Codehelper

What Codehelper does

The Codehelper MCP server gives AI coding assistants a locally indexed view of a Git repository. It parses source files, records symbols and relationships between calls, and makes that information available through MCP tools. This lets a client search for code by symbol and inspect related callers, callees, source context, and likely impact before an edit.

The repository remains on the machine running Codehelper. The README describes the system as usable offline and says it does not require API keys. That makes it suitable for projects where sending the whole repository to a cloud model is undesirable, provided the chosen MCP client and model can use the exposed tools.

A repository must be a Git repository for indexing. The supported operating systems are Linux, macOS, and Windows x64. Windows arm64 support is described as experimental, and release packages consistently provide Windows amd64 binaries.

How it works

Running codehelper init in a repository indexes the code, starts a watch daemon, connects MCP configuration for the editor, and writes agent rules. The watch process keeps the index current as files change. After initialization, the documentation recommends calling project_context once per session so an agent can learn the available tools and see index freshness information.

Tree-sitter parsers provide source analysis, while SQLite stores the symbol and call graph. Search combines BM25 text ranking, trigrams, and call-graph ranking. An optional local semantic reranking path is available, but it requires separate local embedding setup and optional Green Engine model services.

MCP uses stdio by default. An HTTP listener can be started with codehelper mcp --http :8765. The optional Green Engine and Green Compress components provide local model-related functionality; they are not required for the basic indexed repository workflow described in the README.

Setup and configuration

Installers are provided for Linux and macOS through scripts/install.sh, and Windows uses scripts/install.ps1. Prebuilt release bundles include the Codehelper executable, MCP server, and the ge and greencompress utilities. Building from source requires Go 1.25 or newer, CGO, and a C compiler.

From a repository directory, run:

codehelper init

Cursor receives a per-project .mcp.json configuration. Claude Code uses a managed block in ~/.claude.json, while Codex reads the generated AGENTS.md. Reloading the client after the first initialization is recommended.

The Codehelper MCP server supports updates through codehelper upgrade, which downloads a release by default. codehelper update rebuilds from a local checkout. CODEHELPER_UPGRADE_REPO can override the upgrade repository, and CODEHELPER_SOURCE can identify the local source used for updates.

Tools and capabilities

The tool catalog includes project_context, query, context, and impact. project_context bootstraps the catalog and reports index information. query searches the symbol graph, context returns source with caller and callee relationships, and impact estimates the blast radius of a prospective change.

The full interface contains more than 60 MCP tools. The README positions these tools for repository search, code understanding, and controlled modification workflows rather than broad file grepping. The Codehelper MCP server can therefore help an agent locate relevant symbols, trace relationships, and inspect affected areas before changing code.

An optional local dashboard is available through ge ui serve at http://127.0.0.1:8780. Benchmark scripts and testbed documentation are included for evaluating local runs, but the supplied material does not provide competitor performance figures.

Limitations and notes

Indexing depends on a Git repository. Source builds require CGO and a C compiler because of the tree-sitter dependency. Semantic reranking is optional and has additional local model setup requirements.

The license is Business Source License 1.1, not OSI-approved open source before the stated change date. The README permits personal and internal business use, including developing software for customers, but restricts offering Codehelper or a substantially similar substitute as a hosted, managed, embedded, or distributed competing product. Commercial redistribution and other uses outside those terms require separate licensing.

Getting started with this Codehelper MCP server

Always refer to the official documentation for the most accurate and up-to-date information.