git_diff
Get a diff between two branches or commits
LABSCO SUMMARY
Read a repository you have not cloned.
It gives an assistant the four moves you would make in a browser tab — see the tree, open the file, search the code, compare two branches — without leaving the conversation or waiting on a clone.
What it is
An MCP server that exposes GitHub repository contents and metadata to a client, with optional local cloning and caching so repeated reads of the same repo do not re-fetch everything.
What you get
- A repository summary, with stars, forks, description and last-updated when you ask for metadata
- The whole directory tree, rendered as an ASCII tree rather than a flat path dump
- The contents of specific files you name, on the branch you name
- Content search inside a repository, so a symbol or string is located without cloning it yourself
- A diff between any two branches or commits
- Text or structured JSON output, and progress notifications on long-running reads
Requirements
npx @trishchuk/github-explorer-mcp for stdio, a separate entry point for HTTP/SSE mode, or the Docker image on port 3000. The published npx and Docker setups take no key or token.
Setup effort
One command — npx -y @trishchuk/github-explorer-mcp
USE CASES
01
Getting oriented in an unfamiliar project
Start with the summary and the directory tree, so the first question about a codebase is answered by its actual layout.
02
Reading the file that actually matters
Name the files and get their contents back, instead of pasting them in by hand from the GitHub web view.
03
Finding where something is used
Search the repository's contents for a symbol or string and go straight to the file that defines it.
04
Reviewing what a branch changed
Diff two branches or two commits and read the change set in the conversation where you are discussing it.
05
Checking how a library does something before you copy it
Locate the implementation by search, then read that file at the branch you care about.
5 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
git_search
Search for content within a GitHub repository
github_directory_structure
Get the tree structure of a GitHub repository with a nice ASCII tree visualization
github_read_important_files
Get the content of specific files from a GitHub repository
github_repository_summary
Get a summary of a GitHub repository
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
5 tools when we connected.
Requires
npx on PATH
CONTEXT COST
Light Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 5 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Add the block to your client, or run the command directly.
Server setup
Configuration file
JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"github-explorer-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@trishchuk/github-explorer-mcp"
]
}
}
}npx
TERMINAL
npx -y @trishchuk/github-explorer-mcp
