MCP Server Make

A Model Context Protocol server that provides make functionality. This server enables LLMs to execute make targets from a Makefile in a safe, controlled way.

Overview

The server exposes make functionality through the Model Context Protocol, allowing LLMs like Claude to:

• Run make targets safely with output capture
• Understand and navigate build processes
• Help with development tasks
• Handle errors appropriately
• Respect working directory context

Installation

Using uv (recommended):

uv pip install mcp-server-make

Using pip:

pip install mcp-server-make

Configuration

Basic Usage

# Run with default Makefile in current directory
mcp-server-make

# Run with specific Makefile and working directory
mcp-server-make --make-path /path/to/Makefile --working-dir /path/to/working/dir

MCP Client Configuration

To use with Claude Desktop, add to your Claude configuration (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "make": {
      "command": "mcp-server-make",
      "args": ["--make-path", "/absolute/path/to/Makefile", "--working-dir", "/absolute/path/to/working/dir"]
    }
  }
}

Enhancing Development Workflows

This server enables powerful development workflows by giving LLMs direct access to make functionality:

For Developers

1. Automated Assistance

   • Let Claude run and interpret test results
   • Get build system suggestions and improvements
   • Automate repetitive development tasks
   • Get immediate feedback on changes

2. Project Management

   • Let Claude handle dependency updates
   • Automate release processes
   • Maintain consistent code quality
   • Track project status

For Claude

1. Self-Validation Capabilities

   • Run tests to verify changes: make test
   • Check code quality: make lint
   • Format code: make format
   • Full validation: make check

2. Project Understanding

   • View project structure: make x
   • Check recent changes: make z
   • Full context snapshot: make r

3. Independent Development

   • Manage complete development cycles
   • Self-contained testing and validation
   • Build and prepare releases
   • Generate informed commit messages

Available Tools

The server exposes a single tool:

• make - Run a make target from the Makefile
  • target (string, required): Target name to execute

Error Handling

The server handles common errors gracefully:

• Missing Makefile
• Invalid working directory
• Failed make commands
• Invalid targets

All errors are returned with descriptive messages through the MCP protocol.

Working Directory Behavior

• If --working-dir is specified, changes to that directory before executing make
• If omitted, uses the directory containing the Makefile
• Always restores original working directory after execution

Example Integration

Here's how Claude can help with development tasks:

Human: Can you run our test suite and format any code that needs it?

Claude: I'll help run the tests and format the code:

1. First, let's format the code:
[Calling make tool with args {"target": "format"}]
2 files reformatted, 3 files left unchanged

2. Now let's run the tests:
[Calling make tool with args {"target": "test"}]
Running tests...
4 passed, 0 failed

All formatting and tests completed successfully. The code is now properly formatted and all tests are passing.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:

1. "Makefile not found": Verify the --make-path points to a valid Makefile
2. "Working directory error": Ensure --working-dir exists and is accessible
3. "Tool execution failed": Check make target exists and command succeeds
4. "Permission denied": Verify file and directory permissions

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve mcp-server-make! Here's how:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Run full validation: make check
5. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details