ai_stp

# `mcp` An `mcp` describes an MCP server: its source, how it starts, its compatibility with a harness, the permissions it expects, and the limits on its use. Through MCP an agent gets structured access to a tool surface: files, a browser, a SaaS API, databases or local helpers. `ai_stp` holds the configuration and the checks. Secrets, tokens and passwords do not go into a passport. ## When you need an MCP | Task | Does it need `mcp`? | Note | | --- | --- | --- | | The agent must read GitHub issues | yes | MCP defines the connection and the tool surface | | The agent must know the code review rules | no | that is an `instruction` or a `skill` | | The agent must call a local scanner | possibly | if the scanner is offered as an MCP server | | An endpoint and access mode must be recorded | yes | but without the token value | | A command must run from a shortcut | no | that is a `command` | ## How `ai_stp` reduces the risk | Risk | The mechanism | | --- | --- | | Secrets in the config | the passport holds no secret values | | Unexpected permissions | required permissions and warnings are shown | | A substituted source | the version pins the source, the commit and path, or the package | | The wrong harness | compatibility is checked before the provider plan | | An unsafe install | unknown objects need explicit consent | !!! warning "MCP widens what an agent can reach" Even a good MCP server can give an agent access to data or operations it did not have before. Install it as a tool with permissions, not as "one more Markdown file". ## What the user sees === "In the catalog" What the MCP is for, the author, the trust line, the supported harnesses and the required permissions. === "In the install plan" Which entries the provider will add or change, which secrets must be supplied through the environment or the system store, and how to roll back. === "After applying" `status` must show the active MCP, the source of the version, and the result of the provider's check.