Files

You can run an MCP filesystem server that exposes access to specific directories on your machine. This enables clients to interact with your local file system through the MCP protocol, while ensuring only approved directories are accessible and all operations stay within those boundaries.

How to use

Set up a filesystem MCP server that you can plug into an MCP client. You specify the directories you want to expose, start the server, and then connect from your client to browse, read, and manage files within those allowed paths.

Example usage with a local server that exposes a few folders. You run the server, then configure your MCP client to load it as an integration.

Then in your MCP client, enable the integration and select the filesystem server to start using it. The server will present only the directories you listed in its configuration.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "myfiles": {
      "command": "mcp-server-filesystem",
      "args": [
        "D:/",
        "C:/Users/YourUsername/Documents",
        "~/Desktop"
      ]
    }
  }
}

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Python tooling available and a runtime for MCP servers distributed via UVX. You will install the filesystem MCP server package in editable mode so you can run the server locally.

Step-by-step commands to install and prepare the server for use:

uv venv
.venv\Scripts\activate  # On Windows
uv pip install -e .

Additional configuration and security notes

Only the directories you specify in the server arguments will be accessible. The server enforces strict path validation to prevent access outside the allowed directories.

Troubleshooting

Command not found: Ensure the package is installed and your Python environment is activated.

Access denied: Verify that the specified directories exist and you have read permissions.

Server not showing in the MCP client: Check the server configuration for syntax errors and restart the client after changes.

Notes

This server entry is an MCP stdio configuration. It is started locally and communicates with clients via standard I/O channels. If you need to expose additional directories, add them to the args array in the configuration block.