What is Mcp Start App

The MCP Local Server is a Model Context Protocol server designed to provide local system access and file management capabilities. It enables Claude Desktop to interact with the local file system, execute commands, and retrieve system information across macOS, Windows, and Linux platforms.

Use cases

The server allows users to manage files (list, read, write), access system information (CPU, memory), monitor running processes, execute shell commands safely within security constraints, and find specific files based on patterns.

How to use

After installing the MCP server, you will need to set up a Python virtual environment and configure Claude Desktop to connect to the server. Once configured, you can use commands in Claude Desktop such as listing files, reading file contents, retrieving system information, and finding specific files within designated directories.

Key features

Key features of the MCP Local Server include file management (listing, reading, writing files), system information retrieval, process monitoring, safe command execution, cross-platform compatibility (macOS, Windows, Linux), and a secure environment for executing commands with restrictions.

Where to use

The MCP Local Server is ideal for users who need local file management and system interaction capabilities through the Claude Desktop application. It is suitable for developers, power users, and anyone needing streamlined access to local system resources.

MCP Start App

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for advanced local file management and system operations.

Features

🗂️ File Operations

• Read/Write Files: Full support for text file operations with encoding handling
• List Directories: Browse filesystem with size information and hidden file support
• File Information: Detailed metadata including permissions, timestamps, and size
• Path Validation: Robust path handling with security checks

✏️ Advanced File Editing

• Line-based Editing: Edit, insert, or delete specific lines in files
• Find & Replace: Text replacement with regex support across multiple files
• Diff Viewing: Compare current files with backups
• Edit History: Track all file modifications with detailed logs

🔍 Advanced Search Capabilities

• VSCode-like Search: Advanced search across multiple files with context
• File Type Filtering: Search by extension groups (code, web, config, etc.)
• Pattern Matching: Support for wildcards and regex
• Context Display: Show surrounding lines for search results
• File Name Search: Find files by name patterns
• Search Statistics: Analyze file distribution and sizes

💻 System Operations

• Command Execution: Safe execution of system commands
• System Information: Hardware and software details
• Process Management: View running processes
• File Finding: Advanced file discovery with patterns

🔧 Code Tools

• Syntax Validation: Check syntax for Python, JavaScript, JSON, etc.
• Code Formatting: Format code using standard formatters (Black, Prettier)
• Language Detection: Auto-detect programming languages

🔄 Backup & History

• Automatic Backups: Files are backed up before modifications
• Edit Tracking: Complete history of all file operations
• Restoration: Easy restore from backups
• History Analysis: Statistics and insights on editing patterns

🛡️ Security & Safety

• Path Validation: Prevents directory traversal attacks
• File Size Limits: Configurable limits to prevent memory issues
• Command Filtering: Restricted dangerous command execution
• Backup System: Automatic backup before destructive operations

Quick Start

1. Installation

# Clone or navigate to the project
cd /Users/{{USERNAME}}/Documents/mcp-start-app

# Run the installation script (sets up venv and installs everything)
./scripts/install.sh

2. Activation

# Activate the virtual environment
source venv/bin/activate

# Run the server
mcp-start-app

3. Alternative Run Methods

# Using the run script (auto-activates venv)
./scripts/run_server.py

# Direct Python execution
source venv/bin/activate
python -m mcp_start_app.main

Configuration

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to your Claude Desktop config file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-start-app": {
      "command": "/Users/{{USERNAME}}/Documents/mcp-start-app/scripts/run_server.py",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

Basic File Operations

• list_files(directory, show_hidden) - List directory contents
• read_file(file_path) - Read text file contents
• write_file(file_path, content) - Write content to file
• get_file_lines(file_path, start_line, end_line) - Get specific lines
• get_file_info(file_path) - Get detailed file information

Advanced File Editing

• edit_file_lines(file_path, start_line, new_content, end_line) - Edit specific lines
• insert_lines(file_path, line_number, content) - Insert new lines
• delete_lines(file_path, start_line, end_line) - Delete lines
• replace_in_file(file_path, search_pattern, replace_with, use_regex) - Find & replace
• get_file_diff(file_path, backup_file) - Show file differences
• get_edit_history(limit, file_path) - View edit history

Advanced Search Tools

• search_adv(search_term, search_path, case_sensitive, whole_word, use_regex, include_patterns, exclude_patterns, file_types, max_results, context_lines, show_hidden) - Advanced multi-file search
• replace_adv(search_term, replace_with, search_path, case_sensitive, whole_word, use_regex, include_patterns, exclude_patterns, file_types, dry_run, backup) - Advanced multi-file replace
• search_files_by_name(filename_pattern, search_path, case_sensitive, exact_match, show_hidden, exclude_patterns) - Search files by name
• search_in_files(search_pattern, directory, file_pattern, use_regex) - Simple text search
• get_search_stats(search_path) - Get directory statistics

System Tools

• run_command(command) - Execute system commands (with safety restrictions)
• get_system_info() - Get comprehensive system information
• find_files(pattern, directory, max_results) - Find files by pattern
• get_running_processes() - View running processes

Code Tools

• validate_syntax(file_path) - Check code syntax
• format_code(file_path, language) - Format code files

Data Tools

• get_local_data(query) - Local data queries

Project Structure

mcp-start-app/
├── 📁 venv/                        # Virtual environment
├── 📁 src/mcp_local/               # Main package
│   ├── 📁 core/                    # Core utilities & config
│   ├── 📁 services/                # Business logic layer
│   ├── 📁 tools/                   # MCP tool implementations
│   │   ├── file_operations.py      # Basic file tools
│   │   ├── file_editing.py         # Advanced editing tools
│   │   ├── search_tools.py         # Search and replace tools
│   │   ├── system_tools.py         # System operation tools
│   │   └── code_tools.py           # Code formatting and validation
│   ├── main.py                     # Entry point
│   └── server.py                   # Server configuration
├── 📁 tests/                       # Test suite
├── 📁 scripts/                     # Installation & run scripts
├── requirements.txt                # Dependencies
├── pyproject.toml                  # Python packaging
└── README.md                       # This file

Development

Running Tests

source venv/bin/activate
pytest                    # Run all tests
pytest --cov             # Run with coverage

Code Quality

source venv/bin/activate
black src/ tests/         # Format code
isort src/ tests/         # Sort imports  
flake8 src/ tests/        # Lint code
mypy src/                 # Type checking

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.