# Publishing MCP Emotional Support
This document outlines the process for building and publishing the MCP Emotional Support server to NPM.
## Prerequisites
- Node.js 18.0.0+
- NPM account with publishing permissions
- Git repository properly configured
## Building for Production
1. **Install dependencies:**
```bash
npm install
```
2. **Build the TypeScript:**
```bash
npm run build
```
3. **Verify the build:**
```bash
ls -la dist/
# Should see index.js and other compiled files
```
4. **Test the binary:**
```bash
node dist/index.js
# Should see: "MCP Emotional Support Server running on stdio"
```
## Publishing Process
### 1. Version Management
Update the version in `package.json`:
```bash
npm version patch # for bug fixes
npm version minor # for new features
npm version major # for breaking changes
```
### 2. Pre-publish Checks
- Ensure all tests pass (if applicable)
- Verify `dist/` directory is built and up-to-date
- Check that `.gitignore` properly excludes `node_modules/` and temporary files
- Confirm `package.json` has correct metadata
### 3. Publish to NPM
```bash
# Login to NPM (if not already logged in)
npm login
# Publish the package
npm publish
# For scoped packages or beta versions:
# npm publish --tag beta
```
### 4. Verify Publication
- Check the package page: https://www.npmjs.com/package/mcp-emotional-support
- Test installation: `npm install -g mcp-emotional-support`
- Verify binary works: `mcp-emotional-support --help` (if help is implemented)
## Post-Publication
1. **Update README.md** with the new NPM installation instructions
2. **Tag the release** in Git:
```bash
git tag v1.0.0
git push origin v1.0.0
```
3. **Create GitHub release** (optional but recommended)
## Claude Desktop Configuration
After publishing, users can configure Claude Desktop with:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"emotional-support": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["mcp-emotional-support"]
}
}
}
```
## Troubleshooting
### Build Issues
- Ensure TypeScript is properly installed: `npm install -g typescript`
- Check for TypeScript errors: `npx tsc --noEmit`
### Publishing Issues
- Verify NPM authentication: `npm whoami`
- Check package name availability: `npm view mcp-emotional-support`
- For permission errors, ensure you're logged in to the correct NPM account
### Runtime Issues
- Test the server locally before publishing
- Verify all dependencies are listed in `package.json`
- Check Node.js version compatibility
## Development Workflow
For ongoing development:
1. Make changes to source files in `src/`
2. Build: `npm run build`
3. Test locally with Claude Desktop
4. Commit changes: `git add . && git commit -m "Description"`
5. Version bump: `npm version patch`
6. Publish: `npm publish`
7. Push to Git: `git push && git push --tags`
## Package Metadata
Ensure `package.json` contains:
- Correct `name`, `version`, `description`
- Proper `bin` configuration for the CLI
- Accurate `keywords` for discoverability
- Valid `license` and `author` information
- Correct `repository` URL
- Appropriate `engines` specification
