Mache
IDE-style navigation for structured data — code, JSON, YAML. Jump to definitions, find callers, follow references. Available as an MCP server or a mounted folder.
What is Mache?
Mache is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to ide-style navigation for structured data — code, json, yaml. jump to definitions, find callers, follow references. available as an mcp server or a mounted folder.
IDE-style navigation for structured data — code, JSON, YAML. Jump to definitions, find callers, follow references. Available as an MCP server or a mounted folder.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- IDE-style navigation for structured data — code, JSON, YAML.
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx macheConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Mache
Mache is an IDE-style code intelligence engine that gives AI coding agents structured navigation capabilities over codebases — jump-to-definition, find-callers, cross-reference tracking, semantic search, and code smell detection — all exposed as MCP tools or a mountable FUSE filesystem. Built in Go and backed by a projected graph of your code, Mache lets agents explore large codebases the same way a developer would in an IDE rather than grepping through raw files. It supports 17 MCP tools covering function discovery, call chain navigation, write-back, schema inference, and community detection, making it especially effective for autonomous research and refactoring tasks.
Prerequisites
- Go 1.21 or newer installed (to build from source)
- Task (taskfile.dev) build tool installed: go install github.com/go-task/task/v3/cmd/task@latest
- Claude Desktop with MCP support, or Claude Code CLI
- Git to clone the repository
- Optional: Docker for containerized deployment
Clone and build Mache
Clone the repository and build the mache binary using the Task build tool.
git clone https://github.com/agentic-research/mache.git
cd mache && task build && task installServe a codebase
Start the Mache server pointing at the source directory you want to analyze. By default it listens on port 7532.
mache serve /path/to/your/codebaseConnect Claude Code to Mache via HTTP transport
Register the running Mache server with Claude Code using the MCP HTTP transport.
claude mcp add --transport http mache http://localhost:7532/mcpConfigure Claude Desktop (alternative)
For Claude Desktop, you can run Mache in stdio mode. Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json, replacing the path with your actual codebase location.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mache": {
"command": "mache",
"args": ["serve", "--stdio", "/path/to/your/codebase"]
}
}
}Optional: use Docker for containerized analysis
Build and run Mache as a Docker container, mounting your source code directory.
task image
docker load -i mache.tar
docker run --rm -i -v /path/to/codebase:/src mache:0.8.0 serve --stdio /srcMache Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop config for Mache in stdio mode analyzing a local codebase.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mache": {
"command": "mache",
"args": ["serve", "--stdio", "/Users/yourname/projects/my-codebase"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Prompts that demonstrate Mache's code intelligence and navigation capabilities.
- "Find all callers of the authenticate() function in this codebase"
- "Show me the definition of the UserRepository class and its public methods"
- "What functions does the payment module call into?"
- "Find any dead code or unused functions in the src/utils directory"
- "Give me an overview of the codebase architecture and main modules"
- "Search for all places where the database connection is opened"Troubleshooting Mache
mache binary not found after task install
The install task places the binary in your Go bin directory. Ensure $GOPATH/bin (typically ~/go/bin) is in your PATH. Run 'export PATH=$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin' and add it to your shell profile.
Semantic search or type information tools return errors
The tools semantic_search, get_type_info, and get_diagnostics require ley-line-open enrichment. These are enriched tools that need additional setup. The 16 basic read-surface tools work without it.
Automatic binary download fails in CI or restricted environments
Set the environment variable MACHE_NO_LEYLINE=1 to disable automatic leyline binary discovery and download. This is recommended for CI pipelines and air-gapped environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mache
What is Mache?
Mache is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that ide-style navigation for structured data — code, json, yaml. jump to definitions, find callers, follow references. available as an mcp server or a mounted folder. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Mache?
Follow the installation instructions on the Mache GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Mache?
Mache works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Mache free to use?
Yes, Mache is open source and available under the Apache-2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
Mache Alternatives — Similar Developer Tools Servers
Looking for alternatives to Mache? Here are other popular developer tools servers you can use with Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Ecc
★ 188.2kThe agent harness performance optimization system. Skills, instincts, memory, security, and research-first development for Claude Code, Codex, Opencode, Cursor and beyond.
Javaguide
★ 155.8kJava 面试 & 后端通用面试指南，覆盖计算机基础、数据库、分布式、高并发、系统设计与 AI 应用开发
Gemini CLI
★ 104.5kA secure MCP server that wraps the Google Gemini CLI, allowing clients to query Gemini models using local OAuth sessions without requiring an API key. It provides tools for model interaction and diagnostics with built-in protection against command in
Awesome MCP Servers
★ 87.3k⭐ Curated list of Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers - tools that extend Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and other MCP clients with custom capabilities.
MCP Servers
★ 86.0kModel Context Protocol Servers
CC Switch
★ 77.5kA cross-platform desktop All-in-One assistant for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Gemini CLI & Hermes Agent. Only official website: ccswitch.io
Browse More Developer Tools MCP Servers
Explore all developer tools servers available in the MCPgee directory. Each server includes setup guides for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code.
Set Up Mache in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
Ready to use Mache?
Browse our complete directory of 33,000+ MCP servers, read setup guides for your editor, and start building with the Model Context Protocol.