Expose any tool to an LLM as plain files.
No JSON. No SDK. Just cat and echo.▌
A virtual filesystem alternative to MCP — built in Rust, zero dependencies for tool authors.
LiveFolders mounts a virtual filesystem on your machine. Every tool you install appears as
a directory of plain files. An LLM reads a file to call the tool — no JSON protocol,
no SDK, no special client. Any agent that can run cat or echo can use it.
cat runs, the result is ready. The filesystem never returns stale data.
|
.livefolders/tools/
├── index.md ← all tools listed here
├── demo/
│ ├── how_to.md ← LLM reads this first
│ ├── shout ← write text, read UPPERCASED
│ └── status ← read-only status
└── users/
├── how_to.md
└── list ← reads from REST API
|
1. Mount the filesystem
livefolders mount — runs in background, returns to prompt immediately.
2. LLM reads or writes a file
cat tools/users/list fetches users.echo "London" > tools/weather/forecast sends a query.
3. Handler runs, result returns
Your shell command, Python script, or curl call executes.
Output is returned as file content.
★ Changes hot-reload in ~1s
|
Edit folder.yaml or a handler script — changes take effect in ~1 second.
No restart. No reconnect. The watcher picks it up automatically.
A hung tool is killed after a configurable timeout (default: 30s). The endpoint returns an error string. The filesystem never freezes.
Declare required env vars in folder.yaml. Users are prompted
at install time. Secrets are stored in secrets.env and loaded on every mount.
Built-in diagnostic command. Checks FUSE installation, your config file,
and every installed tool's folder.yaml. Prints actionable fixes.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the leading alternative. Both approaches are valid — the right choice depends on your environment.
| Criterion | LiveFolders | MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 6-line YAML, no runtime | Python + package install required |
| Hot-Reload | ~1s, no restart | Server restart + reconnect (~1–3s) |
| Publishing | One GitHub URL, no registry | No official registry; manual setup |
| LLM Compatibility | Shell-capable agents (Claude Code, etc.) | Any MCP-native host client |
| Input Validation | Handler must validate manually | JSON schema enforced |
Neither is universally better. Read the full comparison →
1. Install LiveFolders:
Prerequisites:
| Platform | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Linux | sudo apt-get install fuse3 |
| macOS | macFUSE — install the .pkg from osxfuse.github.io |
2. Quick start: