pi-mcp-client 0.0.0 → 0.2.0

package/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,338 @@
+# 🔌 Pi MCP Client
+
+MCP tools for Pi, discovered on demand and called natively through the official
+TypeScript SDK. No bridge process and no invocation proxy.
+
+## 🚀 Installation
+
+```sh
+pi install npm:pi-mcp-client
+```
+
+## ✨ Usage
+
+First, add a server to `~/.pi/agent/mcp.json`. This public documentation server
+does not require credentials:
+
+```json
+{
+  "mcpServers": {
+    "cloudflare-docs": {
+      "type": "http",
+      "url": "https://docs.mcp.cloudflare.com/mcp"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Start a new Pi session and ask it to search Cloudflare's documentation. Use `/mcp`
+to inspect the connection. For authenticated services, see [OAuth](#oauth) or
+[secret commands](#secret-commands).
+
+Pi searches for the tools it needs, then calls those tools directly. Search
+loads up to five matching tools by default, or up to 50 with `limit`. Results
+use local BM25-based ranking, with tool names weighted more strongly than
+descriptions and support for prefix matching. Full schemas become available on
+the next model turn, without a separate describe step. Previously loaded tools
+remain available as the conversation continues.
+
+### Session behavior
+
+- Tools accumulate rather than rotating with each prompt.
+- Resume and branch navigation restore tools acquired on the selected branch.
+- Compaction retains the acquired tool set. New sessions start fresh.
+- Pi uses native deferred loading where supported by the model and provider.
+  Other providers receive the expanded tool list normally.
+- Search respects server filters and Pi's tool exclusions. An explicit tool
+  allowlist must include both `mcp_search` and the native tools you want to load.
+
+### Commands
+
+| Command | Purpose |
+| --- | --- |
+| `/mcp`, `/mcp list`, `/mcp status` | Show a server status matrix with catalog and loaded-tool counts. |
+| `/mcp inspect <server>` | Inspect status and configuration, including disabled servers. Connection values are hidden. |
+| `/mcp tools <server>` | Browse the server's tools and inspect descriptions without activating tools. |
+| `/mcp reload` | Apply configuration changes without restarting Pi. |
+| `/mcp auth <server>` | Authenticate an OAuth-enabled HTTP server. |
+| `/mcp reconnect <server>` | Replace a connection and refresh its catalog. |
+| `/mcp refresh <server>` | Refresh a server's catalog without loading additional tools. |
+
+The status matrix uses glyphs to distinguish idle (`○`), connected (`●`),
+connecting (`▶︎`), disabled (`○`), and failed (`✘︎`) servers. Idle is normal:
+connections open on demand. A dash (`—`) means the catalog hasn't been fetched,
+not that the server has no tools. The **Loaded** column counts tools currently
+active for the assistant.
+
+After refreshing a changed schema, search for the tool again to load its current
+definition. Calls validate the live catalog before execution and refuse removed
+or changed tools. The extension does not retry failed tool invocations; after an
+interrupted call, check whether the operation completed before trying again.
+
+## ⚙️ Configuration
+
+Add connections to `~/.pi/agent/mcp.json`, or `.mcp.json` in a trusted project.
+These files use the common Claude/Cursor-style `mcpServers` format, not a universal
+MCP configuration standard. VS Code's `servers` format and Codex's TOML format
+are not supported.
+
+`PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR` overrides the global Pi directory. Project connections
+replace same-named global connections in full; connection fields are not merged.
+
+```json
+{
+  "mcpServers": {
+    "docs": {
+      "type": "http",
+      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/mcp",
+      "headers": {
+        "Authorization": "Bearer ${DOCS_TOKEN}"
+      }
+    },
+    "local": {
+      "type": "stdio",
+      "command": "node",
+      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/server.js"],
+      "env": {
+        "DATABASE_URL": "${DATABASE_URL}"
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+| Field | Purpose |
+| --- | --- |
+| `type` | Optional `stdio` or `http`. If omitted, inferred from `command` or `url`. A conflicting type is rejected. |
+| `command`, `args` | Executable and arguments for a stdio server. No shell is used. |
+| `cwd` | Working directory for stdio; defaults to Pi's current directory. Relative paths resolve there. |
+| `env` | Additional environment variables for stdio. |
+| `url` | Streamable HTTP endpoint; mutually exclusive with `command`. |
+| `headers` | HTTP request headers, including optional bearer authentication. |
+
+Strings in `command`, `args`, `cwd`, `env`, `url`, and `headers` support `${VAR}`
+interpolation. Missing variables prevent that server from connecting.
+
+Only stdio and Streamable HTTP are supported; `type: "sse"` is rejected rather
+than treated as HTTP. Unsupported connection fields cause a configuration error
+rather than silently changing their meaning.
+
+### Secret commands
+
+In **`headers` and stdio `env` values only**, a leading `!` runs a secret-generating
+shell command when the server connects:
+
+```json
+{
+  "mcpServers": {
+    "example": {
+      "type": "http",
+      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/mcp",
+      "headers": {
+        "Authorization": "!token=$(op read 'op://Private/Example/token') && printf 'Bearer %s' \"$token\""
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+These two fields also support Pi-style `$VAR` interpolation, `$$` for a literal
+`$`, and `$!` for a literal `!`. Only a leading `!` in the original configuration
+triggers execution; interpolated values and command output never do. Shell
+commands handle their own variable expansion.
+
+Commands use `/bin/sh` on Unix or Pi's shell selection on Windows, inherit Pi's
+process environment, and run in the server's configured `cwd` (the project
+directory by default). They run once per connection, including reconnections,
+not during configuration loading, status display, or cached discovery. Cold
+searches can connect and therefore execute commands. Concurrent connection
+requests share the same resolution.
+
+The client trims stdout and rejects empty output, nonzero exits, output above
+64 KiB, and resolution taking more than 10 seconds (or a shorter `timeoutMs`).
+Session shutdown cancels pending commands. Cancelling an individual search stops
+waiting but leaves shared connection work running for other callers. The client
+discards command stderr and does not include resolved secrets in errors, session
+records, or catalog caches. Commands themselves remain responsible for avoiding
+side effects or writing secrets to disk. Only configure commands you trust;
+project configuration still requires project trust.
+
+### Pi-specific options
+
+Put descriptions, authentication choices, filters, and timeouts directly in each
+`mcpServers.<server>` definition in `~/.pi/agent/mcp.json` (or a trusted project's
+`.mcp.json`):
+
+```json
+{
+  "mcpServers": {
+    "docs": {
+      "type": "http",
+      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/mcp",
+      "description": "Search product documentation",
+      "oauth": true,
+      "includeTools": ["get_*", "search_*"]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+| Field | Purpose |
+| --- | --- |
+| `description` | Short capability description for Pi's server directory. |
+| `oauth` | Set to `true` to use OAuth instead of an Authorization header on an HTTP connection. |
+| `disabled` | Prevent this server from connecting or exposing tools. |
+| `includeTools` | Optional allowlist of original MCP tool names; `*` matches any sequence. An empty list exposes nothing. |
+| `excludeTools` | Denylist applied after `includeTools`. |
+| `timeoutMs` | Request timeout, from 100 to 600000 ms. Defaults: 15 seconds for discovery/HTTP requests, 30 seconds for stdio tool calls. |
+| `protocol` | `auto` (default) for SDK protocol-version negotiation, or `legacy` for an explicit legacy handshake. |
+
+A trusted project's server definition replaces the same-named global definition
+in full, including these options. Fields and tool-filter lists are not merged.
+Every definition must include a `url` or `command`, even when `disabled` is true.
+
+These options are specific to Pi MCP Client, not standardized MCP connection
+fields. Other clients may reject them when you copy a definition.
+
+After editing your configuration, run `/mcp reload` to apply it without restarting
+Pi. Reload validates the new configuration before replacing the current setup;
+invalid configuration leaves the previous setup intact. It closes existing
+connections, which reopen on demand, and deactivates tools from changed, removed,
+or disabled server definitions. Unchanged active tools remain available.
+
+Use `/mcp inspect <server>` to check the effective transport, protocol, filters,
+and connection status without connecting or running secret commands. Connection
+values—including commands, arguments, URLs, headers, and environment variables—
+are hidden because any of them can contain credentials.
+
+Use `/mcp tools <server>` to fetch the current catalog and browse a scrollable
+list. Each row shows the tool name and description, trimmed to the terminal width
+with an ellipsis. Select a tool to see a multiline signature and parameter details,
+with each parameter in a separate paragraph. Browsing respects your include and
+exclude filters and doesn't activate tools or add their schemas to the assistant's
+context. This command requires an interactive UI.
+
+### Discovery and caching
+
+Connections start on demand, never while the extension factory loads. A search
+without a cached catalog contacts configured servers, with at most four discoveries
+in flight. A server-scoped search only contacts that server. Failed servers are
+reported as unsearched, not mistaken for an empty catalog.
+
+Catalogs are cached privately under `~/.pi/agent/cache/pi-mcp-client/`, keyed by
+server configuration and working directory. Disk caches expire after 24 hours.
+They contain tool metadata, not configured credentials. Cached search needs no
+connection; invocation refreshes the live catalog before calling the tool.
+Connections remain open until shutdown or explicit reconnection.
+
+When a connected server reports a tool-list change, the extension invalidates its
+memory and disk catalogs. The next search fetches the current list, including new
+or removed tools. Notifications don't replace active tool definitions: changed
+schemas require another `mcp_search` before use. Disconnected, cache-only searches
+can't receive notifications and still use the 24-hour disk-cache expiry.
+
+### OAuth
+
+Set `"oauth": true` under `mcpServers.<server>` in `mcp.json`, without an
+Authorization header in its connection, then run `/mcp auth <server>`. Pi opens the
+browser only for this explicit command. Automatic discovery never opens a browser.
+
+OAuth tokens and client registrations are stored in the operating system
+credential store, bound to the server URL and authorization-server issuer.
+There is no plaintext credential fallback. PKCE verifiers and callback state stay
+in memory.
+
+The initial implementation supports dynamically registered public clients with a
+local callback at `http://127.0.0.1:19847/callback`. The browser must be able to
+reach that address on the Pi machine. Authentication times out after two minutes;
+you can cancel it with Escape in the terminal UI.
+Pre-registered OAuth clients, remote callback pasting, and headless interactive
+OAuth are not supported yet. Use bearer headers for headless access.
+
+### Trust and permissions
+
+Only load configuration you trust. Server executables and secret commands run
+with your user permissions; trusted project configuration can replace global
+connections and settings.
+
+Server metadata is untrusted. Search activates tools but does not approve their
+side effects or provide per-call confirmation. Use tool filters and Pi permission
+extensions for additional controls. Cancelling a call does not guarantee that the
+server rolled back its effects.
+
+## 🧰 Requirements
+
+- Pi 0.85.1 or later, with additive dynamic tool loading.
+- Node.js 22 or later.
+- The server executable for stdio connections.
+- An available OS credential store for OAuth. Linux requires a working Secret
+  Service/keyring session.
+
+This extension uses `@modelcontextprotocol/client` 2.0.0 and defaults to automatic
+SDK protocol-version negotiation. On stdio, negotiation probes using an additional
+short-lived process. Set `"protocol": "legacy"` in a server definition if that
+server requires an explicit legacy handshake.
+
+## 🩺 Troubleshooting
+
+Start with `/mcp`. Failures use a consistent code, a short explanation, and a
+recovery hint, for example:
+
+```text
+linear: [authentication_required] Authentication is required. Run /mcp auth linear.
+```
+
+Search and tool results also carry structured diagnostics in their result details:
+`code`, `operation`, optional `server`, `message`, and `hint`. Partial discovery
+keeps healthy servers' results and identifies servers it could not search. An
+unavailable server is not an empty catalog.
+
+| Code | What to check |
+| --- | --- |
+| `configuration_invalid` | JSON syntax, supported fields, transport type, and required environment variables. Reload Pi after editing. |
+| `authentication_required` | Run `/mcp auth <server>` for OAuth, or check the Authorization header. |
+| `permission_denied` | Account permissions, OAuth scopes, and service access policy. |
+| `credential_store_unavailable` | Unlock or enable the OS keyring; Linux needs a Secret Service session. |
+| `secret_lookup_failed` | Secret helper installation, login, exit status, nonempty stdout, and output size. |
+| `connection_failed` | Server executable, working directory, endpoint, network, and TLS configuration. |
+| `timeout` | Server responsiveness and the applicable request, secret-command, or OAuth time limit. |
+| `protocol_error` | Server compatibility and the `protocol` setting. |
+| `tool_changed` | Server filters and the current tool schema; search again. Reload Pi if connection configuration changed. |
+| `tool_error` | The server's tool result and inputs; verify the outcome before retrying. |
+| `oauth_failed` | Browser access to the callback and support for dynamically registered public clients. |
+| `callback_unavailable` | Another process using local port 19847. |
+| `busy` | Wait for discovery to finish before reconnecting. |
+| `cancelled` | Retry when ready; verify any interrupted tool operation first. |
+| `operation_failed` | An unclassified failure; inspect server status and configuration. |
+
+Diagnostics never echo raw exception messages, HTTP bodies, command stderr,
+credential values, or stack traces. Unknown errors stay generic rather than
+being classified by potentially sensitive message text. Tool-call failures are
+not replayed automatically; verify the outcome before retrying. Server-provided tool
+results remain visible as content, even when the tool reports an error; they are
+not sanitized transport diagnostics.
+
+### Large results
+
+Text results are limited to 2,000 lines or 50 KiB. Larger results are saved as
+private temporary JSON files, with their paths included in the output. Supported
+images pass through within an 8 MiB base64 budget; other binary content is kept in
+the full result file. Temporary result files are not automatically deleted and
+may contain sensitive data.
+
+### v0.1 scope
+
+The first release focuses on tools. Legacy SSE transport, MCP Apps, resource
+browsing, prompt commands, roots, sampling, and elicitation are not supported.
+See the [post-v0.1 backlog](https://github.com/mavam/pi-mcp-client/blob/main/TODO.md)
+for follow-up work; it is not a release commitment.
+
+## 🧹 Uninstall
+
+```sh
+pi remove npm:pi-mcp-client
+```
+
+## 📄 License
+
+[MIT](LICENSE)