Distribution turns a private script into a supply-chain responsibility. Consumers need reproducible builds, version compatibility, integrity, permissions, data behavior, configuration, upgrade notes, and removal instructions.
Prepare the Package Contract
Publish:
- supported runtime, MCP protocol, and SDK versions;
- capabilities and side effects;
- required credentials/scopes and network destinations;
- configuration schema and safe defaults;
- data sent, stored, logged, and retained;
- install, health check, update, rollback, and uninstall steps;
- security reporting and support owner;
- changelog and compatibility policy.
Exclude .env, fixtures with real data, logs, build caches, and local config. Pin dependencies with a lockfile, generate a software bill of materials where appropriate, scan dependencies, and build in CI from a tagged commit.
Version by Contract Change
Breaking schema, permission, behavior, or configuration changes require an explicit compatibility decision. Do not silently add a write tool in a patch release. Consumers should review capability and scope changes before upgrade.
Sign releases or use registry provenance features where supported. Publish checksums/artifacts through an owned organization account with recovery and multi-factor controls.
Worked Example
A Lahore agency packages a read-only catalog server. CI runs tests, builds a minimal artifact, checks for secrets, creates an SBOM, and publishes from a protected tag. README lists one read tool, fixture-free installation, expected environment variable names, and exact uninstall.
Version 1.1 adds an optional resource without new credentials. A future draft-write capability is planned as a new reviewed release and separate scope, not slipped into 1.1.1.
The release record links test evidence, source commit, dependency inventory, reviewer, and the exact artifact consumed by the clean-install test.
Failure Cases to Diagnose
- Package contains
.env: remove, revoke, and scan history/artifacts. - Floating dependencies: lock and monitor.
- Install script performs hidden network action: minimize and document.
- No compatibility matrix: consumers cannot upgrade safely.
- Personal registry owner: move to organization control.
- Uninstall leaves credentials/service: document complete removal.
🇵🇰 Pakistan Angle
Pakistani freelancers should contractually define maintenance, hosting, third-party costs, incident response, and handover. The client must own production accounts and recovery—not depend on the seller’s personal registry or email.
Price the actual lifecycle in PKR: discovery, build, review, hosting, monitoring, updates, and support. Do not sell an unsupported zip as “production AI infrastructure.”
Hands-On Exercise
- Create the package contract and threat review.
- Add CI tests, secret scan, SBOM, and artifact build.
- Publish to a private test registry or local package store.
- Install from clean environment, then uninstall.
- Simulate a breaking capability change.
Completion Rubric
- Artifact is reproducible and contains no secret/data.
- Capabilities, scopes, destinations, and data behavior are documented.
- Compatibility and changelog policy exist.
- Release ownership and recovery are organizational.
- Upgrade/rollback/uninstall are tested.
- Client handover covers operations and cost.
Sources
- npm Docs — Generating provenance statements
- GitHub Docs — Artifact attestations
- OWASP — Software Component Verification Standard
Key takeaway: distribute an MCP server as a governed software product with reproducible artifacts, explicit permissions, version contracts, and complete removal.