mdtree

MDTree

MDTree is a local-first knowledge base for structured tree data. Humans explore it visually, AI agents work with it through MCP, and computer systems integrate with it through the CLI or an API—all against the same portable .mdtree workspace. Search is lexical by default, with optional local Ollama-backed semantic search and a hybrid mode.

Build and connect

MDTree requires Rust 1.88 or newer.

git clone https://github.com/sidnaZ/mdtree.git
cd mdtree
cargo build --release --locked

Install the CLI and MCP server, then add Cargo's binary directory to PATH:

cargo install --locked --path crates/mdtree-cli
cargo install --locked --path crates/mdtree-mcp
export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"

Register the MCP server with Codex and Claude Code. The default workspace is .mdtree in the current directory:

codex mcp add mdtree -- mdtree-mcp --allow-write --allow-workspace-switch --workspace-root .
claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user mdtree -- mdtree-mcp --allow-write --allow-workspace-switch --workspace-root .

Developer knowledge base

New contributors should start with the MDTree Developer Knowledge Base. It covers the architecture, crate responsibilities, local workflows, testing, debugging, migrations, semantic indexing, MCP and web security boundaries, and the release process.

License and contact

MDTree is dual-licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 and a separate commercial license. Use MDTree freely under the AGPL-3.0, including for commercial purposes, as long as you comply with its terms (notably, publishing source for any modified version you run as a network service). If that doesn't work for you—for example, embedding MDTree in closed-source software or hosting a modified version without releasing your changes—a commercial license is available. For commercial licensing, questions, or feedback, contact the maintainers.