What is Mcp Grep

mcp-grep is a server implementation that provides grep functionality through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing clients to perform pattern searches in files using the system’s grep binary.

Use cases

Use cases include searching codebases for specific functions, analyzing log files for error patterns, and performing text processing in data pipelines.

How to use

To use mcp-grep, install it via pip with ‘pip install mcp-grep’, then start the server using ‘mcp-grep-server’. Clients can connect to the server to access grep functionalities.

Key features

Key features include retrieving information about the system grep binary, searching for patterns in files with regular expressions, and supporting common grep options such as case-insensitive matching, context lines, maximum match count, fixed string matching, and recursive directory searching.

Where to use

mcp-grep can be used in software development, data analysis, and any field that requires searching through text files or logs for specific patterns.

MCP-Grep

A grep server implementation that exposes grep functionality through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Installation

Installing via Smithery

To install Grep Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @erniebrodeur/mcp-grep --client claude

Manual Installation

pip install mcp-grep

Usage

MCP-Grep runs as a server that can be used by MCP-compatible clients:

# Start the MCP-Grep server
mcp-grep-server

# Or use the MCP Inspector for interactive debugging and testing
mcp-grep-inspector

The server exposes the following MCP functionality:

• Resource: grep://info - Returns information about the system grep binary
• Tool: grep - Searches for patterns in files using the system grep binary

Features

• Information about the system grep binary (path, version, supported features)
• Search for patterns in files using regular expressions
• Support for common grep options:
  • Case-insensitive matching
  • Context lines (before and after matches)
  • Maximum match count
  • Fixed string matching (non-regex)
  • Recursive directory searching
• Natural language prompt understanding for easier use with LLMs
• Interactive debugging and testing through MCP Inspector

Example API Usage

Using the MCP Python client:

from mcp.client import MCPClient

# Connect to the MCP-Grep server
client = MCPClient()

# Get information about the grep binary
grep_info = client.get_resource("grep://info")
print(grep_info)

# Search for a pattern in files
result = client.use_tool("grep", {
    "pattern": "search_pattern",
    "paths": ["file.txt", "directory/"],
    "ignore_case": True,
    "recursive": True
})
print(result)

Natural Language Prompts

MCP-Grep understands natural language prompts, making it easier to use with LLMs. Examples:

# Basic search
Search for 'error' in log.txt

# Case-insensitive search
Find all instances of 'WARNING' regardless of case in system.log

# With context lines
Search for 'exception' in error.log and show 3 lines before and after each match

# Recursive search
Find all occurrences of 'deprecated' in the src directory and its subdirectories

# Fixed string search (non-regex)
Search for the exact string '.*' in config.js

# Limited results
Show me just the first 5 occurrences of 'TODO' in the project files

# Multiple options
Find 'password' case-insensitively in all .php files, show 2 lines of context, and limit to 10 results

MCP Inspector Integration

MCP-Grep includes an MCP Inspector integration for interactive debugging and testing:

# Start the MCP Inspector with MCP-Grep
mcp-grep-inspector

This opens a web-based UI where you can:

• Explore available resources and tools
• Test grep operations with different parameters
• View formatted results
• Debug issues with your grep queries

Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/erniebrodeur/mcp-grep.git
cd mcp-grep

# Install in development mode
pip install -e ".[dev]"

# Run tests
pytest

License

MIT