License Scanner MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server built with FastMCP that scans project dependencies and generates license reports in markdown format.

Features

• Multi-package manager support: npm, pip, cargo, and more

• Automatic license detection: Fetches license information from package registries

• Markdown report generation: Creates comprehensive license reports

• Caching: Avoids repeated API calls for better performance

• Error handling: Robust error handling and informative error messages

Related MCP server: Depfender MCP Server

Supported Package Managers

• npm/yarn/pnpm: package.json, yarn.lock, pnpm-lock.yaml

• Python: requirements.txt, pyproject.toml, Pipfile

• Rust: Cargo.toml, Cargo.lock

• PHP: composer.json, composer.lock

• Ruby: Gemfile, Gemfile.lock

• Go: go.mod, go.sum

• Java: pom.xml, build.gradle

Installation

1. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Run the MCP server:

python license_scanner.py

Available Tools

1. scan_dependencies(project_path: str)

Scans a project for dependencies and returns detailed license information.

Parameters:

• project_path: Path to the project directory to scan

Returns: JSON string containing dependency and license information

2. generate_license_report(project_path: str, output_file: str = None)

Generates a markdown license report for a project.

Parameters:

• project_path: Path to the project directory to scan

• output_file: Optional path to save the markdown report

Returns: Markdown content of the license report

3. list_package_managers(project_path: str)

Lists all package manager files found in a project.

Parameters:

• project_path: Path to the project directory to scan

Returns: JSON string containing list of package manager files

Example Usage

Using the MCP server with Claude Desktop

1. Add the server to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "license-scanner": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/path/to/license_scanner.py"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/project"
    }
  }
}

2. Use the tools in Claude Desktop:

   • "Scan the dependencies in my project"

   • "Generate a license report for this project"

   • "List the package managers used in this project"

Example Project

The example_project/ directory contains sample files for different package managers:

• package.json - npm dependencies

• requirements.txt - Python dependencies

• Cargo.toml - Rust dependencies

License Information Sources

• npm packages: npm registry API

• Python packages: PyPI JSON API

• Rust crates: crates.io API

Output Format

The license report includes:

1. Project information: Path, total dependencies, package files found

2. Dependencies by manager: Organized by package manager with license details

3. License summary: Count of dependencies by license type

Sample Markdown Output

# License Report

**Project:** /path/to/project
**Total Dependencies:** 8
**Package Files Found:** package.json, requirements.txt

## NPM Dependencies

Found 5 dependencies

| Package | Version | License | Author | Homepage |
|---------|---------|---------|--------|----------|
| express | ^4.18.2 | MIT | TJ Holowaychuk | https://expressjs.com/ |
| lodash | ^4.17.21 | MIT | John-David Dalton | https://lodash.com/ |

## License Summary

| License | Count |
|---------|-------|
| MIT | 6 |
| Apache-2.0 | 2 |

Error Handling

The server includes comprehensive error handling:

• Invalid project paths

• Missing package files

• Network errors when fetching license information

• Malformed package files

Performance

• Caching: License information is cached to avoid repeated API calls

• Parallel processing: Multiple package files are processed efficiently

• Timeout handling: API requests have timeout protection

Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Add tests for new functionality

4. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.