute path of your repository. The client must support resource listing, change notifications, and resource content access.

Key features of MCP Filesystem

• Exposes each workspace file as an MCP resource
• Respects .gitignore rules automatically
• Detects file changes, additions, and deletions
• Identifies MIME types and handles text encodings
• Written in Go, installable via go install

Use cases of MCP Filesystem

• AI assistants can read and reference all non‑ignored files in a project
• Collaborative code review with real‑time file change awareness
• Automating documentation generation from live file contents
• Providing context‑aware code suggestions based on workspace state

FAQ from MCP Filesystem

What runtime or dependencies are required?

Go must be installed to build or install the server; the final server is a standalone Go binary.

Does it support .gitignore patterns?

Yes, the server respects .gitignore rules and ignores matched files.

How does the server detect file changes?

It uses the fsnotify library to monitor file system events and sends notifications/resources/list_changed notifications to the client.

What MIME type handling does it support?

It identifies file types and handles various text encodings for each registered resource.

Is this production‑ready?

No, the server is pre‑beta quality. Issues and feedback are welcome.