NCP - Natural Context Provider

# Provider Registry - Simplified MCP Setup ## Overview The Provider Registry makes adding popular MCP servers incredibly easy. Instead of manually configuring commands and authentication, users can simply run `ncp add <provider>` and NCP handles the rest. ## User Experience ### Before (Complex): ```bash # User had to figure out: # 1. What transport to use (stdio vs HTTP) # 2. What command to run # 3. How to authenticate # 4. All the configuration details $ ncp add canva npx -y @canva/cli@latest mcp # But wait, need to authenticate first... $ npx @canva/cli@latest login # Now try again... $ ncp add canva npx -y @canva/cli@latest mcp # 😞 Too complicated! ``` ### After (Simple): ```bash $ ncp add canva 🌐 Canva MCP Design and creative tools Website: https://www.canva.com ✓ Recommended transport: stdio Authenticate with Canva CLI Command: npx @canva/cli@latest login Run authentication now? (y/n): y 🔐 Running authentication... # Browser opens automatically ✅ Authentication complete! Adding Canva to profile... ✅ Added Canva to profile: all 💡 Next steps: • Test: ncp find <query> • View profiles: ncp list ``` ## Supported Providers ### Currently in Registry: | Provider | Recommended | Auth Method | Status | |----------|-------------|-------------|--------| | **Canva** | stdio | Canva CLI | ✅ Ready | | **Slack** | stdio | Slack CLI | ✅ Ready | | **GitHub** | stdio | GitHub CLI | ✅ Ready | | **Notion** | http | API Key | ✅ Ready | | **Linear** | http | API Key | ✅ Ready | ## Commands ### Simple Provider Add ```bash # Auto-detects and guides through setup ncp add canva ncp add slack ncp add github ``` ### Force Transport Type ```bash # Use HTTP instead of stdio ncp add canva --transport http # Use stdio (if available) ncp add notion --transport stdio ``` ### Manual Add (Advanced) ```bash # For custom/unknown stdio providers ncp add my-server npx @my/cli mcp # For HTTP/SSE: use manual config edit # (Manual HTTP URLs not supported via CLI) ``` ## How It Works ### 1. Provider Registry Located at `src/registry/providers.json`, contains configuration for popular providers: ```json { "canva": { "id": "canva", "name": "Canva", "description": "Design and creative tools", "recommended": "stdio", "stdio": { "setup": { "description": "Authenticate with Canva CLI", "command": "npx @canva/cli@latest login", "needsSetup": true }, "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@canva/cli@latest", "mcp"] }, "http": { "url": "https://mcp.canva.com/mcp", "auth": "oauth", "docs": "https://www.canva.dev/docs/connect/mcp-server/" } } } ``` ### 2. Auto-Detection Flow ``` User: ncp add canva ↓ Check registry → Found: canva ↓ Recommended transport: stdio ↓ Setup needed? Yes ↓ Prompt: Run authentication? ↓ If yes → Execute: npx @canva/cli@latest login ↓ Add to profile with stdio config ↓ Done! ``` ### 3. Fallback for Unknown Providers ``` User: ncp add custom-mcp npx @custom/cli mcp ↓ Check registry → Not found ↓ Use manual configuration ↓ Add with provided command/args ↓ Done! ``` ## Adding New Providers ### For Users Submit a provider request: 1. Open issue: https://github.com/portel/ncp/issues 2. Include: Provider name, documentation URL, setup instructions 3. We'll add it to the registry! ### For Contributors **1. Add to `src/registry/providers.json`:** ```json { "newprovider": { "id": "newprovider", "name": "New Provider", "description": "What this provider does", "website": "https://newprovider.com", "recommended": "stdio", // or "http" "stdio": { "setup": { "description": "Authenticate with Provider CLI", "command": "npx @provider/cli login", "needsSetup": true }, "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@provider/cli", "mcp"] } } } ``` **2. Test:** ```bash npm run build ncp add newprovider ``` **3. Submit PR:** - Include test results - Link to provider's documentation - Verify authentication flow works ## Benefits ### For Users: ✅ **Simple setup** - Just one command ✅ **Guided authentication** - NCP handles it ✅ **No documentation needed** - Built-in knowledge ✅ **Works out of the box** - No configuration ### For Provider Authors: ✅ **Easy adoption** - Lower barrier to entry ✅ **Consistent UX** - All providers setup the same way ✅ **Built-in discovery** - Users find your MCP easily ### For NCP Project: ✅ **Better onboarding** - New users succeed quickly ✅ **Community contributions** - Easy to add providers ✅ **Scalable** - Registry grows with ecosystem ## Future Enhancements ### Planned Features: - [ ] `ncp providers list` - Show all available providers - [ ] `ncp providers search <query>` - Search providers - [ ] `ncp providers info <provider>` - Show provider details - [ ] Auto-update registry from remote source - [ ] Community provider submissions via API - [ ] Provider verification/trust badges ## Technical Details ### File Structure: ``` src/registry/ ├── providers.json # Provider definitions └── provider-registry.ts # Loader and utilities ``` ### TypeScript Interfaces: ```typescript interface Provider { id: string; name: string; description: string; website: string; recommended: 'stdio' | 'http'; stdio?: ProviderStdioConfig; http?: ProviderHttpConfig; } ``` ### Registry Functions: ```typescript loadProviderRegistry() // Load all providers getProvider(id) // Get specific provider listProviders() // Get all providers searchProviders(query) // Search providers ``` ## Migration Guide ### Existing Users Manual stdio commands still work: ```bash # Manual stdio still supported: ncp add canva npx -y @canva/cli@latest mcp ``` Simplified registry-based commands recommended: ```bash # Registry-based (auto-detects transport): ncp add canva ncp add notion ``` **Note:** The old `add-http` and `add-stdio` subcommands have been unified into a single `add` command that auto-detects the transport type from the registry. ### Updating Profiles Profiles created with old commands work fine. No migration needed! ## FAQ **Q: What if a provider isn't in the registry?** A: Use manual commands: `ncp add <name> <command> [args...]` **Q: Can I override registry settings?** A: Yes! Specify command manually: `ncp add canva custom-command` **Q: How often is the registry updated?** A: With each NCP release. Check `ncp --version` for updates. **Q: Can I use HTTP for a provider that recommends stdio?** A: Yes: `ncp add canva --transport http` **Q: What if authentication fails?** A: NCP provides the command to run manually. You can retry after. **Q: Are there community providers?** A: Coming soon! We'll enable community submissions. --- **Making MCP setup delightful, one provider at a time.** 🚀