moodle-plugin-db-mcp by micaherne - MCP Server

Moodle Plugin DB MCP Server

This repository contains a TypeScript-based MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for querying the Moodle plugin database API at:

https://download.moodle.org/api/1.3/pluglist.php

What this provides

Proper MCP Server: Built with @modelcontextprotocol/sdk
Browser Testing: MCP Inspector integration for interactive testing
stdio Transport: Compatible with Claude Desktop and other MCP clients

Available Tools

Tool	Description	Parameters
`get_raw_pluglist`	Fetch raw JSON data from Moodle plugin database API (with caching)	None
`find_latest_plugin_version`	Find the latest version of a plugin compatible with a Moodle version or release	`plugin_name` (string): Name of the plugin component (e.g., mod_attendance) `moodle_identifier` (string): Moodle identifier as 10-digit version number (e.g., "2022111500") or major release (e.g., "4.1")
`get_cache_status`	Get information about the current cache status	None

Quick Start

Local Development

Install dependencies:

npm install

GitHub Codespaces (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started is using GitHub Codespaces:

Create a GitHub repository from this code
Open in Codespaces: Click the "Code" button → "Codespaces" → "Create codespace on main"
Automatic setup: The devcontainer will automatically:
- Install Node.js 20
- Run npm install
- Configure VS Code with recommended extensions
- Forward the necessary ports (3000, 6274, 6277)

Testing with MCP Inspector (Browser)

The easiest way to test and develop your MCP server is using the MCP Inspector, which provides a web interface:

npm run inspector:dev

This will:

Build the TypeScript code
Launch the MCP Inspector
Open your browser to an interactive testing interface (auto-forwarded in Codespaces)
Show you all available tools and let you test them

You can also run the inspector against an already-built version:

npm run build
npm run inspector

Using with Claude Desktop

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "moodle-plugin-db": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/moodle-plugin-db-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "CACHE_DIR": "/path/to/your/cache/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Options

The server supports the following configuration options:

CACHE_DIR (environment variable): Directory to store cached plugin data (defaults to system temp directory)
- Example: CACHE_DIR=/Users/username/.cache/moodle-plugins npm start
- The cache uses a 1-hour TTL with automatic fallback to fresh data if needed

Then restart Claude Desktop and you'll see the tools available in the interface.

Development

# Build TypeScript
npm run build

# Run the built server (stdio mode)
npm start

Codespaces Features

This repository is configured for GitHub Codespaces with:

Pre-configured environment: Node.js 20, TypeScript, and all dependencies
VS Code extensions: TypeScript, Prettier, Copilot, and JSON support
Port forwarding: MCP Inspector UI automatically opens in browser
Instant setup: Ready to code in seconds

Codespaces Port Configuration

Port 3000: MCP Server (for direct connections)
Port 6274: MCP Inspector UI (auto-opens in browser)
Port 6277: MCP Inspector Proxy (background service)

Completed Features

✅ Parse the pluglist JSON response into typed structures
✅ Implement real logic for find_plugin_latest_version tool with Moodle version/release filtering
✅ Add filesystem caching layer for the pluglist data (1-hour TTL with fallback)
✅ Basic error handling and input validation
✅ MCP settings support for configurable cache directory

Contributing

Fork this repository
Open in GitHub Codespaces for instant development environment
Make your changes and test with npm run inspector:dev
Submit a pull request