Moodle Plugin Db MCP

Moodle Plugin DB MCP Server

This repository contains a TypeScript-based MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for querying the Moodle plugin database API at:

https://download.moodle.org/api/1.3/pluglist.php

What this provides

• Proper MCP Server: Built with @modelcontextprotocol/sdk
• Browser Testing: MCP Inspector integration for interactive testing
• stdio Transport: Compatible with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients

Available Tools

Quick Start

Local Development

Install dependencies:

npm install

GitHub Codespaces (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started is using GitHub Codespaces:

1. Create a GitHub repository from this code
2. Open in Codespaces: Click the "Code" button → "Codespaces" → "Create codespace on main"
3. Automatic setup: The devcontainer will automatically:

- Install Node.js 20 - Run npm install - Configure VS Code with recommended extensions - Forward the necessary ports (3000, 6274, 6277)

Testing with MCP Inspector (Browser)

The easiest way to test and develop your MCP server is using the MCP Inspector, which provides a web interface:

npm run inspector:dev

This will:

1. Build the TypeScript code
2. Launch the MCP Inspector
3. Open your browser to an interactive testing interface (auto-forwarded in Codespaces)
4. Show you all available tools and let you test them

You can also run the inspector against an already-built version:

npm run build
npm run inspector

Using with Claude Desktop

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "moodle-plugin-db": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/moodle-plugin-db-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "CACHE_DIR": "/path/to/your/cache/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Options

The server supports the following configuration options:

• CACHE_DIR (environment variable): Directory to store cached plugin data (defaults to system temp directory)

- Example: CACHE_DIR=/Users/username/.cache/moodle-plugins npm start - The cache uses a 1-hour TTL with automatic fallback to fresh data if needed

Then restart Claude Desktop and you'll see the tools available in the interface.

Development

# Build TypeScript
npm run build

# Run the built server (stdio mode)
npm start

Codespaces Features

This repository is configured for GitHub Codespaces with:

• Pre-configured environment: Node.js 20, TypeScript, and all dependencies
• VS Code extensions: TypeScript, Prettier, Copilot, and JSON support
• Port forwarding: MCP Inspector UI automatically opens in browser
• Instant setup: Ready to code in seconds

Codespaces Port Configuration

• Port 3000: MCP Server (for direct connections)
• Port 6274: MCP Inspector UI (auto-opens in browser)
• Port 6277: MCP Inspector Proxy (background service)

Completed Features

• ✅ Parse the pluglist JSON response into typed structures
• ✅ Implement real logic for find_plugin_latest_version tool with Moodle version/release filtering
• ✅ Add filesystem caching layer for the pluglist data (1-hour TTL with fallback)
• ✅ Basic error handling and input validation
• ✅ MCP settings support for configurable cache directory

Contributing

1. Fork this repository
2. Open in GitHub Codespaces for instant development environment
3. Make your changes and test with npm run inspector:dev
4. Submit a pull request