rust-canvas-mcp

GarthDB/rust-canvas-mcp

3.2

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A high-performance Rust-based MCP server for Canvas LMS API integration.

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Rust Canvas MCP

A high-performance Rust-based MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Canvas LMS API integration.

Overview

This project implements a clean, efficient MCP server that provides seamless integration with Canvas LMS. It addresses the stderr pollution issues present in the Python implementation while providing all 71 tools for comprehensive Canvas functionality.

Key Features

  • Zero stderr pollution - Clean MCP protocol communication via stdio
  • 71 Canvas API tools - Complete coverage of Canvas functionality
  • Type-safe - Leverages Rust's type system for robust parameter handling
  • High performance - Fast startup and efficient request handling
  • Flexible ID handling - Accepts both string and integer identifiers
  • Comprehensive error handling - Proper JSON-RPC error responses

Installation

Prerequisites

  • Rust 1.70+ (stable)
  • Canvas API access token

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/GarthDB/rust-canvas-mcp.git
cd rust-canvas-mcp
cargo build --release

The compiled binary will be available at target/release/rust-canvas-mcp.

Configuration

  1. Copy the example environment file:

    cp env.example .env

  2. Edit .env and configure your Canvas credentials:

    CANVAS_API_TOKEN=your_token_here
CANVAS_API_URL=https://your-institution.instructure.com/api/v1

Usage

With Cursor IDE

Add to your .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "canvas-mcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/rust-canvas-mcp",
      "env": {
        "CANVAS_API_TOKEN": "your_token",
        "CANVAS_API_URL": "https://your-institution.instructure.com/api/v1"
      }
    }
  }
}

Standalone Testing

Test your Canvas API connection:

cargo run -- --test

Available Tools

The server provides 71 tools across 8 categories:

  • Course Tools (8) - List and manage courses
  • Discussion Tools (12) - Topics, entries, and replies
  • Assignment Tools (10) - Assignments, submissions, analytics
  • Announcement Tools (4) - Create and manage announcements
  • Page Tools (6) - Course pages and content
  • User Tools (5) - Users, enrollments, groups
  • Rubric Tools (10) - Full CRUD for rubrics
  • Peer Review Tools (8) - Reviews and analytics
  • Messaging Tools (5) - Canvas conversations
  • Analytics Tools (4) - Student performance tracking

Development

Running Tests

cargo test

Code Coverage

cargo install cargo-llvm-cov
cargo llvm-cov --html

Linting

cargo clippy --all-targets --all-features
cargo fmt --check

Success Criteria

  • ✅ Zero stderr output during normal operation
  • ✅ All 71 tools functional
  • ✅ Robust parameter handling (string/int IDs)
  • ✅ Fast startup (<100ms)
  • ✅ Clean JSON-RPC error handling
  • ✅ Works seamlessly in Cursor
  • ✅ >80% test coverage
  • ✅ Comprehensive documentation

Contributing

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Make your changes
  4. Submit a pull request

All changes must go through PR review to the protected main branch.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

  • Inspired by the Python canvas-mcp implementation
  • Built with the official Rust MCP SDK (rmcp)