MCP Start App

You run a local MCP server that gives you powerful file management, editing, search, and system operations right on your machine. It’s designed to be used with an MCP client to perform safe, scriptable actions on your files and environment, with built-in backups, history tracking, and security checks to prevent accidental damage.

How to use

Connect your MCP client to the local server using the standard MCP connection flow. You will interact with the server through high-level actions like listing files, reading and writing content, editing lines, performing advanced searches, and running system commands in a controlled environment. Each action is exposed through intuitive endpoints your client can call, with responses that include results, metadata, and any relevant logs. You can perform bulk operations, inspect change history, and restore from backups when needed. Use the client to initiate operations, review results, and iterate on your workflow with confidence that destructive actions are guarded by backups and safe-guards.

How to install

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

# 2. Install dependencies and set up the virtual environment
./scripts/install.sh

# 3. Activate the virtual environment
source venv/bin/activate

# 4. Run the MCP server
mcp-start-app

If you prefer alternative run methods, you can also use the provided run script or direct Python execution. Use the following commands to start the server via the alternate approaches.

# Alternative: use the auto-activating run script
./scripts/run_server.py

# Direct Python execution (module entry)
source venv/bin/activate
python -m mcp_start_app.main

Configuration

Configure the MCP server for your environment and client integration. The server can be started via a standard Python runtime and supports local execution paths. Use the following example to wire up a client with the local stdio-based startup command.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "startapp": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "mcp_start_app.main"]
    }
  }
}

Available tools

list_files

List directory contents including options to show hidden files and provide size metadata.

read_file

Read text file contents with encoding handling.

write_file

Write content to a file, creating or overwriting as needed.

get_file_lines

Retrieve specific lines from a file based on start and end indices.

get_file_info

Fetch detailed metadata for a file, including permissions, timestamps, and size.

edit_file_lines

Edit specific lines in a file by replacing or updating content within a line range.

insert_lines

Insert new lines at a specified line number in a file.

delete_lines

Delete a range of lines from a file.

replace_in_file

Find and replace text within a file, with optional regex support.

get_file_diff

Show differences between the current file and a backup.

get_edit_history

View the history of edits made to a file, with optional limits.

search_adv

Perform an advanced multi-file search with context, patterns, and filters.

replace_adv

Execute an advanced multi-file replace across many files with options.

search_files_by_name

Find files by name patterns across directories.

search_in_files

Perform simple text search within files under a directory.

get_search_stats

Analyze directory statistics and file distributions for search results.

run_command

Execute system commands with safety restrictions.

get_system_info

Fetch comprehensive information about the operating system and hardware.

find_files

Locate files by pattern within a directory.

get_running_processes

List currently running processes on the system.

validate_syntax

Check code syntax across languages such as Python, JavaScript, and JSON.

format_code

Format code using standard formatters like Black and Prettier.

detect_language

Auto-detect programming languages for given code snippets.

get_local_data

Query local data sources for quick information retrieval.