Which integrations are available for this server?

Queries the [GitHub](/mcp/servers/integrations/github) Winget repository to retrieve application manifests, silent install arguments, and package metadata for Windows applications.

Packager-MCP

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that transforms Claude CLI and compatible AI tools into expert Windows application packaging assistants for Microsoft Intune.

What is This?

This server gives your AI assistant (like Claude) superpowers for creating Windows application packages. Instead of manually researching silent install arguments, writing PSADT scripts from scratch, and figuring out Intune detection rules, you can just ask your AI to do it for you.

Before this server: "How do I silently install Chrome? What's the detection rule? How do I write a PSADT script?"

After this server: "Package Google Chrome for Intune" → Complete package with script, detection rules, and validation.

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard that enables AI assistants to integrate with external tools. Think of it like giving your AI assistant access to specialised functions it can call.

When you connect this server to Claude CLI (or another MCP-compatible client), Claude gains access to:

Tools - Functions it can call (search Winget, generate scripts, validate packages)
Resources - Documentation that can be read (PSADT guides, installer references)
Prompts - Pre-built workflows it can execute (package an app, troubleshoot issues)

Version Notes

Packager-MCP v0.8 - Beta. The server provides complete Windows application packaging assistance with PSADT v4.1.7 support.

Detailed Guide

Look for the PackagerMCP_Claude.docx in this repository.

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Node.js 20 or higher
MCP-compatible AI client (Claude CLI recommended, see detailed guide)
GitHub Token (recommended) - Create one here

Installation

# Install prerequisites (if not already installed) winget install git.git winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS # Clone the repository git clone https://github.com/kkaminsk/Packager-MCP.git cd Packager-MCP # Install dependencies npm install # Build the project npm run build

Add MCP to Your Client

For Windsurf/VS Code (mcp_config.json):

{ "mcpServers": { "packager-mcp": { "command": "node", "args": ["C:/path/to/Packager-MCP/dist/server.js"], "env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here" } } } }

For Claude CLI:

claude mcp add packager-mcp node C:/Temp/Github/Packager-MCP/dist/server.js -e GITHUB_TOKEN=github_pat_changeme

For Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):

{ "mcpServers": { "packager-mcp": { "command": "node", "args": ["C:/path/to/Packager-MCP/dist/server.js"], "env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here" } } } }

Verify It's Working

After adding the server to your MCP client, you should see packager-mcp in the list of available servers. The server provides 6 tools, 11 resources, and 4 prompts. Feel free to ask the agent if the MCP is working and test it.

What Can It Do?

Six Powerful Tools

Tool	What It Does	Example Use
`search_winget`	Find apps in the Winget repository	"Search for Chrome in Winget"
`get_silent_install_args`	Get silent install parameters	"What are the silent args for Firefox?"
`get_psadt_template`	Generate PSADT v4 deployment scripts	"Create a PSADT script for 7-Zip"
`validate_package`	Check scripts for errors and best practices	"Validate my deployment script"
`generate_intune_detection`	Create Intune detection rules	"Generate a file detection rule for Notepad++"
`verify_psadt_functions`	Verify PSADT scripts use valid v4.1.7 functions	"Verify my script has correct function names"

Note: Use search_winget to get installer URLs, then download with PowerShell's Invoke-WebRequest. The PSADT toolkit is bundled in dist/knowledge/v4github/ - copy these files to your package directory.

Knowledge Resources

Claude can read these built-in guides to help you better:

PSADT Documentation:

psadt://docs/overview - Architecture and concepts
psadt://docs/functions - All 135 ADT-prefixed functions
psadt://docs/variables - Built-in variables and $ADTSession
psadt://docs/migration - Guide for migrating from v3 to v4
psadt://docs/best-practices - Recommended patterns

Installer Guides:

kb://installers/msi - MSI packaging guide
kb://installers/exe - EXE installers (NSIS, Inno, InstallShield)
kb://installers/msix - Modern MSIX packaging

Patterns & References:

kb://patterns/detection - Detection rule examples
kb://patterns/prerequisites - Handling dependencies
ref://exit-codes - Common exit codes explained

Note: Silent install arguments are accessed via the get_silent_install_args tool rather than as a resource.

Four Guided Workflows (Prompts)

Prompt	Description
`package-app`	Complete workflow: search → template → detection → validate
`troubleshoot`	Diagnose package failures from error codes and logs
`bulk-lookup`	Get info for multiple apps at once
`convert-legacy`	Convert PSADT v3 scripts to v4 format with migration guidance

Usage Examples

Example 1: Package an Application

Just tell Claude what you want:

Package Google Chrome for Intune deployment

Claude will:

Search Winget for Chrome metadata
Get the silent install arguments
Generate a PSADT v4 deployment script
Create Intune detection rules
Validate the script for issues

Example 2: Look Up Silent Install Arguments

What are the silent install arguments for Mozilla Firefox?

Claude will query Winget and return verified arguments with confidence levels.

Example 3: Generate Detection Rules

Create an Intune detection rule that checks if Notepad++ version 8.6 or higher is installed at C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe

Claude will generate both the Intune Graph API JSON and an equivalent PowerShell script.

Example 4: Validate a Script

Validate this PSADT script for Intune deployment: [paste your script]

Claude will check for:

PSADT v4 syntax errors
Intune compatibility issues
Security vulnerabilities
Best practice violations

Example 5: Troubleshoot a Failure

My package failed with exit code 1603. The installer is an MSI.

Claude will explain what exit code 1603 means and suggest solutions.

Configuration

Basic Setup

Copy the example config file:

cp packager-mcp.example.yaml packager-mcp.yaml

Configuration Options

# Server identification name: intune-packaging-assistant version: 1.0.0 # Cache settings (speeds up repeated queries) cache: maxSize: 1000 # Maximum cached items defaultTtlMs: 900000 # 15 minutes default manifestTtlMs: 3600000 # 1 hour for manifests searchTtlMs: 900000 # 15 minutes for searches # Logging logging: level: info # debug, info, warn, error format: json # json or text # GitHub API (for Winget repository access) github: # token: ghp_xxx... # Optional: increases rate limit from 60 to 5000/hour rateLimitRetries: 3

GitHub Token (Recommended)

The server queries GitHub's Winget repository. Without a token, you're limited to 60 requests/hour. With a token, you get 5000/hour.

# Set via environment variable export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here # Or in the config file github: token: ghp_your_token_here

To create a token: GitHub → Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Fine-grained tokens → Generate new token (no special permissions needed for public repos).

Project Structure

Packager-MCP/ ├── src/ │ ├── server.ts # MCP server entry point │ ├── handlers/ │ │ ├── tools.ts # Tool implementations (5 tools) │ │ ├── resources.ts # Resource handlers (11 resources) │ │ └── prompts.ts # Prompt workflows (4 prompts) │ │ └── index.ts # Handler registration │ ├── services/ │ │ ├── winget.ts # Winget API integration │ │ ├── psadt.ts # PSADT template generation │ │ ├── validation.ts # Package validation engine │ │ ├── detection.ts # Intune detection rules │ │ └── index.ts # Service exports │ ├── workflows/ # Prompt workflow implementations │ │ ├── package-app.ts # /package-app workflow │ │ ├── troubleshoot.ts # /troubleshoot workflow │ │ ├── bulk-lookup.ts # /bulk-lookup workflow │ │ └── index.ts # Workflow exports │ ├── knowledge/ # Embedded documentation │ │ ├── psadt/ # PSADT v4 docs (overview, functions, variables, best-practices) │ │ ├── installers/ # Installer type guides (msi, exe, msix) │ │ ├── patterns/ # Packaging patterns (detection, prerequisites, download) │ │ ├── reference/ # Silent args (JSON), exit codes │ │ └── v4github/ # Static PSADT v4.1.7 toolkit files │ ├── templates/ # Handlebars templates for PSADT scripts │ ├── cache/ # LRU cache implementation │ ├── config/ # Configuration loader and schema │ ├── utils/ # Logger and error utilities │ ├── types/ # TypeScript type definitions │ └── __tests__/ # Unit tests ├── dist/ # Compiled JavaScript (after build) ├── packager-mcp.example.yaml └── package.json

Understanding Installer Types

The server handles different installer types automatically:

Type	Description	Silent Args	Example
MSI	Windows Installer	`/qn /norestart`	Office, SQL Server
EXE (NSIS)	Nullsoft Installer	`/S`	7-Zip, VLC
EXE (Inno)	Inno Setup	`/VERYSILENT /NORESTART`	VS Code, Git
EXE (InstallShield)	InstallShield	`/s /v"/qn"`	Adobe Reader
MSIX/AppX	Modern packages	`Add-AppxPackage`	Store apps
ZIP	Archive extraction	N/A	Portable apps

Understanding PSADT v4

This server generates PSADT v4 (PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit version 4) scripts. Key things to know:

Key Concepts

Module-based architecture (Import-Module PSAppDeployToolkit)
ADT prefix on all 135 functions (e.g., Show-ADTInstallationWelcome, Start-ADTProcess)
$adtSession object for state management via Open-ADTSession
Structured error handling with Close-ADTSession

Script Structure

# Import the module Import-Module PSAppDeployToolkit # Open a session $adtSession = Open-ADTSession -AppName 'MyApp' -AppVersion '1.0' # Do the installation Install-ADTDeployment { Show-ADTInstallationWelcome -CloseApps 'myapp' -AllowDefer Show-ADTInstallationProgress -StatusMessage 'Installing...' Start-ADTMsiProcess -Path 'MyApp.msi' } # Close the session Close-ADTSession

Troubleshooting

"Rate limit exceeded"

You've hit GitHub's API limit (60 requests/hour without a token).

Solution: Add a GitHub Personal Access Token to your config.

"Package not found"

The Winget repository doesn't have this exact package ID.

Solution: Try searching with a partial name: "Search Winget for Chrome" instead of using an exact ID.

"Server not responding"

The MCP connection may have dropped.

Solution:

claude mcp remove packager-mcp claude mcp add packager-mcp node /path/to/dist/server.js

"Build failed"

TypeScript compilation errors.

Solution:

npm install npm run build

Development

Run in Watch Mode

npm run dev

Run Tests

npm test # Watch mode npm run test:watch

Validate Knowledge Base

npm run validate:knowledge

How It Works Under the Hood

┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │ Claude CLI │────▶│ Packager-MCP │────▶│ GitHub API │ │ (MCP Client) │◀────│ (MCP Server) │◀────│ (Winget Repo) │ └─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ │ ▼ ┌──────────────────┐ │ Knowledge Base │ │ - PSADT docs │ │ - Silent args │ │ - Exit codes │ └──────────────────┘

You ask Claude to package an app
Claude calls tools on this MCP server
The server queries GitHub's Winget repository for metadata
The server generates PSADT scripts using templates and knowledge
Claude returns the complete package to you

FAQ

Q: Do I need Intune to use this? A: No! The scripts work standalone. Intune-specific features (detection rules) are optional.

Q: Does it support PSADT v3? A: No, this server focuses exclusively on PSADT v4. For v3 scripts, please refer to the official PSADT documentation for migration guidance.

Q: Can I use this with other tools? A: Yes, any MCP-compatible client works. Add the server to your MCP config.

Q: How accurate are the silent install arguments? A: Arguments come from Microsoft's Winget repository with confidence levels (verified, high, medium, low).

Q: Can I download the actual installers? A: Use search_winget to get installer URLs and SHA256 hashes, then download with PowerShell's Invoke-WebRequest.

Q: Where do I get the PSADT toolkit files? A: The PSADT v4.1.7 toolkit is bundled in dist/knowledge/v4github/. Copy these files to your package directory to create a complete deployment package.

Contributing

Contributions welcome! See the project structure above and feel free to:

Add more installer type patterns
Improve PSADT templates
Expand the knowledge base
Report issues

License

MIT