ZIM Server
FreeNot checkedEnables reading and searching ZIM files for offline reference content like Wikipedia.
About
Enables reading and searching ZIM files for offline reference content like Wikipedia.
README
⚠️ Experimental Warning
This is an experimental version that has only been tested on WSL2. The installation and usage instructions below are specifically for WSL2 environment.
A Model Context Protocol server for reading and searching ZIM files. ZIM is a file format developed by Kiwix for offline storage of Wikipedia and other reference content.
Installation (WSL2)
- Install dependencies:
pnpm install
- Build the project:
pnpm run build
- Prepare ZIM files:
Download ZIM files from Kiwix Library and place them in a directory, e.g.,
/path/to/zim
Usage
Configuration for Claude Desktop
Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"zim-mcp-server": {
"command": "wsl.exe",
"args": [
"bash",
"-c",
"node /path/to/zim-mcp-server/build/index.js /path/to/zim"
]
}
}
}
Example:
{
"mcpServers": {
"zim-mcp-server": {
"command": "wsl.exe",
"args": [
"bash",
"-c",
"node /home/username/Code/zim-mcp-server/build/index.js /home/username/Code/zim"
]
}
}
}
Replace /path/to/zim-mcp-server with your project path and /path/to/zim with your ZIM files directory path.
Available Tools
list-zim-files: List all ZIM files in allowed directoriessearch-zim-file: Search within ZIM file content- Required:
zimFilePath,query - Optional:
limit(default: 10),offset(default: 0)
- Required:
get-zim-entry: Get detailed content of a specific entry- Required:
zimFilePath,entryPath - Optional:
maxContentLength(default: 10000)
- Required:
License
MIT
Install ZIM Server in Claude Desktop, Claude Code & Cursor
unyly install zim-mcp-serverInstalls into Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor & VS Code — handles npx, uvx and build-from-source repos for you.
First time? Get the CLI: curl -fsSL https://unyly.org/install | sh
Or configure manually
Run in your terminal:
claude mcp add zim-mcp-server -- npx -y github:zicojiao/zim-mcp-serverFAQ
Is ZIM Server MCP free?
Yes, ZIM Server MCP is free — one-click install via Unyly at no cost.
Does ZIM Server need an API key?
No, ZIM Server runs without API keys or environment variables.
Is ZIM Server hosted or self-hosted?
Self-hosted: the server runs locally on your machine via the install command above.
How do I install ZIM Server in Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor?
Open ZIM 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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