Scancode License Analysis Tool for MCP

This project provides a set of tools built with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) TypeScript SDK. These tools help you analyze software licenses, specifically using data from a Scancode-generated license_analysis_detailed.json file. It's designed to make license compliance easier to manage by providing quick access to critical information about problematic licenses, affected files, and scan issues.

What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

MCP is a standardized way for applications (like code editors or AI agents) to communicate with external services (like this license analysis tool). Think of it as a universal language that allows different software components to understand each other and work together, especially when dealing with large codebases or complex data.

Related MCP server: mcp-license-audit

Why use this tool?

If you work with software projects, understanding the licenses of your dependencies is crucial for legal compliance. This tool helps you:

• Quickly identify problematic licenses: See which licenses are a concern (e.g., copyleft, GPL, unknown).

• Pinpoint affected files: Find out which specific files in your codebase are associated with these licenses.

• Review scan issues: Understand if there were any problems during the license scanning process.

• Get recommendations: Receive high-level guidance on how to address licensing concerns.

• Generate file reports: Easily get the content of a specific file along with its associated problematic licenses, directly from the tool.

Prerequisites

Before you get started, make sure you have the following installed on your system:

• Node.js (v18 or higher): A JavaScript runtime. You can download it from nodejs.org.

• npm: Node Package Manager, which comes with Node.js.

Setup Steps

Follow these steps to set up and run your Scancode License Analysis Tool:

1. Clone this repository (if you haven't already): Open your terminal or command prompt and run:

   git clone <your-repo-url> # Replace <your-repo-url> with the actual URL
   cd <your-repo-directory> # Navigate into the cloned project folder

2. Install project dependencies: This command downloads all the necessary libraries and packages for the tool to run:

   npm install

3. Ensure your license_analysis_detailed.json file is present: This tool relies on a license_analysis_detailed.json file generated by Scancode. Make sure this file is in the root directory of your project (where index.ts is located). This file contains the license scan results that the tools will analyze.

4. Configure TypeScript (Optional, but recommended for development): A tsconfig.json file is already included and configured. It tells TypeScript how to compile your code. Key settings for this project include:

   {
     "compilerOptions": {
       "module": "nodenext",  // Ensures modern module resolution for Node.js
       "target": "es2022",    // Compiles to a recent JavaScript version
       "outDir": "dist",      // Output compiled JavaScript files to the 'dist' folder
       // ... other settings for strictness and compatibility ...
     },
     "include": ["index.ts"] // Only compile this file
   }

5. Build the project (Compile TypeScript to JavaScript): This step compiles your TypeScript code (.ts) into plain JavaScript (.js) files, which Node.js can execute. The compiled files will be placed in the dist/ directory.

   npx tsc

Running the Tool

YouYou have two main ways to run this tool:

1. For Development (using tsx)

tsx allows you to run TypeScript files directly without a separate compilation step, which is great for development and testing:

npx tsx index.ts

2. Running the Built Version

After building your project (step 5 above), you can run the compiled JavaScript files from the dist/ directory:

node dist/index.js

How to Add This Tool to Cursor MCP

To integrate this tool with Cursor’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) feature, follow these steps:

1. Start your MCP server: First, get your MCP server running using one of the methods above (e.g., npx tsx index.ts). This will keep the server active and listening for requests from Cursor.

2. Open Cursor and navigate to the MCP integration panel. In Cursor, look for the MCP panel (usually in the sidebar or a dedicated view).

3. Add a new MCP server connection: Click on the option to “Add MCP Server” or similar. You'll need to configure how Cursor connects to your running tool.

   • Connection Type: Select Stdio.

   • Command: Provide the command to start your server. This is the same command you used to run it in your terminal.

     • Example (for development): npx tsx C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\Dev\ScancodeMCP\index.ts

     • Example (for built version): node C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\Dev\ScancodeMCP\dist\index.js

   • (Optional) Environment Variables: You might want to add NODE_NO_WARNINGS: 1 under environment variables to suppress Node.js warnings.

4. Save and Connect. Once configured, save the connection. Cursor should automatically detect your tools and make them available in the MCP tool palette.

Example: .cursor/mcp.json Configuration

For a permanent setup, you can add this tool directly to your Cursor's global or project-specific .cursor/mcp.json file. This file tells Cursor which MCP servers to automatically start and connect to.

Here's an example entry to add to your .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scancode-license-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "tsx",
        "C:\\Users\\Admin\\Desktop\\Dev\\ScancodeMCP\\index.ts"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NODE_NO_WARNINGS": "1"
      },
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": [
        "mcp_ScancodeMCP_analyze_license_file",
        "mcp_ScancodeMCP_summarize_license_risks",
        "mcp_ScancodeMCP_compare_license_compatibility",
        "mcp_ScancodeMCP_list_high_risk_files",
        "mcp_ScancodeMCP_get_license_clause_summary"
      ]
    }
    // ... any other MCP servers you have ...
  }
}

• Adjust the args path: Make sure the C:\\Users\\Admin\\Desktop\\Dev\\ScancodeMCP\\index.ts path matches the actual location of your index.ts file.

• autoApprove: This list tells Cursor which tools from your server can be automatically approved by the AI. This is convenient for frequently used tools.

After saving mcp.json, reload MCP servers in Cursor (there's usually a refresh button in the MCP panel). Your "Scancode License Analysis Tool" and its sub-tools will then be available in the MCP tool palette, ready to use!

Available Tools and Their Uses

Here are the tools provided by this server, designed to help with license compliance:

License

MIT

Keywords

#OpenSource #LicenseCompliance #LegalTech #Scancode #MCP #ModelContextProtocol #SoftwareLicenses #LicenseAnalysis #ComplianceTool #DeveloperTools #TypeScript #NodeJS #AutomatedLegal #CodeAnalysis