Github MCP Server

Gitman - Simple CLI Github Repository Manager

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Github MCP server?

Github MCP server exists for a simple reason — assistants are far more useful when they can act on Github directly instead of describing what you should do. Gitman - Simple CLI Github Repository Manager.

What you get

Gitman - Simple CLI Github Repository Manager

Setting it up

The server ships on PyPI as github-manager, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

What the assistant can call

Once Github is connected, these are the calls the assistant has available:

  • setup — Creates an authentication token file in the users $HOME. Subject to change
  • list — Lists the repositories of a user, either specified with the --user flag or defaulting to the authenticated user
  • clone — Clones a specified repository (formatted /, defaulting to the authenticated user if / not present) in the current working directory
  • fork — Forks a specified repository (formattes /) for the authenticated user

Configuration and credentials

  • Python 3.x - pip - Github OAuth authentication token with the repos flag enabled (for actions that require user authentication)

Before you rely on it

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the github mcp server does with a few real requests.

Choosing this one

This sits in the developer tooling group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Github's toolset — setup, list, clone and 1 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by Eduardo Coello Rodriguez; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against Github's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
setupCreates an authentication token file in the users $HOME. Subject to change.
listLists the repositories of a user, either specified with the --user flag or defaulting to the authenticated user.
cloneClones a specified repository (formatted <user>/<repo>, defaulting to the authenticated user if <user>/ not present) in the current working directory.
forkForks a specified repository (formattes <user>/<repo>) for the authenticated user.

How to install the Github MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-manager": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["github-manager"]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

  • Python 3.x - pip - Github OAuth authentication token with the repos flag enabled (for actions that require user authentication)

Example prompts to try

  • Use Github to setup.
  • Use Github to list.
  • Use Github to clone.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Github to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 4 tools (setup, list, clone, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Github directly.