<img width="860" height="92" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f4a8dfea-e922-4306-b769-48337681f5ea" /> Advanced filesystem operations for Claude Desktop with large file handling capabilities and Claude-optimized features.

Quick Start

Add to your Claude Desktop config.

Basic setup

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fast-filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "fast-filesystem-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

With backup files enabled

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fast-filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "fast-filesystem-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "CREATE_BACKUP_FILES": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Backup Configuration

Control backup file creation behavior.

CREATE_BACKUP_FILES=false (default): Disables backup file creation to reduce clutter
CREATE_BACKUP_FILES=true: Creates backup files before modifications

Note: Backup files are created with timestamps (e.g., file.txt.backup.1755485284402) to prevent data loss during edits.

Debug and Logging Configuration

The MCP server uses a safe logging system that prevents JSON-RPC communication errors.

DEBUG_MCP=true or MCP_DEBUG=true: Enable debug logging to stderr
MCP_LOG_FILE=/path/to/log.txt: Write logs to file instead of stderr
MCP_SILENT_ERRORS=true or SILENT_ERRORS=true: Suppress error messages in responses

Note: Debug output is automatically suppressed by default to prevent JSON parsing errors in Claude Desktop.

New Version Update

To update to the latest version, follow these steps.

Uninstall previous version

   npm uninstall -g fast-filesystem-mcp

Clean cache and dependencies

   npm cache clean --force
   pnpm store prune

Install latest version

   npm install -g fast-filesystem-mcp

Verify installation

   npm list -g fast-filesystem-mcp
   fast-filesystem-mcp --version

Features

Core File Operations

Fast File Reading/Writing: Optimized for Claude Desktop with chunking support
Sequential Reading: Read large files completely with continuation token support
Large File Handling: Stream-based writing for files of any size
Directory Operations: Comprehensive directory listing, creation, and management
File Search: Name and content-based file searching with filtering

Advanced Capabilities

Pagination Support: Handle large directories efficiently
Chunked Reading: Read large files in manageable chunks
Streaming Writes: Memory-efficient writing for large files
Backup & Recovery: Automatic backup creation and error recovery
Retry Logic: Built-in retry mechanism for reliable operations

Performance Optimizations

Claude-Optimized: Response sizes and formats optimized for Claude
Memory Efficient: Streaming operations prevent memory overflow
Smart Exclusions: Automatically excludes system files and directories
Progress Tracking: Real-time progress monitoring for large operations

Available Tools

File Operations

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | fast_read_file | Read files with chunking support | | fast_read_multiple_files | Read multiple files simultaneously with sequential reading support | | fast_write_file | Write or modify files | | fast_large_write_file | Stream-based writing for large files | | fast_get_file_info | Get detailed file information |

Complex File Management

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | fast_copy_file | Copy files and directories with advanced options | | fast_move_file | Move/rename files and directories safely | | fast_delete_file | Delete files and directories with protection | | fast_batch_file_operations | Execute multiple file operations in sequence |

Archive Management

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | fast_compress_files | Create compressed archives (tar, tar.gz, tar.bz2) | | fast_extract_archive | Extract compressed archives with options |

Directory Synchronization

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | fast_sync_directories | Advanced directory synchronization with multiple modes |

Advanced Editing Tools

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | fast_edit_file | Precise line-based file editing with multiple modes | | fast_edit_block | Safe block editing with exact string matching | | fast_edit_blocks | Batch block editing for multiple precise changes | | fast_edit_multiple_blocks | Edit multiple sections in a single operation | | fast_extract_lines | Extract specific lines or ranges from files |

Directory Operations

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | fast_list_directory | List directory contents with pagination | | fast_create_directory | Create directories recursively | | fast_get_directory_tree | Get directory tree structure |

Search Operations

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | fast_search_files | Search files by name or content | | fast_search_code | Advanced code search with ripgrep integration | | fast_find_large_files | Find large files in directories |

System Operations

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | fast_get_disk_usage | Check disk usage information | | fast_list_allowed_directories | List allowed directories |

Editing Tools

Precise File Editing

The fast-filesystem MCP now includes powerful editing tools for source code and text files.

`fast_edit_file` - Single Block Editing

Supports multiple editing modes.

replace: Replace text or entire lines
replace_range: Replace multiple lines at once
insert_before: Insert content before specified line
insert_after: Insert content after specified line
delete_line: Delete specific lines

{
  "tool": "fast_edit_file",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "/path/to/file.js",
    "mode": "replace",
    "line_number": 10,
    "new_text": "const newVariable = 'updated value';",
    "backup": true
  }
}

`fast_edit_multiple_blocks` - Batch Editing

Edit multiple parts of a file in a single operation. ``json { "tool": "fast_edit_multiple_blocks", "arguments": { "path": "/path/to/file.js", "edits": [ { "mode": "replace", "old_text": "oldFunction()", "new_text": "newFunction()" }, { "mode": "insert_after", "line_number": 5, "new_text": "// Added comment" } ], "backup": true } } ``

`fast_extract_lines` - Line Extraction

Extract specific lines by number, range, or pattern. ``json { "tool": "fast_extract_lines", "arguments": { "path": "/path/to/file.js", "pattern": "function.*", "context_lines": 2 } } ``

`fast_search_and_replace` - Advanced Replace

Powerful search and replace with regex support.

{
  "tool": "fast_search_and_replace",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "/path/to/file.js", 
    "search_pattern": "console\\.log\\(.*\\)",
    "replace_text": "logger.info($1)",
    "use_regex": true,
    "max_replacements": 10,
    "backup": true
  }
}

Editing Features

Automatic Backup: Creates backups before modifications
Error Recovery: Restores from backup on failure
Line-based Operations: Precise control over specific lines
Pattern Matching: Regular expression support
Batch Operations: Multiple edits in single transaction
Context Extraction: Extract lines with surrounding context

Large File Writing

fast_large_write_file
Streaming: Writes files in chunks to prevent memory issues
Backup: Automatically creates backups before overwriting
Verification: Verifies file integrity after writing
Retry Logic: Automatic retry on failure with exponential backoff
Progress Tracking: Real-time monitoring of write progress

License

Apache 2.0

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.

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Repository

https://github.com/efforthye/fast-filesystem-mcp

fast-filesystem-mcp