File Tools MCP Server

Claude sees Настройки - not ???? or Íàñòðîéêè. MCP server for file operations on text that isn't UTF-8. It detects the encoding from the file's bytes rather than its extension, hands the model UTF-8, and writes back in the original encoding - BOM and CRLF/LF intact, still byte-compatible with whatever legacy tool owns the file.

People who need filesystem tools inside Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in Go.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-08-19 · ★ 21 · #23 OF 34 MAINTAINED FILESYSTEM · VERIFIED 2026-08-25

GPL-3.0 · Go servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install File Tools

before you install - you'll need

Set MCP_DETECTION_CANDIDATES before connecting. MCP_DEFAULT_ENCODING is optional or environment-specific per the README.

Claude Desktop

Settings → Extensions → Install, then select the https://github.com/dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools/releases/download/v4.3.0/mcp-file-tools_windows_amd64.exe .mcpb bundle

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as Claude Desktop extension (.mcpb bundle)

license GPL-3.0 - declared in the repository

registry namespace io.github.dimitar-grigorov is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What File Tools can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Limitations (from the README)

[!WARNING] Deleting the license or the notice, relicensing as MIT or proprietary, or shipping only a binary is a license violation, and §8 ends your rights the moment you do it.

Latest releases

v4.3.0 · 2026-08-19

restore zero-config allowed directories

v4.2.1 · 2026-08-15

attest release provenance · pin actions by SHA, images by digest · publish OpenSSF Scorecard results · release.yml defaults to contents: read · scan Go with CodeQL · go install served v1.8.1 - module path now carries /v4

v4.2.0 · 2026-08-15

MCP_DETECTION_CANDIDATES pins detection to the encodings you have · grep_text_files takes patterns, any of several regexes in one pass · grep reuses canonicalCharset, drops a dead assignment · manage_bom derives the…

04 · Who maintains File Tools

MCP File Tools is maintained by dimitar-grigorov. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Jan 2026.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools
category: filesystem - ranked #23 of 34 actively-maintained filesystem servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-08-19)
registry: io.github.dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools (active, first published 2026-01-30 · 30 versions)
packages: mcpb:https://github.com/dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools/releases/download/v4.3.0/mcp-file-tools_windows_amd64.exe · mcpb:https://github.com/dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools/releases/download/v4.3.0/mcp-file-tools_windows_arm64.exe · mcpb:https://github.com/dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools/releases/download/v4.3.0/mcp-file-tools_linux_amd64 · mcpb:https://github.com/dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools/releases/download/v4.3.0/mcp-file-tools_linux_arm64 · mcpb:https://github.com/dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools/releases/download/v4.3.0/mcp-file-tools_darwin_amd64 · mcpb:https://github.com/dimitar-grigorov/mcp-file-tools/releases/download/v4.3.0/mcp-file-tools_darwin_arm64

06 · File Tools FAQ

What is File Tools?

Is File Tools still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-19 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

07 · Alternatives to File Tools

Alternatives to File Tools

Maintained filesystem servers if File Tools isn't the fit.

More filesystem MCP servers · Google Drive · ellmos FileCommander · Memory Fabric · Humanpen MCP

More Go MCP servers · Draugr · Office Addin MCP · Toolmesh · Pituitary · Yutu · see all