# npm Publishing Design for replicant-mcp
## Overview
Enable users to install the MCP server via npm without cloning the repository.
## User Experience
**Installation:**
```bash
npm install -g replicant-mcp
```
**Claude Desktop Configuration:**
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"replicant": {
"command": "replicant-mcp"
}
}
}
```
## Implementation
### 1. Add Shebang to Entry Point
`src/index.ts` first line:
```typescript
#!/usr/bin/env node
```
This makes the compiled `dist/index.js` executable as a CLI command.
### 2. Add `files` Field to package.json
```json
{
"files": [
"dist/",
"README.md",
"LICENSE"
]
}
```
This ensures only necessary files are published (no source, tests, docs/plans, etc.).
### 3. Add `prepublishOnly` Script
```json
{
"scripts": {
"prepublishOnly": "npm run build && npm test"
}
}
```
Prevents publishing broken code.
### 4. Post-Build Permission Fix (if needed)
Ensure `dist/index.js` has executable permissions after TypeScript compilation.
## What Gets Published
- `dist/` - Compiled JavaScript
- `README.md` - Documentation
- `LICENSE` - MIT license
- `package.json` - Package metadata
## What Does NOT Get Published
- `src/` - TypeScript source
- `tests/` - Test files
- `docs/` - Design documents
- `skills/` - Claude Code skill (separate distribution)
- `scripts/` - Development scripts
## Prerequisites (User Responsibility)
Users must have:
- Node.js 18+
- Android SDK with `adb` and `emulator` in PATH
- Android project with `gradlew` (for build operations)
These are documented in README.md.
## Publishing Workflow
```bash
# One-time: login to npm
npm login
# Publish (runs prepublishOnly automatically)
npm publish
```
## Future: Automated Publishing
Could add GitHub Actions to publish on version tags:
```yaml
on:
push:
tags: ['v*']
```
This is out of scope for initial implementation.
