What is Github Realease Detecter

GitHub Release Detector is an agent-based monitoring system that utilizes the Model Context Protocol (MCP) architecture to autonomously track and notify users of new releases in open-source software projects hosted on GitHub.

Use cases

Use cases include automated monitoring of software libraries for updates, receiving notifications for new features or bug fixes in open-source projects, and maintaining awareness of changes in dependencies for development projects.

How to use

To use GitHub Release Detector, clone the repository, install the required Python dependencies, set up the Gmail MCP tool, and configure your OAuth credentials. The system will then monitor specified GitHub repositories and send email notifications for new releases.

Key features

Key features include monitoring multiple GitHub repositories, sending email notifications for new releases, providing detailed release notes and changelogs, configurable checking intervals, easy setup with GitHub Actions, and secure Gmail authentication.

Where to use

GitHub Release Detector is suitable for developers, project maintainers, and anyone interested in keeping track of updates in open-source projects on GitHub.

GitHub Release Detector

A tool that automatically monitors GitHub repositories for new releases and sends email notifications when they’re detected. Stay up-to-date with your favorite open source projects without constantly checking for updates.

Overview

GitHub Release Detector is an agent-based monitoring system that leverages the Model Context Protocol (MCP) architecture to create an autonomous pipeline for tracking and notifying users of open-source software releases. The system implements a multi-layered service architecture connecting GitHub’s REST API with Gmail’s SMTP services through OAuth2 authentication.

Features

• 🔍 Monitor multiple GitHub repositories for new releases
• 📧 Receive email notifications when new releases are detected
• 🤖 Includes detailed release notes and changelog information
• ⏱️ Configurable checking intervals
• 🔄 Easy setup with GitHub Actions for continuous monitoring
• 🔐 Secure Gmail authentication

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12+
• Node.js 20+
• Gmail account
• Google Cloud Platform OAuth credentials

Installation

Local Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/GongRzhe/Github-Realease-Detecter.git
   cd Github-Realease-Detecter
   

2. Install Python dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

3. Install the Gmail MCP tool:

   npm install -g @gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp
   

4. Set up OAuth credentials:

   • Create a project in Google Cloud Console
   • Enable the Gmail API
   • Create OAuth credentials (Desktop app)
   • Download the credentials as gcp-oauth.keys.json

GitHub Actions Setup

1. Fork this repository
2. Add the following secrets to your repository:
   • OPENAI_API_KEY: Your OpenAI API key (if you’re using AI features)
   • REPOS_TO_MONITOR: Comma-separated list of repos (e.g., owner/repo1 owner/repo2)
   • RECIPIENT_EMAIL: Email address to receive notifications
   • GCP_OAUTH_B64: Base64-encoded OAuth credentials (see below)
   • GMAIL_AUTH_B64: Base64-encoded Gmail credentials (see below)

Encoding Secrets for GitHub Actions

In PowerShell:

# For OAuth credentials
$fileContent = Get-Content -Path "gcp-oauth.keys.json" -Raw
$encodedContent = [Convert]::ToBase64String([System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetBytes($fileContent))
$encodedContent | Out-File -FilePath "gcp-oauth.keys.json.b64"

# For Gmail credentials (if you have them already)
$fileContent = Get-Content -Path "credentials.json" -Raw
$encodedContent = [Convert]::ToBase64String([System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetBytes($fileContent))
$encodedContent | Out-File -FilePath "credentials.json.b64"

Configuration

Create a configuration file or use environment variables:

# Example .env file
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-XXX

Usage

Running Locally

python github_release_monitor.py --repos owner/repo1 owner/repo2 --email [email protected] --interval 60

Using GitHub Actions

The included workflow will run automatically on schedule or can be triggered manually.

To manually trigger the workflow:

1. Go to the Actions tab in your repository
2. Select “GitHub Release Monitor” workflow
3. Click “Run workflow”

How It Works

1. The script periodically checks the GitHub API for new releases in the specified repositories
2. When a new release is detected, it formats an email notification with release details
3. The Gmail MCP tool authenticates with your Gmail account and sends the notification
4. The system keeps track of which releases have already been reported to avoid duplicates

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. JSON Parsing Errors: Ensure your OAuth credentials are properly encoded when using GitHub Actions
2. Authentication Failures: Run the tool with auth parameter locally first to authenticate:

   npx @gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp auth
   

3. Rate Limiting: Use a GitHub token to increase API rate limits

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• GitHub API for providing the release information
• Google’s Gmail API for email functionality

Made with ❤️ by GongRzhe