mcp-multi-poc
PoC for serving multiple MCP servers from a single PyPI package, usingsubcommands for server selection and optional extras for on-demand dependencies.Stands in for the Couchbase MCP monorepo question (alpha = operational,beta = analytics, tabulate = the analytics SDK — chosen because it is outsidefastmcp's transitive dependency tree; httpx and pyyaml are not, and silentlydefeat the extras guard).
What this PoC must answer
| # | Question | Where it's tested |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Can two MCP registry entries point at the same PyPI package? | Publish both server.alpha.json and server.beta.json |
| 2 | Does registry ownership validation accept multiple mcp-name comments in one package README? |
The two HTML comments above |
| 3 | Does the registry schema/validator accept extras syntax in identifier (mcp-multi-poc[beta])? |
server.beta.json — if rejected, fall back to plain identifier and record that extras can't be expressed |
| 4 | Do clients run the subcommand form correctly from registry metadata (uvx mcp-multi-poc alpha)? |
Install both servers from a client (Claude Desktop / MCP Inspector) |
| 5 | Is there any schema-legal way to run a console script named differently than the package (mcp-multi-poc-beta)? |
server.beta-script.json. 5a (failed): identifier = script name → 404, identifier must be a real PyPI package. 5b (current file): identifier = real package, script name smuggled as a positional runtimeArgument → uvx --from 'mcp-multi-poc[beta]' mcp-multi-poc-beta mcp-multi-poc; the appended identifier becomes a stray arg the server must ignore. If 5b also fails, fallback is a shim package per script |
Findings so far (2026-07-31)
- Q1 — multiple entries per PyPI package: YES.
mcp-multi-poc-alphapublishedagainst the shared package. - Q2 — multiple
mcp-namecomments in one README: YES (alpha validated withthree comments present). - Q3 — extras in
identifier: NO, but expressible viaruntimeArguments.Extras in the identifier fail the literal PyPI lookup —PyPI package 'mcp-multi-poc[beta]' not found (status: 404). Fallbackworks:mcp-multi-poc-betapublished successfully with plainidentifier: mcp-multi-poc+runtimeArguments: --from "mcp-multi-poc[beta]"(live in the registry, verified via the/v0/serversAPI). - Q5a — differently-named console script as identifier: NO (confirmed onpublish). Same 404 mechanism (
'mcp-multi-poc-beta' not found) — theregistry validates the identifier as a real PyPI package before anything else. - Q5b — script name as positional
runtimeArgument: YES, published.io.github.nithishr/mcp-multi-poc-beta-scriptis live (published2026-07-31, after trimmingdescriptionto the 100-char limit — the onlyvalidation hiccup). Locally,uvx --from 'mcp-multi-poc[beta]' mcp-multi-poc-beta mcp-multi-poccompletes the MCP initialize handshake —the trailing identifier is silently ignored becausemain()never parsesargv. Caveats: only safe when the entrypoint tolerates stray argv (clickneedsignore_unknown_options+allow_extra_argsor a dummy optionalargument); depends on clients preservingruntimeArgumentsorder — theleast-exercised metadata path; registry UIs show the identifier as therunnable. For production script-per-server, prefer a shim package perscript (identifier == script name, no runtimeArguments at all). - Registry validation limits discovered:
description≤ 100 chars;identifiermust be a literal, existing PyPI package (extras rejected);runtimeArguments/packageArgumentscontents are NOT validated.
Local smoke test (before publishing anything)
cd mcp-registry-poc
uv venv && uv pip install -e .
mcp-multi-poc alpha # starts alpha on stdio (Ctrl+C to exit)
mcp-multi-poc beta # must FAIL with the friendly extras message
uv pip install -e ".[beta]"
mcp-multi-poc beta # now starts
mcp-multi-poc # bare command runs alpha (backward-compat check)
mcp-multi-poc-beta # Option 1 script works locally once extra installed
uvx behavior (after publishing to PyPI):
uvx mcp-multi-poc alpha # base only
uvx "mcp-multi-poc[beta]" beta # extras via uvx — key UX under test
uvx --from "mcp-multi-poc[beta]" mcp-multi-poc-beta # Option 1 fallback form
Publish steps (manual, in order)
- If
mcp-multi-pocis taken on PyPI, pick another name and rename consistently(pyprojectname,[project.scripts], both server.json identifiers). - Build and publish to real PyPI (registry validation fetches from pypi.org;TestPyPI will not work):
uv build && uv publish. - Install mcp-publisher and log in:
mcp-publisher login github(interactive) — must match theio.github.<username>namespace. - Publish the entries:
mcp-publisher publish server.alpha.json,... server.beta.json, and... server.beta-script.json— the last one is expected to fail validation;record the exact error (if the CLI expects the file at./server.json, copyeach into place first). - Verify via the registry API:
curl "https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=mcp-multi-poc" - Configure both servers in a client from the registry metadata and call
echo(alpha) andmake_table(beta). - Record results per question above, then deprecate/delete the PoC entries.
Q4 — testing the published entries from a client
Most clients don't install directly from the official registry yet, so Q4splits in two: (a) does the spec-mandated command construction(uvx <runtimeArguments> <identifier> <packageArguments>) produce a workingserver, and (b) does a registry-consuming client reproduce that construction.
- Fetch what was actually published and check the
packagesblock:curl "https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=mcp-multi-poc" - MCP Inspector — interactive tool calls against the hand-assembled command:
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uvx mcp-multi-poc alpha npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uvx --from "mcp-multi-poc[beta]" mcp-multi-poc beta - Claude Code — same commands as stdio servers, then call
echo/make_table:
(For Claude Desktop, the equivalentclaude mcp add poc-alpha -- uvx mcp-multi-poc alpha claude mcp add poc-beta -- uvx --from "mcp-multi-poc[beta]" mcp-multi-poc betaclaude_desktop_config.jsonentries:){ "mcpServers": { "poc-alpha": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["mcp-multi-poc", "alpha"] }, "poc-beta": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["--from", "mcp-multi-poc[beta]", "mcp-multi-poc", "beta"] } } } - Registry-native install (the real (b) test): VS Code's MCP servergallery is backed by the official registry — search for
mcp-multi-pocthere and install; this exercises whether a client assemblesruntimeArguments + identifier + packageArgumentson its own. Entries maylag or be curated before appearing.
Steps 2–3 only prove (a); only step 4 (or another registry-consuming client)proves (b), which is what the beta/beta-script entries actually depend on.