github-repo-explainer-mcp 0.1.0

MCP server that gives AI assistants live access to any GitHub repo

GitHub Repo Explainer MCP

An MCP server that gives AI assistants like GitHub Copilot and Cursor live access to any GitHub repository — without cloning it first.

Ask your AI questions like:

• "What does this repo do?"
• "What changed in the last 7 days?"
• "Are any dependencies outdated?"
• "Explain this specific file"

And get answers backed by real-time GitHub data, not stale training data.

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Why this is different from Cursor or Copilot alone

	Cursor / Copilot alone	This MCP server
Explain code	✅ Local files only	✅ Any repo, anywhere
Live GitHub data	❌	✅ Stars, forks, activity
Recent commits & PRs	❌	✅ Last N days
Dependency audit	❌	✅ Checks PyPI live
Private repos	❌	✅ With your token
No cloning needed	❌	✅

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Tools

Tool	What it does
summarize_repo	Summarizes a repo's purpose, structure, language, and key files
explain_file	Fetches and explains a specific file in any repo
ask_repo	Answers any freeform question about a repo
recent_changes	Shows commits and merged PRs from the last N days
analyze_dependencies	Lists dependencies and flags outdated packages via PyPI

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Quickstart

1. Clone the repo

git clone https://github.com/Pranavvr/Repo_Explainer_MCP.git
cd Repo_Explainer_MCP

2. Create a virtual environment and install dependencies

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Set up your GitHub token

Create a .env file in the project root:

cp .env.example .env

Then open .env and add your token:

GITHUB_TOKEN=your_github_token_here

Get a token at github.com/settings/tokens. Only repo read scope needed.

4. Connect to VS Code

Open your MCP config file:

Cmd + Shift + P → MCP: Open User MCP Configuration

Add this:

{
  "servers": {
    "github-repo-explainer": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace the path with your actual path. Get it by running pwd in your project folder.

5. Restart VS Code and start asking questions

Open GitHub Copilot chat and try:

What does fastapi/fastapi do?

What changed in vercel/next.js in the last 7 days?

Are the dependencies in YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPO outdated?

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Testing with MCP Inspector

To test your tools without an AI client:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector python3 server.py

Opens a browser UI where you can call each tool manually.

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Project structure

github-repo-explainer-mcp/
├── server.py          # MCP server — defines and exposes the 5 tools
├── github_client.py   # GitHub API wrapper — all data fetching logic
├── .env               # Your GitHub token (never committed)
├── .env.example       # Token template for others
├── requirements.txt   # Dependencies
└── README.md

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Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• GitHub Personal Access Token (free, read-only scope)
• VS Code 1.99+ with GitHub Copilot, or any MCP-compatible client

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Built with

• MCP Python SDK — MCP server framework
• PyGithub — GitHub API client
• python-dotenv — environment variable management

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License

MIT