AI Dev Assistant MCP Server

Local setup required. This server has to be cloned and prepared on your machine before you register it in Claude Code.
1

Set the server up locally

Run this once to clone and prepare the server before adding it to Claude Code.

Run in terminal
npm install
npm run build
2

Register it in Claude Code

After the local setup is done, run this command to point Claude Code at the built server.

Run in terminal
claude mcp add ai-dev-assistant -- node "<FULL_PATH_TO_MCP>/dist/index.js"

Replace <FULL_PATH_TO_MCP>/dist/index.js with the actual folder you prepared in step 1.

README.md

Bridges Claude Desktop to your local Windows 10 development environment.

šŸ¤– AI Dev Assistant — MCP Server

A production-ready Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server that bridges Claude Desktop directly to your local Windows 10 development environment. Give Claude the ability to read your code, run scripts, search docs, and execute safe terminal commands — all without leaving the chat.


✨ What It Does

This server extends Claude Desktop with four powerful developer tools:

Tool What It Does
github_repo_reader Recursively reads any local repo (ignores .git, node_modules, binaries)
code_executor Runs Python or Node.js snippets in isolated child processes
doc_search Full-text keyword search across your local docs/ folder
terminal_commander Executes safe CMD/PowerShell commands via a strict allowlist

šŸ—ļø Project Structure

ai-dev-assistant-mcp/
ā”œā”€ā”€ src/
│   ā”œā”€ā”€ index.ts                  ← MCP server entry point & tool registry
│   └── tools/
│       ā”œā”€ā”€ repoReader.ts         ← GitHub Repo Reader tool
│       ā”œā”€ā”€ codeExecutor.ts       ← Code Executor tool
│       ā”œā”€ā”€ docSearch.ts          ← Doc Search tool
│       └── terminalCommander.ts  ← Terminal Commander tool
ā”œā”€ā”€ dist/                         ← Compiled JavaScript (generated by `npm run build`)
ā”œā”€ā”€ claude_desktop_config.json    ← Example Claude Desktop config block
ā”œā”€ā”€ package.json
ā”œā”€ā”€ tsconfig.json
└── README.md

āš™ļø Setup (Windows 10)

Prerequisites

  • Node.js v18 or higher — verify with node --version
  • Python 3 (optional, only needed for the code_executor Python runtime)
  • Claude Desktop installed

Step 1 — Clone / Place the Project

Place this project folder somewhere permanent, for example:

C:\ai-dev-assistant-mcp\

āš ļø Do not move the folder later — Claude Desktop will reference the compiled path.

Step 2 — Install Dependencies

Open a terminal in the project root and run:

cd C:\ai-dev-assistant-mcp
npm install

Step 3 — Build the TypeScript

npm run build

This compiles src/ → dist/. You should see dist/index.js appear.

Step 4 — Configure Claude Desktop

Open (or create) the Claude Desktop config file at:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Paste in the following block (adjust the path if you placed the project elsewhere):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ai-dev-assistant": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "C:\\ai-dev-assistant-mcp\\dist\\index.js"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

šŸ’” Already have other MCP servers? Just add the "ai-dev-assistant" key inside your existing "mcpServers" object.

Step 5 — Restart Claude Desktop

Fully quit and relaunch Claude Desktop. You should see the šŸ”§ tools icon in the chat input bar — click it to confirm all four tools appear.


šŸ”’ Security Architecture

Terminal Commander Safe List

The terminal_commander tool will refuse to run any command whose base name is not on the explicit allowlist in src/tools/terminalCommander.ts:

const SAFE_COMMANDS_ALLOWLIST: Set<string> = new Set([
  "dir", "ls", "git", "node", "npm", "npx", "python",
  "tsc", "docker", "ipconfig", "ping", "whoami", ...
]);

Additionally, even allowlisted commands are blocked if they match any dangerous pattern:

rm -rf     del /s     format C:     shutdown
taskkill   net user   netsh         Invoke-Expression
curl | bash           registry edits   UAC elevation ...

To add a new command, edit SAFE_COMMANDS_ALLOWLIST in src/tools/terminalCommander.ts, then rebuild:

npm run build

Code Executor Sandbox

  • Scripts run in isolated temp files — no persistent state between calls
  • 15-second hard timeout — runaway processes are killed automatically
  • 64 KB output cap — prevents memory exhaustion from verbose output
  • Temp files are deleted immediately after execution

Repo Reader Limits

  • Ignores: .git, node_modules, .next, dist, __pycache__, .venv, etc.
  • Skips: binary files, images, archives, .lock files
  • 500 KB per-file cap — large generated files are skipped automatically
  • 500 file maximum per call

šŸ› ļø Usage Examples

Once connected to Claude Desktop, you can ask Claude:

"Read my repo at C:\Projects\my-api and explain the architecture."

"Run this Python script and tell me the output:
  import json; print(json.dumps({'status': 'ok', 'count': 42}))"

"Search my docs folder at C:\Projects\my-api\docs for 'authentication'"

"Run git status in C:\Projects\my-api"

"What files are in C:\Projects? Run dir."

šŸ”§ Development

Watch Mode (auto-recompile on save)

npm run watch

Run Without Building (ts-node)

npm run dev

Add a New Tool

  1. Create src/tools/myTool.ts — export a function returning { name, description, inputSchema, handler }
  2. Import it

Tools (4)

github_repo_readerRecursively reads any local repository while ignoring git, node_modules, and binary files.
code_executorRuns Python or Node.js snippets in isolated child processes.
doc_searchPerforms full-text keyword search across a local documentation folder.
terminal_commanderExecutes safe CMD or PowerShell commands via a strict allowlist.

Configuration

claude_desktop_config.json
{"mcpServers": {"ai-dev-assistant": {"command": "node", "args": ["C:\\ai-dev-assistant-mcp\\dist\\index.js"]}}}

Try it

→Read my repo at C:\Projects\my-api and explain the architecture.
→Run this Python script and tell me the output: print('Hello World')
→Search my docs folder at C:\Projects\my-api\docs for 'authentication'
→Run git status in C:\Projects\my-api
→What files are in C:\Projects? Run dir.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of AI Dev Assistant?

Recursive local repository reading with intelligent file filtering. Isolated Python and Node.js code execution with hard timeouts. Full-text search capabilities for local documentation folders. Secure terminal command execution via a strict allowlist.

What can I use AI Dev Assistant for?

Analyzing local project architecture without leaving the Claude chat interface. Quickly testing small code snippets or scripts directly in the development environment. Searching through local project documentation for specific implementation details. Executing routine git commands or file system operations via natural language.

How do I install AI Dev Assistant?

Install AI Dev Assistant by running: npm install && npm run build

What MCP clients work with AI Dev Assistant?

AI Dev Assistant works with any MCP-compatible client including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and other editors with MCP support.

Turn this server into reusable context

Keep AI Dev Assistant docs, env vars, and workflow notes in Conare so your agent carries them across sessions.

Need the old visual installer? Open Conare IDE.
Open Conare