Starbase - Your Personal Code Repository Manager

Never lose track of your code again! Starbase centralizes all your scattered code into one searchable repository.

Development & Release Process

To release a new version to PyPI:

python release.py

That's it! This automatically:

• Increments the version
• Syncs starbase.py → src/starbase/cli.py with import fixes
• Builds the package with PDM
• Commits and tags the release
• Uploads to PyPI using ~/.pypirc credentials

After release, push to GitHub:

git push && git push --tags

Quick Start

# If using PDM (recommended):
pdm run python menu.py

# Or activate the environment first:
pdm shell
python menu.py

That's it! The interactive menu will guide you through everything.

What This Does

Starbase solves the "where did I put that code?" problem by:

• Extracting code from messy project folders with intelligent dependency detection
• Storing everything in a centralized repository at ~/starbase
• Searching your code using natural language (even with typos!)
• Installing any stored package instantly with PDM or pip

First Time Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   pdm install
   # or
   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

2. Run the menu:

   pdm run python menu.py
   

3. Choose option 1 to extract your first project!

Common Commands

# Using PDM (recommended way):
pdm run python menu.py                    # Interactive menu
pdm run python starbase.py extract .      # Extract current directory
pdm run python starbase.py search "term"  # Search for code

# Or activate environment once and run directly:
pdm shell                                  # Activates the virtual environment
python menu.py                            # Now you can run directly
python starbase.py extract .

Key Features

• 🤖 AI-Powered: Automatically generates descriptions and understands natural language searches
• 📦 Smart Extraction: Detects entry points and traces all dependencies
• 🔍 Semantic Search: Find code even when you can't remember exact names
• 💻 Claude Integration: Your code automatically available to Claude Desktop (MCP)
• ⚡ Zero Config: Works out of the box with intelligent defaults

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• PDM or pip
• Optional: Groq/Claude API key for AI features

MCP Server Integration (Claude, VSCode, Copilot)

Starbase automatically configures itself as an MCP server on first run, making your code available to AI assistants everywhere!

🚀 Auto-Configuration

When you run starbase for the first time, it automatically:

• ✅ Installs MCP server globally
• ✅ Configures Claude Desktop
• ✅ Configures Claude Code CLI
• ✅ Creates VSCode-compatible wrapper

📝 VSCode/GitHub Copilot Setup

If VSCode doesn't detect the MCP server automatically:

1. Reload VSCode (if you had errors before):

   • Press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
   • Type: "Developer: Reload Window"

2. Check MCP Server Status:

   • Open Output panel (View → Output)
   • Select "MCP" from dropdown
   • Should show "Starting server starbase"

3. Manually Add/Restart Server:

   • Press Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P
   • Type: "MCP: Restart Server" or "MCP: Add Server"
   • Select "starbase"

4. Manual Configuration (if needed):

   • Command: python starbase_mcp_server.py
   • Type: stdio

🤖 Claude Desktop

After running starbase once, restart Claude Desktop. You'll see:

• 🔌 starbase tool available in Claude
• Can search and retrieve any extracted code

🛠️ Available MCP Commands

Once connected, AI assistants can:

• search_packages("query") - Search your code with natural language
• get_package_code("name") - Retrieve full source code
• list_all_packages() - See everything in your starbase
• get_install_command("name") - Get install instructions

🔧 Troubleshooting MCP

VSCode Issues:

• Make sure you have the MCP extension installed
• Check that starbase_mcp_server.py exists in your project root
• Try: MCP: Restart Server from command palette

Claude Desktop Issues:

• Check config at: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Mac)
• Should contain starbase in mcpServers section
• Restart Claude Desktop after any config changes

Testing the Server:

# Test if MCP server works
starbase-mcp-server --help

# Or with PDM
pdm run starbase-mcp-server

Never lose code again. Never search through old folders. Just Starbase it!