About
MCP server for reading and writing local files
README
An MCP server for reading and writing files from your local file system. This server can be used with Claude for Desktop or any other MCP client to provide file system access for AI assistants.
Features
- List files and directories
- Read file contents
- Write content to files
- Delete files and directories
Prerequisites
- Docker installed on your system
- Git (optional, for cloning the repository)
Setup and Deployment
Option 1: Using Docker Compose (Recommended)
Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/abhishekloiwal/mcp-file-server.git cd mcp-file-serverEdit the
docker-compose.ymlfile to update the volume mount path if needed. By default, it's set to:volumes: - /Users/abhishekloiwal/CascadeProjects/ClaudeProjects:/dataReplace with your desired local path if different.
Deploy with Docker Compose:
docker-compose up -d
Option 2: Using Docker directly
Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/abhishekloiwal/mcp-file-server.git cd mcp-file-serverBuild the Docker image:
docker build -t mcp-file-server .Run the container with your local directory mounted:
docker run -d --name mcp-file-server -v /Users/abhishekloiwal/CascadeProjects/ClaudeProjects:/data mcp-file-serverReplace the path with your desired local directory path.
Connecting to Claude for Desktop
Create or update your Claude for Desktop configuration file at:
- Mac:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%AppData%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
- Mac:
Add the mcp-file-server to your configuration:
{ "mcpServers": { "file-server": { "command": "docker", "args": ["exec", "-i", "mcp-file-server", "python", "server.py"] } } }Restart Claude for Desktop.
You should now see the file-server tools available in Claude.
Available Tools
The following tools are available through this MCP server:
list_files: List all files in a directoryread_file: Read the contents of a filewrite_file: Write content to a filedelete_file: Delete a file or directory
License
MIT
Troubleshooting
If Claude for Desktop doesn't connect to the server, check the Docker container status:
docker ps -a | grep mcp-file-serverView server logs:
docker logs mcp-file-serverMake sure the volume is correctly mounted:
docker inspect mcp-file-server | grep -A 10 Mounts
Installing File Server
This server has no published package — it is built from source. Open the repository and follow its README.
▸ github.com/adityasoni9998/mcp-file-serverFAQ
Is File Server MCP free?
Yes, File Server MCP is free — one-click install via Unyly at no cost.
Does File Server need an API key?
No, File Server runs without API keys or environment variables.
Is File Server hosted or self-hosted?
Self-hosted: the server runs locally on your machine via the install command above.
How do I install File Server in Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor?
Open File Server on unyly.org, pick your client tab (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor) and press Install — the config is generated automatically, no JSON editing.
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