What is Mcp Ipfs

mcp-ipfs is a Node.js server that implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for interacting with the storacha.network platform via the w3 command-line interface. It allows language models and other MCP clients to manage spaces, upload/download data, and perform various tasks seamlessly.

Use cases

Use cases for mcp-ipfs include managing decentralized data spaces, uploading and sharing data securely, creating and managing delegations for data access, and handling account billing and usage reports.

How to use

To use mcp-ipfs, ensure you have Node.js version 22.0.0 or higher and the w3 CLI installed. You can then execute various commands to manage your storacha.network spaces and data through the MCP interface.

Key features

Key features include native integration with the w3 CLI, authentication and agent management, space management, data management, sharing capabilities, delegation and proof management, key and token handling, advanced storage options, and account and billing functionalities.

Where to use

mcp-ipfs can be used in fields such as decentralized storage, data management, and applications requiring interaction with the storacha.network platform, particularly in contexts involving language models and data sharing.

🪐 MCP IPFS Server (storacha.network) 🛰️

A Node.js server implementing the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for interacting with the storacha.network platform via the w3 command-line interface (@web3-storage/w3cli).

This server empowers language models 🤖 and other MCP clients to manage storacha.network spaces, upload/download data, manage delegations, and perform various other tasks by seamlessly wrapping w3 commands.

✨ Features

• Wraps the w3 CLI for native integration with storacha.network.
• Provides MCP tools covering a wide range of w3 functionality:
  • 🔑 Authentication & Agent: w3_login, w3_reset, w3_account_ls (for checking authorization)
  • 📦 Space Management: w3_space_ls, w3_space_use, w3_space_info, w3_space_add, w3_space_provision (Note: w3_space_create must be run manually due to interactive prompts)
  • 💾 Data Management: w3_up, w3_ls, w3_rm
  • 🔗 Sharing: w3_open (generates w3s.link URL)
  • 🤝 Delegations & Proofs: w3_delegation_create, w3_delegation_ls, w3_delegation_revoke, w3_proof_add, w3_proof_ls
  • 🔐 Keys & Tokens: w3_key_create, w3_bridge_generate_tokens
  • ⚙️ Advanced Storage (w3 can ...): Blob, CAR, Upload, Index, Access Claim, Filecoin Info management
  • 💳 Account & Billing: w3_plan_get, w3_coupon_create, w3_usage_report

🛠️ Prerequisites

• Node.js: Version 22.0.0 or higher (node -v).
• w3 CLI: The server executes w3 commands directly. Ensure @web3-storage/w3cli is installed globally and configured:

  npm install -g @web3-storage/w3cli
  w3 login <[email protected]>
  # Follow email verification steps
  

• Environment Variable: The w3_login tool requires the W3_LOGIN_EMAIL environment variable to be set to the same email used for w3 login.

🏗️ Project Structure

The codebase is organized as follows:

src/
├── index.ts          # Main server entry point, MCP setup, request routing
├── schemas.ts        # Zod schemas defining input arguments for each tool
├── tool_handlers.ts  # Implementation logic for each MCP tool
├── utils.ts          # Helper functions (e.g., running w3 commands, parsing JSON)
└── utils/
    └── logger.ts     # Basic logger configuration

🚀 Usage with MCP Clients

This server can be used with any MCP-compatible client. You need to configure your client to connect to this server.

Example: NPX (Recommended for simple local use)

This assumes npm and the prerequisites are met.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ipfs": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-ipfs"
      ],
      "env": {
        "W3_LOGIN_EMAIL": "[email protected]"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example: Docker

Build the image first (see Build section) or use the pre-built image alexbakers/mcp-ipfs.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-ipfs": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-v",
        "/path/to/your/project:/path/to/your/project",
        "-e",
        "W3_LOGIN_EMAIL",
        "alexbakers/mcp-ipfs"
      ],
      "env": {
        "W3_LOGIN_EMAIL": "[email protected]"
      }
    }
  }
}

📝 Note on Paths:

Several w3 commands require absolute filesystem paths (e.g., w3_up, w3_delegation_create --output, w3_proof_add, w3_can_blob_add, w3_can_store_add).

• NPX: Provide absolute paths from your host machine.
• Docker: Provide absolute paths inside the container. If interacting with files from your host (e.g., uploading), you must mount the relevant host directory into the container using the -v flag (e.g., -v /Users/me/project:/Users/me/project) and then use the container path (e.g., /Users/me/project/my_file.txt) in the tool arguments.

📦 Build

Clone the repository and install dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/alexbakers/mcp-ipfs.git
cd mcp-ipfs
npm install

Build the TypeScript code:

npm run build

You can then run the server directly:

# Ensure W3_LOGIN_EMAIL is set in your environment
export W3_LOGIN_EMAIL="[email protected]"
node dist/index.js

Or publish it (if you have the rights):

npm publish

🐳 Docker Build

Build the Docker image:

# Build locally (replace with your username/repo and desired tag)
docker build -t alexbakers/mcp-ipfs .

📜 License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.