Feature/mcp-client

[glassBead-tc]

📝 Summary

This PR integrates the Model Context Protocol (MCP) client into Srcbook. This integration significantly expands Srcbook's current and future capabilities by giving the local-first version access to a wide array of external tools and resources. Those included in the srcbook_mcp_config.example.json file require no API key or registration, meaning the community can begin building integrations with them immediately. This PR provides support for a single MCP server, sequential-thinking, implemented here with a simple on-off toggle in the dialog window during build sessions.

Importantly, MCP works only on the local dev server in this PR. Enabling MCP for local-first production will require addressing #456, and more generally, configuring Srcbook to target different builds based on the host machine's chip architecture (i.e. Intel vs Apple Silicon). I chose to keep this PR focused on the MCP integration and will address the above issue in a follow-up PR, and in the issue discussion on GitHub.

🛠 Implementation Details

• MCP Client Integration:

  • Added MCP client configuration in packages/api/mcp/.
  • Enabled interactions between Srcbook and external tool/resource providers via MCP.

• Enhanced AI Capabilities:

  • AI can now utilize sequential-thinking for improved problem-solving, and connect to various external services including Puppeteer and Memory.

• Configuration Updates:

  • Updated README.md to include MCP integration details.
  • Added MCP_README.md with comprehensive setup and usage instructions.

• Dependencies:

  • Pinned Node engine version to 20.x to ensure compatibility and stability, especially with regard to Rollup: this will become important later when implementing conditional build targeting in Docker based on whether the user's host machine runs on an Intel or ARM architecture.
  • Added new dependency: "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "^1.1.0".

📚 Related Documentation

• Updated README.md:

  • Added a new line under the App Builder section to highlight MCP integration.

• Added MCP_README.md:

  • Detailed guide on MCP integration, configuration, usage, troubleshooting, and future development.

🔗 Related Issues

• Issue An error is reported when you open Apps #456: The ongoing issues with platform detection are being addressed in a follow-up PR. Once that's merged, it will be easy to implement the MCP client in local production.

🧪 Testing

• Unit Tests: (To be added)

  • Unit tests for MCP integration are in progress. Currently, I'm looking at ways to make MCP Inspector a part of that testing suite.

• Manual Testing:

  • Successfully integrated MCP client on the local development server.
  • Verified AI's ability to access and interact with configured data sources.
  • Tested sequential-thinking feature to ensure enhanced reasoning capabilities.

• Demo Video:

  • A demonstration of MCP integration will be available on YouTube shortly. [Link to be added upon upload.]

📸 Screenshots/GIFs

(If applicable, insert images or GIFs here)

🔗 Additional Information

• Dependencies:

  • New Dependency: "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "^1.1.0"
  • Node Engine: Pinned to 20.x to avoid compatibility issues, especially with Rollup handling different architectures.

• Setup Instructions:

  1. Install Dependencies:

     npm install @modelcontextprotocol/sdk

  2. Configure MCP Client:
     • Navigate to packages/api/.
     • Copy srcbook_mcp_config.example.json to srcbook_mcp_config.json.
     • Update the filesystem paths in srcbook_mcp_config.json:

       {
         "mcpServers": {
           "memory": {
             "command": "npx",
             "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory"]
           },
           "filesystem": {
             "command": "npx",
             "args": [
               "-y",
               "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
               "/PATH/TO/YOUR/DESKTOP",
               "/PATH/TO/YOUR/DOWNLOADS"
             ]
           },
           "puppeteer": {
             "command": "npx",
             "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-puppeteer"]
           },
           "sequential-thinking": {
             "command": "npx",
             "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"]
           },
           "everything": {
             "command": "npx",
             "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-everything"]
           },
           "mcp-installer": {
             "command": "npx",
             "args": ["@anaisbetts/mcp-installer"]
           }
         }
       }

     • Replace /PATH/TO/YOUR/DESKTOP and /PATH/TO/YOUR/DOWNLOADS with the actual paths on your machine.
  3. Run Srcbook:

     pnpm run dev

🗣️ Future Development

• Local Production Support in Docker:

  • Addressing platform detection issues in follow-up PR.

• Notebook Integration:

  • Expanding MCP support to notebook functionality for enhanced interactivity.

• Additional Server Integrations:

  • Incorporating more MCP servers to extend Srcbook's capabilities further.

📽️ Demo Video

A demonstration video showcasing the MCP integration (here, with the sequential-thinking server) is available on YouTube. Link

📚 Additional Resources

• Model Context Protocol Architectural Overview: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/concepts/architecture
• Srcbook Discord Community: https://discord.gg/shDEGBSe2d
• Srcbook GitHub Repository: https://github.com/srcbookdev/srcbook

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Notes for Reviewers:

1. Code Location: Most of the new code resides in the packages/api/mcp/ directory. Please focus your review on this folder to understand the MCP client implementation.

2. Configuration Requirements: Users must update their srcbook_mcp_config.json with the correct filesystem paths to enable MCP filesystem access. Detailed instructions are provided in MCP_README.md.

3. Pending Unit Tests: While unit tests are not yet included, they are being developed to ensure the reliability and stability of the MCP integration. Contributions or suggestions for testing strategies are welcome.

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Contributors:

• @glassBead-tc: Primary contributor for the MCP client implementation.

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🎉 Conclusion

The MCP client is a significant expansion of Srcbook's potential, but more remains to be done to make it a fully functional feature, and addressing the issues around platform targeting and filesystem access is the next step in that process.

Thank you for reviewing this PR! 🙏