Chapter 2: Manifest Model, Metadata, and Compatibility

Welcome to Chapter 2: Manifest Model, Metadata, and Compatibility. In this part of MCPB Tutorial: Packaging and Distributing Local MCP Servers as Bundles, you will build an intuitive mental model first, then move into concrete implementation details and practical production tradeoffs.

This chapter explains manifest.json as the bundle contract between server authors and host clients.

Learning Goals

• model required fields (manifest_version, name, version, author, server)
• use optional metadata for discoverability, support, and governance
• define compatibility constraints for clients, platforms, and runtimes
• avoid manifest drift that breaks host installation flows

Manifest Priority Areas

Area	Typical Fields
identity	name, display name, version, description
compatibility	platform/runtime constraints, client versions
governance	license, repository, support, privacy policies
UX	icons, screenshots, localization resources

Source References

• MCPB Manifest Spec

Summary

You now have a manifest-first strategy for bundle interoperability and lifecycle management.

Next: Chapter 3: Server Configuration and Runtime Packaging

Source Code Walkthrough

src/cli/init.ts

The getDefaultBasicInfo function in src/cli/init.ts handles a key part of this chapter's functionality:

}

export function getDefaultBasicInfo(
  packageData: PackageJson,
  resolvedPath: string,
) {
  const name = packageData.name || basename(resolvedPath);
  const authorName = getDefaultAuthorName(packageData) || "Unknown Author";
  const displayName = name;
  const version = packageData.version || "1.0.0";
  const description = packageData.description || "A MCPB bundle";

  return { name, authorName, displayName, version, description };
}

export function getDefaultAuthorInfo(packageData: PackageJson) {
  return {
    authorEmail: getDefaultAuthorEmail(packageData),
    authorUrl: getDefaultAuthorUrl(packageData),
  };
}

export function getDefaultServerConfig(packageData?: PackageJson) {
  const serverType = "node" as const;
  const entryPoint = getDefaultEntryPoint(serverType, packageData);
  const mcp_config = createMcpConfig(serverType, entryPoint);

  return { serverType, entryPoint, mcp_config };
}

export function getDefaultOptionalFields(packageData: PackageJson) {
  return {

This function is important because it defines how MCPB Tutorial: Packaging and Distributing Local MCP Servers as Bundles implements the patterns covered in this chapter.

src/cli/init.ts

The getDefaultAuthorInfo function in src/cli/init.ts handles a key part of this chapter's functionality:

}

export function getDefaultAuthorInfo(packageData: PackageJson) {
  return {
    authorEmail: getDefaultAuthorEmail(packageData),
    authorUrl: getDefaultAuthorUrl(packageData),
  };
}

export function getDefaultServerConfig(packageData?: PackageJson) {
  const serverType = "node" as const;
  const entryPoint = getDefaultEntryPoint(serverType, packageData);
  const mcp_config = createMcpConfig(serverType, entryPoint);

  return { serverType, entryPoint, mcp_config };
}

export function getDefaultOptionalFields(packageData: PackageJson) {
  return {
    keywords: "",
    license: packageData.license || "MIT",
    repository: undefined,
  };
}

export function createMcpConfig(
  serverType: "node" | "python" | "binary",
  entryPoint: string,
): {
  command: string;
  args: string[];
  env?: Record<string, string>;

This function is important because it defines how MCPB Tutorial: Packaging and Distributing Local MCP Servers as Bundles implements the patterns covered in this chapter.

src/cli/init.ts

The getDefaultServerConfig function in src/cli/init.ts handles a key part of this chapter's functionality:

}

export function getDefaultServerConfig(packageData?: PackageJson) {
  const serverType = "node" as const;
  const entryPoint = getDefaultEntryPoint(serverType, packageData);
  const mcp_config = createMcpConfig(serverType, entryPoint);

  return { serverType, entryPoint, mcp_config };
}

export function getDefaultOptionalFields(packageData: PackageJson) {
  return {
    keywords: "",
    license: packageData.license || "MIT",
    repository: undefined,
  };
}

export function createMcpConfig(
  serverType: "node" | "python" | "binary",
  entryPoint: string,
): {
  command: string;
  args: string[];
  env?: Record<string, string>;
} {
  switch (serverType) {
    case "node":
      return {
        command: "node",
        args: ["${__dirname}/" + entryPoint],
        env: {},

This function is important because it defines how MCPB Tutorial: Packaging and Distributing Local MCP Servers as Bundles implements the patterns covered in this chapter.

src/cli/init.ts

The getDefaultOptionalFields function in src/cli/init.ts handles a key part of this chapter's functionality:

}

export function getDefaultOptionalFields(packageData: PackageJson) {
  return {
    keywords: "",
    license: packageData.license || "MIT",
    repository: undefined,
  };
}

export function createMcpConfig(
  serverType: "node" | "python" | "binary",
  entryPoint: string,
): {
  command: string;
  args: string[];
  env?: Record<string, string>;
} {
  switch (serverType) {
    case "node":
      return {
        command: "node",
        args: ["${__dirname}/" + entryPoint],
        env: {},
      };
    case "python":
      return {
        command: "python",
        args: ["${__dirname}/" + entryPoint],
        env: {
          PYTHONPATH: "${__dirname}/server/lib",
        },

This function is important because it defines how MCPB Tutorial: Packaging and Distributing Local MCP Servers as Bundles implements the patterns covered in this chapter.

How These Components Connect

flowchart TD
    A[getDefaultBasicInfo]
    B[getDefaultAuthorInfo]
    C[getDefaultServerConfig]
    D[getDefaultOptionalFields]
    E[createMcpConfig]
    A --> B
    B --> C
    C --> D
    D --> E