GitHub release information and PyPI package versions via MCP
MCP Releases Server
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides GitHub release information and PyPI package versions.
Features
- GitHub Releases: Query the latest stable release from any GitHub repository
- PyPI Integration: Look up the latest production version of Python packages
- Smart Fallback: Automatically falls back to PyPI when GitHub releases aren't available
- Repository Aliases: Configure short aliases for commonly used repositories
Tools
get_latest_release- Returns the latest stable release version of a GitHub repository (with PyPI fallback)get_pypi_version- Directly query PyPI for the latest stable version of any Python package
Configuration
Environment Variables
Create an optional .env file in the project root to configure the GitHub token:
export GITHUB_TOKEN="github_pat_TOKEN"
The GitHub token is optional but recommended to avoid API rate limits. The server will work without it, but with lower rate limits.
Repository Mapping
Configure repository aliases and PyPI packages in repo_mapping.json:
{
"fastapi": {
"repo": "tiangolo/fastapi",
"aliases": ["FastAPI"],
"pypi_package": "fastapi"
},
"nomad": {
"repo": "hashicorp/nomad",
"aliases": ["Nomad"]
}
}
Fields:
repo: GitHub repository inowner/nameformat (required)aliases: List of alternative names for this repository (optional)pypi_package: PyPI package name for fallback lookups (optional)
Running with Docker
docker-compose up --build
The server will be available at http://localhost:8000/mcp.
Running Locally
uv sync
uv run uvicorn server:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
VSCode Integration
Add the following to your VSCode settings (.vscode/mcp.json or user settings):
{
"mcp": {
"servers": {
"releases-server": {
"url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
}
}
}
}
Or add to ~/.vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"releases-server": {
"url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
}
}
}
After adding the configuration, restart VSCode or reload the window. The get_latest_release and get_pypi_version tools will be available to Copilot.
PyPI Integration
How It Works
The server includes two ways to query PyPI:
- Direct PyPI Lookup: Use
get_pypi_version()to directly query PyPI for any package - Automatic Fallback: When
get_latest_release()can't find a GitHub release, it automatically checks PyPI if apypi_packageis configured inrepo_mapping.json
PyPI Features
- Filters out pre-release and dev versions
- Returns only stable production versions
- Includes package metadata (summary, homepage, URLs)
- Handles non-existent packages gracefully
Usage Examples
Direct PyPI lookup:
from server import get_pypi_version
# Query any package directly
result = get_pypi_version("django")
print(result)
# Output:
# Latest stable version for django (from PyPI):
# Version: 6.0.1
# Summary: A high-level Python web framework...
# PyPI URL: https://pypi.org/project/django/6.0.1/
With automatic fallback:
from server import get_latest_release
# Configure in repo_mapping.json:
# {
# "my-package": {
# "repo": "owner/repo",
# "pypi_package": "my-package"
# }
# }
# If GitHub fails, automatically falls back to PyPI
result = get_latest_release("my-package")
Test PyPI integration:
uv run python3 -c "
from server import get_latest_pypi_version
result = get_latest_pypi_version('requests')
print(f\"Version: {result['version']}\")
"
Running Integration Tests
To run the integration suite using pytest (dependencies are handled ephemerally by uv). The tests will automatically load the GITHUB_TOKEN from your .env file if present:
uv run pytest test_integration.py -v
Or run specific test categories:
# Test GitHub functionality
uv run pytest test_integration.py -k "github" -v
# Test PyPI functionality
uv run pytest test_integration.py -k "pypi" -v
# Test with verbose output
uv run pytest test_integration.py -v -s
Tools (2)
get_latest_releaseReturns the latest stable release version of a GitHub repository (with PyPI fallback)get_pypi_versionDirectly query PyPI for the latest stable version of any Python packageEnvironment Variables
GITHUB_TOKENGitHub personal access token to avoid API rate limitsConfiguration
{
"mcp": {
"servers": {
"releases-server": {
"url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
}
}
}
}