Scancode License Analysis Tool for MCP

# Scancode License Analysis Tool for MCP This project provides a set of tools built with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) TypeScript SDK. These tools help you analyze software licenses, specifically using data from a Scancode-generated `license_analysis_detailed.json` file. It's designed to make license compliance easier to manage by providing quick access to critical information about problematic licenses, affected files, and scan issues. ## What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)? MCP is a standardized way for applications (like code editors or AI agents) to communicate with external services (like this license analysis tool). Think of it as a universal language that allows different software components to understand each other and work together, especially when dealing with large codebases or complex data. ## Why use this tool? If you work with software projects, understanding the licenses of your dependencies is crucial for legal compliance. This tool helps you: * **Quickly identify problematic licenses:** See which licenses are a concern (e.g., copyleft, GPL, unknown). * **Pinpoint affected files:** Find out which specific files in your codebase are associated with these licenses. * **Review scan issues:** Understand if there were any problems during the license scanning process. * **Get recommendations:** Receive high-level guidance on how to address licensing concerns. * **Generate file reports:** Easily get the content of a specific file along with its associated problematic licenses, directly from the tool. ## Prerequisites Before you get started, make sure you have the following installed on your system: * **Node.js (v18 or higher):** A JavaScript runtime. You can download it from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org/). * **npm:** Node Package Manager, which comes with Node.js. ## Setup Steps Follow these steps to set up and run your Scancode License Analysis Tool: 1. **Clone this repository** (if you haven't already): Open your terminal or command prompt and run: ```bash git clone <your-repo-url> # Replace <your-repo-url> with the actual URL cd <your-repo-directory> # Navigate into the cloned project folder ``` 2. **Install project dependencies:** This command downloads all the necessary libraries and packages for the tool to run: ```bash npm install ``` 3. **Ensure your `license_analysis_detailed.json` file is present:** This tool relies on a `license_analysis_detailed.json` file generated by Scancode. Make sure this file is in the root directory of your project (where `index.ts` is located). This file contains the license scan results that the tools will analyze. 4. **Configure TypeScript (Optional, but recommended for development):** A `tsconfig.json` file is already included and configured. It tells TypeScript how to compile your code. Key settings for this project include: ```json { "compilerOptions": { "module": "nodenext", // Ensures modern module resolution for Node.js "target": "es2022", // Compiles to a recent JavaScript version "outDir": "dist", // Output compiled JavaScript files to the 'dist' folder // ... other settings for strictness and compatibility ... }, "include": ["index.ts"] // Only compile this file } ``` 5. **Build the project (Compile TypeScript to JavaScript):** This step compiles your TypeScript code (`.ts`) into plain JavaScript (`.js`) files, which Node.js can execute. The compiled files will be placed in the `dist/` directory. ```bash npx tsc ``` ## Running the Tool YouYou have two main ways to run this tool: ### 1. For Development (using `tsx`) `tsx` allows you to run TypeScript files directly without a separate compilation step, which is great for development and testing: ```bash npx tsx index.ts ``` ### 2. Running the Built Version After building your project (step 5 above), you can run the compiled JavaScript files from the `dist/` directory: ```bash node dist/index.js ``` ## How to Add This Tool to Cursor MCP To integrate this tool with Cursor’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) feature, follow these steps: 1. **Start your MCP server:** First, get your MCP server running using one of the methods above (e.g., `npx tsx index.ts`). This will keep the server active and listening for requests from Cursor. 2. **Open Cursor and navigate to the MCP integration panel.** In Cursor, look for the MCP panel (usually in the sidebar or a dedicated view). 3. **Add a new MCP server connection:** Click on the option to “Add MCP Server” or similar. You'll need to configure how Cursor connects to your running tool. * **Connection Type:** Select **Stdio**. * **Command:** Provide the command to start your server. This is the same command you used to run it in your terminal. * Example (for development): `npx tsx C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\Dev\ScancodeMCP\index.ts` * Example (for built version): `node C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\Dev\ScancodeMCP\dist\index.js` * **(Optional) Environment Variables:** You might want to add `NODE_NO_WARNINGS: 1` under environment variables to suppress Node.js warnings. 4. **Save and Connect.** Once configured, save the connection. Cursor should automatically detect your tools and make them available in the MCP tool palette. ## Example: `.cursor/mcp.json` Configuration For a permanent setup, you can add this tool directly to your Cursor's global or project-specific `.cursor/mcp.json` file. This file tells Cursor which MCP servers to automatically start and connect to. Here's an example entry to add to your `.cursor/mcp.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "scancode-license-server": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "tsx", "C:\\Users\\Admin\\Desktop\\Dev\\ScancodeMCP\\index.ts" ], "env": { "NODE_NO_WARNINGS": "1" }, "disabled": false, "autoApprove": [ "mcp_ScancodeMCP_analyze_license_file", "mcp_ScancodeMCP_summarize_license_risks", "mcp_ScancodeMCP_compare_license_compatibility", "mcp_ScancodeMCP_list_high_risk_files", "mcp_ScancodeMCP_get_license_clause_summary" ] } // ... any other MCP servers you have ... } } ``` * **Adjust the `args` path**: Make sure the `C:\\Users\\Admin\\Desktop\\Dev\\ScancodeMCP\\index.ts` path matches the actual location of your `index.ts` file. * **`autoApprove`**: This list tells Cursor which tools from your server can be automatically approved by the AI. This is convenient for frequently used tools. After saving `mcp.json`, reload MCP servers in Cursor (there's usually a refresh button in the MCP panel). Your "Scancode License Analysis Tool" and its sub-tools will then be available in the MCP tool palette, ready to use! ## Available Tools and Their Uses Here are the tools provided by this server, designed to help with license compliance: | Tool Name | Description | How to Use (Example) | | :-------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_analyze_license_file` | Clause-by-clause legal analysis of all licenses detected in a file, including obligations, risks, and compatibility. Supports analyzing multiple files and reading a configurable number of lines from each file. | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_analyze_license_file(filePaths=['path/to/file1.txt', 'path/to/file2.txt'], linesToRead=50, scannedDataBasePath='C:\\Users\\Admin\\Desktop\\LICENSE_MANAGER\\')` <br/> `mcp_ScancodeMCP_analyze_license_file(filePaths=['path/to/single_file.txt'])` | | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_summarize_license_risks` | Lists all files with high-risk/problematic licenses and provides a legal risk summary for each license type. | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_summarize_license_risks()` | | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_compare_license_compatibility` | Legal compatibility verdict and explanation for two license types (e.g., MIT vs GPLv3). | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_compare_license_compatibility(licenseA='MIT', licenseB='GPL-3.0')` | | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_list_high_risk_files` | Lists all files with copyleft, unknown, or commercial-unfriendly licenses, with a legal warning for each. | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_list_high_risk_files()` | | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_get_license_clause_summary` | Clause-by-clause legal summary of a license (obligations, risks, compatibility, etc). | `mcp_ScancodeMCP_get_license_clause_summary(licenseName='MIT')` | ## License MIT ## Keywords #OpenSource #LicenseCompliance #LegalTech #Scancode #MCP #ModelContextProtocol #SoftwareLicenses #LicenseAnalysis #ComplianceTool #DeveloperTools #TypeScript #NodeJS #AutomatedLegal #CodeAnalysis