| name | mcp-code-intelligence |
| description | Compare MCP code intelligence tiers — CLI wrappers, ast-grep, Serena, Zoekt, fff file search, embeddings. Prefer text search before heavy indexes. |
MCP code intelligence
Purpose
Choose the right code-intelligence layer: shell tools, MCP servers, embeddings.
When to Use
- Setting up agent MCP servers
- Deciding fff vs rg vs semantic/embedding search
- Evaluating Serena, Zoekt, codebase-memory-mcp
Required Tools
Optional MCP: fff (ffgrep, fffind, fff-multi-grep), ast-grep MCP, Serena, Zoekt, embedding servers.
Install
Install blocks are shared — See install-blocks.md.
Windows PowerShell
Use winget blocks from the reference when provisioning a new machine.
WSL2 Ubuntu
Use apt/curl blocks from the reference; symlink fdfind → fd if needed.
macOS
Use Homebrew blocks from the reference.
Common Commands
Tier recommendation:
Minimal: rg + fd + read_file + git diff + patch_file (IDE/shell)
Better: above + ast-grep + gh + task runner + fff MCP (optional)
Advanced: Serena or codebase-memory-mcp + Zoekt + optional embeddings
fff MCP (optional): Install fff-mcp; add to .cursor/mcp.json from .cursor/mcp.example.json _examples.fff-mcp. Reload MCP. Prefer fff for repeated repo file/content search when connected.
Warning: Embedding-first indexing is memory-heavy — use after rg/ast-grep/fff.
Compare:
| Layer | Best for |
|---|
| CLI rg/fd | Fast text, gitignore-aware |
| fff MCP | Indexed repo search, multi-pattern grep |
| ast-grep MCP / sg | Structural patterns |
| Serena / ctags | Symbols, refs |
| Zoekt | Large org code search |
| Embeddings | Fuzzy conceptual search (secondary) |
ProjectTwelve domain MCP
In addition to generic tiers above:
- Unity MCP (
project-twelve-unity-mcp) — Editor bridge when Unity is open; see AGENTS.md.
- In-game runtime MCP (
project-twelve-ingame-mcp) — Play Mode / desktop build at loopback.
- fff MCP (
project-twelve-fff-mcp) — indexed file search; use --no-warmup and explicit repo path per .cursor/mcp.example.json.
- PixelLab MCP (
pixellab) — async pixel art generation (characters, tilesets, UI panels); see pixellab-mcp.
Agent-Safe Patterns
Commands Requiring Confirmation
MCP tools that write files or run jobs need user intent. See commands-requiring-confirmation.md.
Troubleshooting
- fff not found: add
%LOCALAPPDATA%\fff-mcp\bin to PATH or use full path in mcp.json.
- MCP server won't start: check WORKSPACE_ROOT env.
Windows Notes
WSL2 Notes
Verification Checklist