| name | mcpb-bundle |
| description | How to migrate the tdmcp Claude Desktop bundle from legacy .dxt to .mcpb (MCP Bundle) and keep it building — covers the manifest schema (verify against the installed packer, never hardcode), the build-dxt.mjs packer/zip-fallback flow, the npm scripts, and the full .dxt→.mcpb reference sweep across docs and scripts. Use when packaging or migrating the tdmcp desktop bundle. |
tdmcp Desktop bundle: .dxt → .mcpb
Anthropic renamed Desktop Extensions from DXT (.dxt, packer
@anthropic-ai/dxt, manifest key dxt_version) to MCPB (.mcpb, packer
@anthropic-ai/mcpb, manifest key manifest_version). Legacy .dxt still
installs in Claude Desktop, but new directory submissions should ship .mcpb.
What this repo already has
scripts/build-dxt.mjs is already MCPB-aware: it tries @anthropic-ai/mcpb
first, falls back to legacy @anthropic-ai/dxt, then to a system zip. The
bundle stages manifest.json at the archive root + dist/, recipes/, td/,
README.md, LICENSE, package.json, and a production-only node_modules. So
the migration is mostly renaming the output + the references, not a rewrite.
dxt/manifest.json currently declares "manifest_version": "0.3" — already the
modern MCPB key (not the legacy dxt_version), so the manifest is largely correct.
The migration, concretely
- Manifest — verify, don't guess. Before touching
manifest_version, check
what the installed packer accepts:
npx --yes @anthropic-ai/mcpb --help (look for pack / validate). If it
ships a validate command, run it against dxt/manifest.json and let it tell
you. Only change manifest_version if validation demands it. A wrong value
breaks install — this is why we verify rather than assume a number.
- Output filename →
tdmcp.mcpb. In scripts/build-dxt.mjs: change
outFile to tdmcp.mcpb and update the log lines (they say .dxt). Keep the
packer-preference order and the zip fallback intact — both must still work.
Optionally rename the script file to build-mcpb.mjs (update the npm script if
you do).
- npm scripts (
package.json): rename build:dxt → build:mcpb pointing at
the script. Only keep a build:dxt alias if something external depends on the
old name (grep first); otherwise replace it cleanly — no compatibility cruft.
Check the version script too (it stages dxt/manifest.json).
- Reference sweep — change user-facing
.dxt → .mcpb in:
docs/guide/{install,troubleshooting,glossary}.md + their docs/pt/ mirrors,
docs/DEPLOYMENT.md, docs/reference/cli.md, scripts/setup.mjs,
README.md. Also grep .github/ for any release workflow that builds or
uploads tdmcp.dxt / runs build:dxt.
- Release-asset URLs. Links to
releases/latest/download/tdmcp.dxt point at a published asset. After this
change the next release ships tdmcp.mcpb; update those links to .mcpb
and record that a new release must be cut so the asset exists (the current
v0.3.0 asset is still .dxt). Note this for the human in migration notes.
Preserve, don't erase
Where docs explain "one-click Desktop Extension", keep the explanation and add
that .dxt still installs (legacy) while .mcpb is current. Don't delete info
that helps users who already downloaded the .dxt.
Verify the build still works
npm run build # populate dist/
npm run build:mcpb # (renamed) → must emit tdmcp.mcpb
unzip -l tdmcp.mcpb # manifest.json at root + dist/ present
The dxt/ directory name and dxt/manifest.json path can stay as-is (internal
paths the script references) — renaming the directory is optional churn and not
required for a valid .mcpb. If you rename it, update build-dxt.mjs,
package.json's version script, and sync-manifest-version.mjs.
