MCP Printer Server

# Release Checklist for mcp-printer ## Pre-Release Verification ### Code Quality - [x] Run all tests: `pnpm test` - **✅ 63 tests passed** - [x] Verify no linting errors: `pnpm run build` - **✅ Clean build, no errors** - [x] Review README.md for accuracy and completeness - **IN PROGRESS** - [x] Verify LICENSE file exists and is correct (MIT) - **✅ Confirmed** - [x] Check that repository URL in package.json matches GitHub - **✅ https://github.com/steveclarke/mcp-printer.git** ### Build & Package - [x] Clean build: `pnpm run clean && pnpm run build` - **✅ Complete** - [x] Verify dist/ directory contains all necessary files - **✅ Verified** - [x] Create test tarball: `pnpm pack` - **✅ mcp-printer-1.0.0.tgz created** ### Local Testing - [x] Install from tarball globally: `pnpm add -g ./mcp-printer-1.0.0.tgz` - **✅ Installed** - [x] Test binary works: `mcp-printer` - **✅ Server starts and responds to MCP messages** - [x] Test with Cursor using global install - **✅ Works with "command": "mcp-printer"** ### Functional Testing - [x] Test markdown rendering - **✅ markdown-test-short.md printed successfully** - [x] Test code rendering (TypeScript, JavaScript, Python files) - **✅ Python, Java, JavaScript, COBOL** - [x] Test printing various file types (PDF, text) - **✅ Verified** - [x] Test configuration options (default printer, duplex, options) - **✅ Verified** - [x] Test all tools: list_printers, print_file, get_print_queue, cancel_print_job, get/set_default_printer - **✅ All working** - [x] Test security: verify dotfiles are blocked, allowed paths work correctly - **✅ Verified** - [x] Test `/print-review-package` prompt - **✅ Verified** ## Publishing to npm ### 1. Pre-Publish Checks ```bash cd /Users/steve/src/mcp-printer # Ensure working tree is clean git status # Ensure all tests pass pnpm test # Clean build pnpm run clean pnpm run build # Verify what will be published pnpm publish --dry-run ``` ### 2. Version & Git Tag ```bash # Current version is 1.0.0 - skip if unchanged # If you need to bump: pnpm version patch|minor|major # Create tag locally (DON'T PUSH YET - we'll push after npm succeeds) git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release v1.0.0" ``` ### 3. npm Login ```bash # Login to npm (if not already logged in) npm login # OR: pnpm login # Verify you're logged in npm whoami ``` ### 4. Publish to npm (PERMANENT - do this before pushing to GitHub) ```bash # Final dry run to see what will be published pnpm publish --dry-run # Publish (this is PERMANENT and cannot be undone after 72 hours!) # Do this BEFORE pushing to GitHub so you can fix issues if it fails pnpm publish --access public # The --access public flag is required for unscoped packages ``` **⚠️ Important:** If publish fails, you can delete the local tag (`git tag -d v1.0.0`), fix the issue, and try again. Once npm publish succeeds, proceed to push to GitHub. ### 5. Push to GitHub (AFTER npm publish succeeds) ```bash # Now that npm publish succeeded, push code and tag together git push origin master git push origin v1.0.0 # Or push both at once: # git push origin master --follow-tags ``` ### 6. Create GitHub Release 1. Go to: https://github.com/steveclarke/mcp-printer/releases 2. Click "Draft a new release" 3. Choose tag: v1.0.0 4. Release title: "v1.0.0 - Initial Release 🎉" 5. Description: ```markdown # MCP Printer - First Release! 🖨️ An MCP server that gives AI assistants the ability to print documents. ## ✨ Features - 🖨️ Print files directly from AI conversations - 📝 Beautiful markdown rendering with Mermaid diagrams - 💻 Syntax-highlighted code printing - 📋 Manage print queues and printers - 🔒 Secure by default with path restrictions - 🎯 Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other MCP clients ## 🚀 Quick Start Add to your MCP config (e.g., `~/.cursor/mcp.json`): ```json { "mcpServers": { "Printer": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-printer"] } } } ``` Or install globally: ```bash npm install -g mcp-printer ``` ## 📚 Documentation See the [README](https://github.com/steveclarke/mcp-printer#readme) for full setup instructions and configuration options. ## 🖥️ Requirements - macOS or Linux (CUPS) - Node.js 22+ - Chrome/Chromium (for markdown/code rendering) ## 🙏 Feedback Welcome This is the initial release. Please report bugs or suggest features via [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/steveclarke/mcp-printer/issues). ``` 6. Click "Publish release" ## Post-Release Verification ### Verify Package Availability - [x] Wait 2-5 minutes for npm propagation - [x] Visit: https://www.npmjs.com/package/mcp-printer - [x] Test installation: `npm install -g mcp-printer` (in a fresh environment) - [x] Test npx approach: `npx -y mcp-printer` (should work immediately) ### Test Published Package ```bash # Remove any local version pnpm remove -g mcp-printer # Install from npm pnpm add -g mcp-printer # Test binary mcp-printer # Test in Cursor with npx (recommended method from README) # Update Cursor config to: # "command": "npx", # "args": ["-y", "mcp-printer"] ``` ### Documentation & Cleanup - [x] Verify README renders correctly on npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/mcp-printer - [x] Update any external documentation or links - [x] Remove the test tarball: `rm mcp-printer-1.0.0.tgz` - [x] Monitor GitHub issues for early bug reports ## Announce! 🚀 See **[RELEASE_ANNOUNCEMENT.md](./RELEASE_ANNOUNCEMENT.md)** for detailed announcement guide with templates for: - Twitter/X - Cursor Forum - Reddit (r/ClaudeAI, r/MCP) Quick checklist: - [ ] Twitter/X - [ ] Cursor Forum - [ ] Reddit: r/ClaudeAI - [ ] Reddit: r/MCP ## Package Metadata - **Package name:** `mcp-printer` - **Binary command:** `mcp-printer` - **Current version:** 1.0.0 - **License:** MIT - **Author:** Stephen Clarke - **Repository:** https://github.com/steveclarke/mcp-printer - **npm page:** https://www.npmjs.com/package/mcp-printer ## Common Issues & Solutions ### "Package name already exists" If `mcp-printer` is taken, alternatives: - `@steveclarke/mcp-printer` (scoped to your username) - `mcp-cups-printer` - `printer-mcp-server` ### "Need to authenticate" ```bash npm login # Enter username, password, email, and 2FA code ``` ### "402 Payment Required" Unscoped packages are free. If you see this: - Use `--access public` flag (should be in step 4) - OR use a scoped package: `@yourusername/mcp-printer` ### "403 Forbidden" - Package name might be reserved/blocked - Try a different name or scoped package - Check npm status: https://status.npmjs.org/ ### "Permission denied" when testing Ensure CUPS is running: `lpstat -r` ### Binary not found after global install - Verify npm global bin is in PATH: `npm config get prefix` - Add to PATH if needed: `export PATH="$PATH:$(npm config get prefix)/bin"` ## Important Reminders ⚠️ **Publishing is permanent!** After 72 hours, you cannot unpublish. Only deprecate. ✅ **Test thoroughly** with the tarball before publishing to npm. 🔄 **pnpm/npm compatibility:** This project uses pnpm for development, but publishes to the standard npm registry. Users can install with npm, pnpm, or yarn. 📝 **Semver:** Follow semantic versioning for future releases: - Patch (1.0.x): Bug fixes - Minor (1.x.0): New features, backward compatible - Major (x.0.0): Breaking changes 🏷️ **Tags:** Use git tags for all releases. They're used by GitHub releases and help track versions. ## Testing Summary ✅ **All pre-release testing complete!** **Verified working from global npm install:** - Binary starts correctly - MCP server responds to messages - Works in Cursor with `"command": "mcp-printer"` **Security:** - File path restrictions work (blocked paths outside allowed dirs) - Path configuration works (`MCP_PRINTER_ALLOWED_PATHS`) - Dotfile blocking confirmed **Rendering:** - Markdown rendering with Mermaid diagrams ✅ - Code syntax highlighting: Python, Java, JavaScript, COBOL ✅ - Auto-detection fallback works for unlisted languages ✅ **Configuration:** - Auto-duplex works - Default printer selection works - Default options applied (prettyprint, wrap) **All Tools Tested:** - ✅ `list_printers` - Shows all printers with status - ✅ `get_default_printer` - Returns system default - ✅ `get_print_queue` - Shows queue status - ✅ `get_config` - Displays all configuration - ✅ `print_file` - Markdown & code files work perfectly - ✅ `set_default_printer` - Successfully changed and restored - ✅ `cancel_print_job` - Works correctly --- ## Future Automation Ideas Once you're comfortable with the manual process, consider automating with: **Local Scripts:** - `scripts/release.sh` - Run pre-publish checks, build, pack, test - `scripts/publish.sh` - Interactive script for npm login → publish → git push - `scripts/verify-release.sh` - Test installation from npm after publishing **GitHub Actions:** - `.github/workflows/release.yml` - Automated testing on tag push - `.github/workflows/npm-publish.yml` - Publish to npm on GitHub release - `.github/workflows/pr-checks.yml` - Run tests on every PR **Tools to Consider:** - `release-it` - Automates versioning, tagging, and publishing - `semantic-release` - Fully automated releases based on commit messages - `np` - Interactive publish tool by Sindre Sorhus **Start Simple:** Start with local shell scripts to automate repetitive steps. Once those work well, move to GitHub Actions for CI/CD. The goal is to understand the process first (which you're doing!), then automate the boring parts.