github-mcp

A comprehensive GitHub MCP server with OAuth Device Flow authentication and 327 endpoint coverage.

Features

• 327 GitHub API endpoints as MCP tools (vs ~50 in official server)
• OAuth Device Flow - No PAT management, just authenticate in browser
• OS Keychain storage - Secure token storage via keytar
• Real-time webhooks - GitHub events as MCP resources via smee.io
• npx installable - No Docker required

Quick Start

npx github-mcp

On first run:

1. Opens browser to github.com/login/device
2. Enter the displayed code
3. Token stored securely in OS keychain
4. MCP server starts with all tools available

Installation

npm install -g github-mcp

Or run directly:

npx github-mcp

Usage

As MCP Server

Add to your Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@ldraney/github-mcp", "--preset", "core"]
    }
  }
}

For security-focused work:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@ldraney/github-mcp", "--preset", "security"]
    }
  }
}

CLI Commands

# Start server (default)
github-mcp

# Auth commands
github-mcp auth login    # Trigger OAuth flow
github-mcp auth logout   # Remove stored token
github-mcp auth status   # Check auth status

# With environment token (skips OAuth)
GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_xxx github-mcp

Presets

Claude Desktop has a ~100 tool limit. Use presets to load only what you need:

github-mcp --preset core        # Daily dev work (~109 tools)
github-mcp --preset security    # Security audits (~38 tools)
github-mcp --preset org-admin   # Org management (~92 tools)
github-mcp --preset cicd        # CI/CD automation (~71 tools)
github-mcp --preset full        # All 327 tools (Claude Code only)

| Preset | Categories | Use Case | |--------|-----------|----------| | core (default) | repos, issues, pulls, search, users, actions, gists | Daily development | | security | dependabot, secretScanning, codeScanning, codeSecurity, securityAdvisories | Security audits | | org-admin | orgs, teams, projects, activity, users, apps | Organization management | | cicd | actions, checks, repos, packages | CI/CD pipelines | | full | all 33 categories | Claude Code with tool search |

List presets: github-mcp --list-presets

Override with custom categories: github-mcp --categories repos,issues,pulls

Available Tools

Tools are organized by GitHub API category:

| Category | Examples | |----------|----------| | github_repos_* | list, get, create, delete | | github_issues_* | list, get, create, update, comment | | github_pulls_* | list, get, create, merge, review | | github_users_* | get, list, followers | | github_actions_* | workflows, runs, jobs | | github_gists_* | list, get, create | | ... | 33 categories total |

Webhook Events

When webhooks are configured, events appear as MCP resources:

github://webhooks/push
github://webhooks/pull_request
github://webhooks/issues

Setting Up Webhooks

1. Server generates a smee.io channel on first run
2. Add the channel URL as a webhook in your repo settings
3. Events stream to the MCP server in real-time

Configuration

Environment variables:

| Variable | Description | Required | |----------|-------------|----------| | GITHUB_TOKEN | Skip OAuth, use this token | No | | GITHUB_CLIENT_ID | OAuth App client ID | For OAuth | | SMEE_URL | Custom smee.io channel | No |

Comparison with Official GitHub MCP

| Feature | Official (Go) | github-mcp | |---------|---------------|------------| | Endpoints | ~50 | 327 | | Auth | PAT only | OAuth Device Flow | | Webhooks | No | Yes (smee.io) | | Install | Docker | npx | | Token Storage | Manual | OS Keychain |

Development

git clone https://github.com/ldraney/github-mcp.git
cd github-mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm start

Contact

• LinkedIn
• GitHub Issues

License

MIT