# Hosting Conversion Discussion
## Context
Discussion about converting the local MCP server to a remotely hosted version that others can access without downloading and installing software.
## Key Clarification
**Question**: What did "Convert MCP tools to REST API endpoints or GraphQL" mean? Would it still be an MCP tool for AI interfaces like Claude Desktop?
**Answer**: Two distinct approaches were identified:
### Option 1: Keep as MCP (Recommended)
- Host the MCP server remotely but maintain MCP protocol
- Replace `StdioServerTransport` with `SSEServerTransport` (Server-Sent Events)
- Expose HTTP endpoint for MCP server
- Users add hosted MCP server URL to their `claude_desktop_config.json`
- All existing tools (`list-categories`, `get-component-details`, etc.) work unchanged in Claude Desktop
### Option 2: Convert to REST API
- Abandon MCP entirely
- Build traditional web API
- Would NOT integrate with Claude Desktop's MCP system
- Not recommended for this use case
## Technical Changes Required (Option 1)
### Core Changes
1. **Transport Layer**: Replace `StdioServerTransport` with HTTP transport in `src/index.ts:289`
2. **Authentication**: Add secure handling for GitHub tokens
3. **Environment**: Move to cloud environment variables
### Architecture Considerations
- **Hosting Options**: Serverless (Vercel/Netlify/AWS Lambda), Container (Docker + cloud), or Traditional server
- **Security**: GitHub token isolation, rate limiting, input validation, HTTPS
- **CORS**: Enable cross-origin requests
## Recommendation
Option 1 (hosted MCP) is preferred because:
- Maintains Claude Desktop integration
- Preserves existing tool logic
- Keeps conversational AI integration
- Users can still access through familiar MCP interface
## Next Steps
Implementation details for hosted MCP approach to be explored in future sessions.
