Local File Management MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides file system operations (list, read, write) within a local project directory. Built with FastMCP.

Prerequisites

Python 3.10+
fastmcp package

Installation

Create and activate a virtual environment:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

Install dependencies: You can install the core package directly:

pip install fastmcp

Or install all project dependencies from the requirements file:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Configuration

The server operates within the directory containing server.py. To change the base path, modify PROJECT_BASE_PATH in server.py:

PROJECT_BASE_PATH = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))

Integration with Claude

Method 1: Claude Desktop App

Add this server to your Claude Desktop configuration file (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-file-server": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["/path/to/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/your/venv/bin/python with the absolute path to your Python interpreter, and /path/to/server.py with the absolute path to server.py.

Configuration file locations:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

After editing the config file, restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.

Method 2: Claude Code Extension in VS Code

If you're using the Claude Code extension in VS Code, you need to configure the MCP server through the Claude Code CLI first:

Prerequisites:

Install the Claude Code extension in VS Code
Install Claude Code CLI (follow the installation guide at code.claude.com)

Configuration Steps:

Open your terminal and configure the MCP server using the Claude Code CLI:

claude mcp add mcp-file-server

When prompted, provide:

Command: /path/to/your/venv/bin/python
Arguments: /path/to/server.py

Alternatively, you can manually edit the Claude Code settings file:

Open the Claude Code settings file:
- macOS/Linux: ~/.claude/settings.json
- Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.claude\settings.json
Add your MCP server configuration under the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-file-server": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["/path/to/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Restart VS Code completely (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window")
Open the Claude Code extension panel in VS Code and verify the MCP server is connected:
- Type /mcp in the Claude Code chat to see the server status
- The server should show as "connected" with available tools

Note: The Claude Code extension shares settings with the CLI through ~/.claude/settings.json, so MCP servers configured via CLI will automatically be available in the VS Code extension.

Finding your Python path:

which python  # On macOS/Linux
where python  # On Windows

Available Tools

Tool	Description
`list_project_files`	List files in the project directory (optional `sub_folder` parameter)
`read_file_content`	Read contents of a file (`filename` parameter)
`create_new_file`	Create a new file (`filename` and `content` parameters)

All operations are scoped to the project directory. File operations include standard path validation and error handling.