# py-mcp-installer-service: Documentation Index

**Version:** 1.0.0
**Date:** 2025-12-05
**Status:** Design Complete - Ready for Implementation

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## Overview

This documentation package provides a comprehensive design for **py-mcp-installer-service**, a production-ready, standalone Python library for installing and managing MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers across 8 major AI coding tools.

**Project Goal**: Create a universal, reusable MCP installer that can detect execution environments, determine optimal installation methods, inspect existing installations, and fix/update MCP server configurations.

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## Document Hierarchy

### 1. Summary & Quick Start

#### **[design/SUMMARY.md](design/SUMMARY.md)**
**Purpose**: Executive summary of the entire design
- Key achievements and design highlights
- Document overview and cross-references
- Success metrics and release criteria
- Next actions and implementation roadmap

**When to Read**: Start here for a high-level understanding

#### **[QUICK-REFERENCE.md](QUICK-REFERENCE.md)**
**Purpose**: API quick reference and common usage patterns
- Python API examples
- CLI tool commands
- Common patterns and recipes
- Platform-specific notes
- Troubleshooting guide

**When to Read**: When implementing code using the library

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### 2. Architecture & Design

#### **[ARCHITECTURE.md](ARCHITECTURE.md)**
**Purpose**: Comprehensive technical architecture
- System architecture overview
- Core modules detailed design (9 modules)
- Design patterns and rationale
- Type system and API surface
- Extension points for plugins
- Testing strategy

**When to Read**: Before implementing any module

**Key Sections**:
- Component Architecture (p.1-2)
- Core Modules (p.3-15)
  - Platform Detection
  - Installation Strategy
  - Configuration Management
  - MCP Inspector
  - Command Builder
  - Installer Orchestrator
- Supporting Modules (p.16-18)
  - Types, Utils, Exceptions
- Platform-Specific Implementations (p.19-20)

#### **[DIAGRAMS.md](DIAGRAMS.md)**
**Purpose**: Visual architecture diagrams
- System architecture overview
- Component interaction flows
- Decision trees (detection, strategy selection)
- Data flow diagrams
- Error handling flows
- Type system hierarchy
- Class diagrams

**When to Read**: When visualizing system behavior

**Key Diagrams**:
1. System Architecture Overview
2. Component Interaction Flow
3. Platform Detection Decision Tree
4. Installation Strategy Selection
5. Configuration Manager Atomic Write Flow
6. Legacy Server Migration Flow
7. Command Building Strategy
8. Error Handling & Recovery
9. Type System Hierarchy
10. Package Dependencies Graph
11. Data Flow: Full Installation
12. Class Diagram: Core Classes

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### 3. Implementation Guidance

#### **[IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN.md](IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN.md)**
**Purpose**: Detailed 6-week implementation plan
- Phase-by-phase breakdown
- Deliverables and acceptance criteria
- Quality gates and checkpoints
- Testing strategy
- Risk mitigation

**When to Read**: Before starting implementation

**Phases**:
- **Phase 1 (Week 1)**: Core Abstractions
  - Types, exceptions, utils, ConfigManager
- **Phase 2 (Week 2)**: Platform Detection
  - All 8 platform detectors
- **Phase 3 (Week 3)**: Installation Strategies
  - Native CLI, JSON, TOML strategies
- **Phase 4 (Week 4)**: Inspector & Validator
  - Validation, auto-fix, legacy migration
- **Phase 5 (Week 5)**: Orchestrator & Polish
  - MCPInstaller API, documentation
- **Phase 6 (Week 6)**: CLI & Packaging
  - CLI tool, PyPI release

#### **[PROJECT-STRUCTURE.md](PROJECT-STRUCTURE.md)**
**Purpose**: Project structure and file templates
- Complete directory layout
- File-by-file breakdown
- Templates for all key files:
  - `pyproject.toml`
  - `README.md`
  - `Makefile`
  - `__init__.py`
  - `.gitignore`
  - `CHANGELOG.md`

**When to Read**: When setting up the project repository

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### 4. Research Foundation

#### **[research/mcp-server-installation-patterns-2025-12-05.md](research/mcp-server-installation-patterns-2025-12-05.md)**
**Purpose**: Comprehensive research on MCP installation patterns
- Analysis of 8 AI coding tools
- Config file locations and formats
- Detection strategies per platform
- Installation methods (uv/pipx/binary)
- Command patterns for mcp-ticketer
- Best practices and error handling

**When to Read**: When implementing platform-specific logic

**Platform Coverage**:
1. Claude Code (JSON, project-level)
2. Claude Desktop (JSON, global)
3. Cursor (JSON, project-level)
4. Auggie (JSON, global)
5. Codex (TOML, global)
6. Gemini CLI (JSON, both scopes)
7. Windsurf (JSON, project-level)
8. Antigravity (JSON, both scopes - location TBD)

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## Reading Paths

### For Project Managers
1. **[SUMMARY](design/SUMMARY.md)** - Executive overview
2. **[IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN](IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN.md)** - Timeline and phases
3. **[DIAGRAMS](DIAGRAMS.md)** - Visual architecture

### For Architects
1. **[ARCHITECTURE](ARCHITECTURE.md)** - Technical design
2. **[DIAGRAMS](DIAGRAMS.md)** - System diagrams
3. **[RESEARCH](research/mcp-server-installation-patterns-2025-12-05.md)** - Platform analysis

### For Developers (Implementation)
1. **[QUICK-REFERENCE](QUICK-REFERENCE.md)** - API examples
2. **[ARCHITECTURE](ARCHITECTURE.md)** - Module design
3. **[IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN](IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN.md)** - Phase details
4. **[PROJECT-STRUCTURE](PROJECT-STRUCTURE.md)** - File templates

### For Users (Library Usage)
1. **[QUICK-REFERENCE](QUICK-REFERENCE.md)** - API guide
2. **[SUMMARY](design/SUMMARY.md)** - Overview
3. README.md (in project root, when created)

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## Key Concepts

### Platform Detection
- **Multi-layered**: File existence → Format validation → CLI check
- **Confidence scoring**: 0.0-1.0 based on detection reliability
- **Graceful degradation**: Falls back to JSON if CLI unavailable

### Installation Strategies
- **Native CLI**: Uses platform's native command (Claude Code/Desktop)
- **JSON Config**: Direct config file manipulation (most platforms)
- **TOML Config**: TOML format support (Codex)

### Configuration Management
- **Atomic operations**: Temp file + rename for safety
- **Automatic backups**: Created before every modification
- **Transaction support**: Context manager with auto-rollback

### Auto-Migration
- **Legacy detection**: Identifies line-delimited JSON format
- **Safe migration**: Creates backup before migrating to FastMCP
- **Data preservation**: Maintains project paths and env vars

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## Technical Highlights

### Type Safety
- 100% type coverage with mypy strict mode
- All public APIs fully typed
- Protocol definitions for plugins

### Cross-Platform
- macOS, Linux, Windows support
- Platform-specific config locations
- Pathlib for all file operations

### Testing
- >90% test coverage target
- Unit tests for all modules
- Integration tests for workflows
- Cross-platform CI/CD

### Zero Dependencies
- Only requires `tomli` and `tomli-w` for TOML
- No application dependencies
- Fully standalone library

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## Implementation Checklist

### Pre-Implementation (Week 0)
- [ ] Review all design documents
- [ ] Set up GitHub repository
- [ ] Initialize project structure
- [ ] Configure development environment

### Phase 1: Core Abstractions (Week 1)
- [ ] Implement types.py
- [ ] Implement exceptions.py
- [ ] Implement utils.py
- [ ] Implement config_manager.py
- [ ] Write unit tests (>90% coverage)

### Phase 2: Platform Detection (Week 2)
- [ ] Implement base detector
- [ ] Implement detector registry
- [ ] Implement all 8 platform detectors
- [ ] Write unit tests

### Phase 3: Installation Strategies (Week 3)
- [ ] Implement strategy base class
- [ ] Implement CommandBuilder
- [ ] Implement NativeCLIStrategy
- [ ] Implement JSONConfigStrategy
- [ ] Implement TOMLConfigStrategy
- [ ] Write integration tests

### Phase 4: Inspector & Validator (Week 4)
- [ ] Implement MCPInspector
- [ ] Implement validation rules
- [ ] Implement auto-fix logic
- [ ] Implement legacy migration
- [ ] Write unit tests

### Phase 5: Orchestrator & Polish (Week 5)
- [ ] Implement MCPInstaller
- [ ] Finalize public API
- [ ] Write comprehensive tests
- [ ] Write documentation
- [ ] Code quality checks

### Phase 6: CLI & Packaging (Week 6)
- [ ] Implement CLI tool
- [ ] Configure PyPI packaging
- [ ] Set up CI/CD
- [ ] Write examples
- [ ] Publish to PyPI

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## Quality Gates

Each phase must meet:
- ✅ mypy strict mode passes (zero errors)
- ✅ ruff linting passes (zero warnings)
- ✅ >90% test coverage
- ✅ All public APIs documented
- ✅ Cross-platform tests pass

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## Success Criteria (v1.0.0)

### Functional
- ✅ Detects 7/8 platforms (Antigravity TBD)
- ✅ Installs servers on all platforms
- ✅ Validates existing installations
- ✅ Auto-fixes common issues
- ✅ Clear error messages

### Non-Functional
- ✅ Zero dependencies on mcp-ticketer
- ✅ Cross-platform support
- ✅ Type-safe (100% mypy)
- ✅ Well-tested (>90% coverage)
- ✅ Well-documented

### Release
- ✅ All 6 phases complete
- ✅ Published to PyPI
- ✅ CI/CD operational
- ✅ GitHub release created
- ✅ Documentation complete

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## Contact & Support

### Documentation Issues
If you find errors or gaps in the documentation:
1. Check the latest version of this index
2. Review the specific document mentioned
3. File an issue on GitHub

### Implementation Questions
For questions during implementation:
1. Consult **[QUICK-REFERENCE](QUICK-REFERENCE.md)** for API usage
2. Review **[ARCHITECTURE](ARCHITECTURE.md)** for design rationale
3. Check **[DIAGRAMS](DIAGRAMS.md)** for visual explanations

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## Revision History

| Version | Date | Changes |
|---------|------|---------|
| 1.0.0 | 2025-12-05 | Initial design documentation complete |

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## Next Steps

1. ✅ **Design Complete**: All documents created and reviewed
2. ⏭️ **Repository Setup**: Create GitHub repository
3. ⏭️ **Phase 1 Start**: Begin core abstractions implementation
4. ⏭️ **Weekly Reviews**: Track progress against implementation plan

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## Document Metadata

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Total Documents | 6 |
| Total Pages | ~100 (estimated) |
| Architecture Coverage | 100% (9 core modules) |
| Platform Coverage | 8/8 documented |
| Implementation Phases | 6 (42 days) |
| Target Python | 3.10+ |
| License | MIT (recommended) |

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**Design Status**: ✅ **COMPLETE - READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION**

**Estimated Effort**: 6 weeks (42 days) to v1.0.0 production release

**Recommendation**: Begin Phase 1 implementation immediately
