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Refresh MCP primer to current spec and ecosystem#824

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danbarr merged 7 commits intomainfrom
worktree-refresh-mcp-primer
May 6, 2026
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Refresh MCP primer to current spec and ecosystem#824
danbarr merged 7 commits intomainfrom
worktree-refresh-mcp-primer

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@danbarr danbarr commented Apr 29, 2026

Description

Rewrites docs/toolhive/concepts/mcp-primer.mdx to reflect MCP as it stands today, replacing several inaccurate claims from the original (mid-2025) version.

What changed:

  • Removes the "URI-like scheme" framing (mcp://github?repo=...) that misrepresents MCP as a fetch syntax. MCP is JSON-RPC 2.0; the rewrite leads with that.
  • Removes the fabricated "provenance envelope" claim - not part of the spec.
  • Adds the host/client/server architecture, capability negotiation, and the actual protocol primitives (tools, resources, prompts; sampling, roots, elicitation).
  • Documents both transports (stdio and Streamable HTTP) and notes the deprecation of HTTP+SSE in the 2025-03-26 revision.
  • Adds a brief OAuth 2.1 authorization section with a pointer into ToolHive's auth-framework concept doc.
  • Replaces the stale "v1.0 in late 2025" roadmap line with a description of the actual dated-revision versioning model and the additive extensions track.
  • Adds an "Ecosystem" section covering broad host support, SDK availability, and the official MCP Registry, with a cross-link to the ToolHive Registry Server.
  • Drops the "shape the spec" / "leave your fingerprints" framing now that MCP is mainstream, and adds Next steps + Related information sections per the docs IA.

Grounded against the current MCP docs:

Type of change

  • Documentation update

Related issues/PRs

Closes #822

Submitter checklist

Content and formatting

  • I have reviewed the content for technical accuracy
  • I have reviewed the content for spelling, grammar, and style

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Rewrite to reflect MCP as it stands today: JSON-RPC architecture, the
host/client/server roles, the actual primitives (tools, resources,
prompts; sampling, roots, elicitation), Streamable HTTP replacing the
deprecated SSE transport, OAuth 2.1 authorization, and the official MCP
Registry. Removes inaccuracies about a URI-style scheme and a
"provenance" envelope that aren't part of the spec, and drops the
"shape the spec" framing now that MCP is mainstream.

Closes #822

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings April 29, 2026 21:13
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Pull request overview

Updates the ToolHive MCP primer to reflect the current MCP specification and ecosystem, replacing older (mid-2025) framing with an accurate JSON-RPC/session-based description and adding pointers to ToolHive’s related docs.

Changes:

  • Replaces the outdated “URI-like scheme” / provenance framing with MCP’s JSON-RPC 2.0 architecture, primitives, and capability negotiation.
  • Documents current transports (stdio and Streamable HTTP), notes the SSE deprecation timeline, and adds an OAuth-based authorization overview with links into ToolHive auth docs.
  • Adds ecosystem/registry context plus “Next steps” and “Related information” sections aligned with the docs IA.

Comment thread docs/toolhive/concepts/mcp-primer.mdx Outdated
Comment thread docs/toolhive/concepts/mcp-primer.mdx
Distinguish SSE used internally by Streamable HTTP from the
separate-endpoints HTTP+SSE transport that's deprecated, so the two
mentions of "SSE" don't read as contradictory.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Adds short take paragraphs in the four framing sections (intro,
why-MCP-exists, authorization, where-headed). Architecture, primitives,
and transports stay reference-y. Goal is a primer with a point of view,
not just an enumeration of facts.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add a sentence in the Tools primitive describing optional behavior
annotations (read-only, idempotent, destructive) and the spec's
advisory-not-authoritative framing. Update "Where MCP is headed" to
swap "richer tool annotations" for "trust and provenance signals for
tool calls and responses" - matches the actual frontier of community
discussion (SEP-1487, content-level provenance, server identity).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
- Add a sentence in the intro establishing MCP as a Linux Foundation
  project under the Agentic AI Foundation, naming the eight Founding
  Platinum members as proof of multi-vendor stewardship.
- Note Stacklok's Silver membership and spec contribution alongside
  the existing ToolHive intro line.
- Replace the speculative "richer tool annotations" / "trust and
  provenance" framing in the headed section with the actual roadmap
  priorities: stateless transport, Tasks primitive, gateway/proxy
  patterns, plus the surrounding-layer and horizon items.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Comment thread docs/toolhive/concepts/mcp-primer.mdx Outdated
Comment thread docs/toolhive/concepts/mcp-primer.mdx Outdated
Comment thread docs/toolhive/concepts/mcp-primer.mdx
Comment thread docs/toolhive/concepts/mcp-primer.mdx
- Broaden the intro client list to include autonomous agents alongside
  the named chat clients.
- Note that the MCP auth spec doesn't cover MCP-server-to-upstream auth
  and link to the backend-auth concept page.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Reviewer pointed out that letting agents drive CLI tools directly is a
real current alternative to MCP, and the central problem with it -
governance over the configuration surface - isn't covered by the
existing rows. Adjust the lead-in count and tense to match.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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LGTM

Comment thread docs/toolhive/concepts/mcp-primer.mdx
@danbarr danbarr merged commit b5c5cdf into main May 6, 2026
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@danbarr danbarr deleted the worktree-refresh-mcp-primer branch May 6, 2026 13:26
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Refresh MCP primer to reflect current spec and ecosystem

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