# modelcontextprotocol/mcpb

Desktop Extensions: One-click local MCP server installation in desktop apps

Repository: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/mcpb
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/mcpb
Language: TypeScript
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-05-26T14:13:36+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 65/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 84, release rhythm 59, longevity 31
- inputs: {"age_days": 434, "days_push": 99, "days_rel": 272, "gap_med": 0, "n_releases_24m": 20}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2089, forks 209 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:12.290045+00:00)

## What it is
MCP Bundles (MCPB, formerly DXT) is a packaging format and CLI tool for distributing local MCP servers as zip archives with a manifest, enabling one-click installation in desktop apps like Claude. The repo includes the bundle specification, a CLI for creating and packing bundles, and loader/verification code used by Claude for macOS and Windows.

## Use cases
- package a local MCP server into a distributable bundle
- one-click install of MCP servers in desktop AI apps
- create a manifest. for an MCP server
- add MCPB bundle support to a desktop application
- distribute MCP servers with automatic updates
- rename DXT tooling to MCPB in existing projects

## When to choose
- you develop local MCP servers and want easy distribution and installation
- you build desktop apps that should support one-click MCP server installation
- you want a Chrome-extension-like packaging format for MCP tooling

## When to avoid
- you need remote/hosted MCP server deployment rather than local bundles
- you only need to run MCP servers without packaging or distribution
- you target platforms whose apps don't implement MCPB support

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: mcp, package-manager, developer-tools, cli
- domain: developer-tools, artificial-intelligence, desktop-applications
- platform: windows, cli, cross-platform
- tags: mcp-bundles, mcp-servers, desktop-extensions, one-click-install, manifest, packaging, ai-agents, macos, nodejs

## Member repositories
- modelcontextprotocol/mcpb (main) score 65

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:12.290045+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:55:39.257993+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/mcpb (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:12.290045+00:00, sha ceb491e9e1a1)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.