Build

You have a lightweight MCP server that provides build, test, linting, and dependency-management capabilities for development projects. It lets you run project builds, execute tests, read and analyze package manifests, install dependencies, and catch code-quality issues from a single, consistent interface.

How to use

You interact with the MCP server through an MCP client to perform common development tasks. You can tell it to run build commands, execute test suites, analyze package.json files, install dependencies with your preferred package manager, and run linting to check code quality. Each operation is exposed as a tool you can invoke with a simple command in your development workflow. The server returns detailed results and context so you can diagnose failures quickly and continue development with confidence.

How to install

Prerequisites: make sure you have Node.js and npm installed on your system. You can verify by running node -v and npm -v in your terminal.

# Quick start via the recommended approach
npx build-mcp-server

If you prefer local development, clone the project, install dependencies, and build the project locally.

# Local development flow
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd build-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

Configuration

Configure the MCP server in your MCP configuration file to enable the build server. The examples below show two ways to run the server locally. Use the one that matches your setup.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "build-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "build-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Security

The MCP server executes shell commands within the specified directories. Ensure you trust the environment and the commands being executed. The server includes timeouts to prevent long-running processes and to protect your workflow from runaway tasks.

Troubleshooting and notes

If you encounter build failures, test errors, or linting issues, review the output and logs provided by the server for detailed context. Ensure your working directory and environment variables are correct for the command you are running, and verify that dependencies are installed before attempting builds or tests.

Examples and practical usage

Common workflows you can perform via an MCP client include building the project, running tests, installing dependencies with your chosen package manager, checking available scripts in package.json, and linting the codebase to surface quality issues.

Available tools

run_build

Execute build commands in a project directory. Default command is npm run build and runs in the specified directory.

run_test

Execute test suites in a project directory. Default command is npm test and runs in the specified directory.

check_package_json

Analyze package.json files and extract key information from the manifest in the target directory.

install_dependencies

Install project dependencies using a package manager. Choose npm, yarn, or pnpm and run in the target directory.

lint_code

Run code linting and quality checks. Default command is npm run lint and runs in the specified directory.