mcp-server

DollhouseMCP/mcp-server

3.3

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DollhouseMCP is a comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server designed to manage dynamic AI personas with an integrated GitHub-powered marketplace.

Tools
  1. list_personas

    Display all local personas with enhanced metadata

  2. activate_persona

    Activate by name, filename, or unique ID

  3. get_active_persona

    Get current persona information

  4. deactivate_persona

    Return to default mode

  5. get_persona_details

    View complete persona details

DollhouseMCP

Core Build & Test Build Artifacts Extended Node Compatibility Docker Testing License: AGPL-3.0 TypeScript Node.js

Platform Support

Windows Build Status macOS Build Status Linux Build Status Docker Test Coverage Auto-Update

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables dynamic AI persona management with an integrated GitHub-powered marketplace. DollhouseMCP allows Claude and other compatible AI assistants to activate different behavioral personas while supporting community sharing and monetization.

๐ŸŒ Repository: https://github.com/DollhouseMCP/mcp-server
๐Ÿช Marketplace: https://github.com/DollhouseMCP/personas
๐Ÿ“ฆ NPM Package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@mickdarling/dollhousemcp
๐ŸŒ Website: https://dollhousemcp.com (planned)
๐Ÿ“ฆ Version: v1.2.4 - MCP Protocol Compatibility Fix

๐Ÿš€ Quick Start

# Install globally
npm install -g @mickdarling/dollhousemcp

# Add to Claude Desktop config (see path below for your OS)
# macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
# Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json  
# Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dollhousemcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mickdarling/dollhousemcp"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop and you're ready to use DollhouseMCP! Try list_personas to get started.

โœจ Key Features

FeatureDescription
๐ŸŽญ 23 MCP ToolsComplete persona lifecycle management through chat interface
๐Ÿช GitHub MarketplaceBrowse, search, install, and submit personas to community marketplace
๐Ÿ‘ค User Identity SystemEnvironment-based attribution for persona creators
๐Ÿ†” Unique ID SystemAdvanced ID generation: what-it-is_YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS_who-made-it
๐Ÿ’ฌ Chat-Based ManagementCreate, edit, and validate personas through conversational interface
๐Ÿ”„ Real-time OperationsLive editing with automatic version bumping and validation
๐Ÿš€ Auto-Update SystemEnterprise-grade auto-update with backup/rollback and dependency validation
๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Data ProtectionCopy-on-write for default personas, comprehensive backup system
๐Ÿ  Local-First ArchitectureFull functionality without cloud dependency

๐Ÿ”’ Enterprise-Grade Security (v1.2.4)

DollhouseMCP implements comprehensive security measures to protect your personas and system:

Security Features

  • ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Content Sanitization: DOMPurify integration prevents XSS attacks in persona content
  • ๐Ÿ“ YAML Injection Prevention: Secure parsing with schema validation and size limits
  • ๐Ÿ” Token Security: GitHub tokens are validated, encrypted at rest, with rotation support
  • ๐Ÿณ Container Hardening: Non-root execution, read-only filesystem, resource limits
  • ๐Ÿšฆ Rate Limiting: Token bucket algorithm prevents API abuse (10 checks/hour default)
  • โœ… Signature Verification: GPG verification ensures release authenticity
  • ๐Ÿ” Input Validation: Comprehensive validation for all user inputs
  • ๐Ÿ“Š Security Monitoring: Audit logging for security-relevant operations

Security Testing

  • 487 comprehensive tests including security-specific test suites
  • Continuous security scanning with GitHub Advanced Security
  • Vulnerability-free: All security alerts resolved (0 active)

๐Ÿ“‹ Prerequisites

  • Node.js: v20.0.0 or higher (LTS recommended)
  • npm: v10.0.0 or higher
  • git: For cloning the repository
  • Operating System: Windows, macOS, or Linux

Note: DollhouseMCP is developed on Node.js 24 but supports Node.js 20+ for broad compatibility.

๐Ÿš€ Quick Start

Installation

NPM Installation (NEW! - Recommended)
npm install -g @mickdarling/dollhousemcp

After installation, add DollhouseMCP to your Claude Desktop configuration:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dollhousemcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mickdarling/dollhousemcp"]
    }
  }
}

Note: If you have other MCP servers configured, add dollhousemcp to your existing mcpServers object.

Automated Setup (Alternative) - Claude Desktop Only

[!WARNING] Claude Desktop Only: The automated setup script is specifically designed for Claude Desktop integration. If you're using Claude Code, other AI platforms (ChatGPT, BoltAI, Gemini, etc.), or custom MCP implementations, please use the Manual Installation process below.

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/DollhouseMCP/mcp-server.git
cd mcp-server

# Run automated setup script (Claude Desktop only)
./setup.sh

The setup script will:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Install all dependencies
  • ๐Ÿ”จ Build the TypeScript code
  • ๐Ÿ“ Detect your installation path
  • ๐Ÿ”ง Generate the exact Claude Desktop configuration
  • ๐Ÿ“‹ Provide step-by-step setup instructions
Manual Installation

Note: Manual installation works with all MCP-compatible platforms including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT, BoltAI, Gemini, and custom implementations.

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/DollhouseMCP/mcp-server.git
cd mcp-server

# Install dependencies and build
npm install
npm run build

# Optional: Set user identity for persona attribution
export DOLLHOUSE_USER="your-username"
export DOLLHOUSE_EMAIL="your-email@example.com"

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add DollhouseMCP to your Claude Desktop configuration:

Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS)

For NPM Installation:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dollhousemcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mickdarling/dollhousemcp"]
    }
  }
}
For Source Installation:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dollhousemcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/DollhouseMCP/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

๐Ÿ”„ After configuration:

  1. Save the file
  2. Restart Claude Desktop completely
  3. All 23 DollhouseMCP tools will be available

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Available Tools (23 Total)

Core Persona Management

  • list_personas - Display all local personas with enhanced metadata
  • activate_persona - Activate by name, filename, or unique ID
  • get_active_persona - Get current persona information
  • deactivate_persona - Return to default mode
  • get_persona_details - View complete persona details
  • reload_personas - Refresh from filesystem

GitHub Marketplace Integration

  • browse_marketplace - Browse personas by category
  • search_marketplace - Search across all marketplace personas
  • get_marketplace_persona - View detailed marketplace persona info
  • install_persona - One-click download and installation
  • submit_persona - Submit to marketplace via GitHub issue

User Identity Management

  • set_user_identity - Set username for persona attribution
  • get_user_identity - View current identity status
  • clear_user_identity - Return to anonymous mode

Chat-Based Persona Management

  • create_persona - Guided persona creation through chat
  • edit_persona - Modify existing persona fields
  • validate_persona - Comprehensive quality validation

Auto-Update System

  • check_for_updates - Check GitHub releases for available DollhouseMCP updates
  • update_server - Automated git pull + npm install + build with backup creation
  • rollback_update - Restore previous version from automatic backups
  • get_server_status - Comprehensive server status with version, git info, and system details

Persona Indicators

  • configure_indicator - Configure how persona indicators appear in AI responses
  • get_indicator_config - View current indicator configuration settings

๐Ÿ“– Usage Examples

Marketplace Operations

browse_marketplace                          # See all categories
browse_marketplace "creative"               # Browse creative personas
search_marketplace "writing"                # Search for writing personas
install_persona "creative/storyteller.md"  # Install from marketplace

Persona Creation & Management

create_persona "Study Buddy" "A helpful tutor" "educational" "You are a patient tutor..."
edit_persona "Study Buddy" "description" "An encouraging academic mentor"
validate_persona "Study Buddy"             # Check quality and format
submit_persona "Study Buddy"               # Share with community

User Identity

set_user_identity "your-username"          # Set attribution
get_user_identity                          # Check current status
clear_user_identity                        # Return to anonymous

Auto-Update Operations

The auto-update system provides enterprise-grade update management with safety features:

check_for_updates                          # Check for new DollhouseMCP versions
get_server_status                          # View current version and system info
update_server true                         # Perform automated update with backup
rollback_update true                       # Revert to previous version if needed

How Auto-Update Works:

  1. Version Check: Queries GitHub releases API for latest version
  2. Backup Creation: Automatically backs up current installation (including user personas)
  3. Update Process:
    • Performs git pull to fetch latest code
    • Runs npm install for dependency updates
    • Rebuilds TypeScript with npm run build
  4. Verification: Validates the update succeeded
  5. Rollback Option: Keep last 5 backups for easy recovery

Safety Features:

  • Rate limiting prevents API abuse
  • GPG signature verification (when available)
  • Dependency version validation
  • Automatic backup retention (5 most recent)
  • User personas preserved during updates

Persona Indicators

DollhouseMCP adds visual indicators to AI responses when a persona is active:

[๐ŸŽญ Creative Writer v2.1 by @mickdarling] Your creative response here...

Configure indicators:

get_indicator_config                       # View current settings
configure_indicator enabled:false          # Disable indicators
configure_indicator style:"minimal"        # Use minimal format: ๐ŸŽญ Creative Writer
configure_indicator style:"compact"        # Use compact: [Creative Writer v2.1]
configure_indicator style:"full"           # Full format (default)
configure_indicator emoji:"๐Ÿค–"             # Change emoji
configure_indicator showAuthor:false       # Hide author attribution
configure_indicator bracketStyle:"round"   # Use (parentheses) instead of [brackets]

Environment variables for persistent configuration:

export DOLLHOUSE_INDICATOR_ENABLED=true
export DOLLHOUSE_INDICATOR_STYLE=minimal
export DOLLHOUSE_INDICATOR_EMOJI=๐ŸŽจ

๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Cross-Platform Installation

๐Ÿง Linux Installation

Prerequisites
  • Node.js: v20.0.0 or higher
  • npm: v10.0.0 or higher
  • git: For version control
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y nodejs npm git
# Verify Node.js version
node --version  # Should be v20.0.0 or higher

# CentOS/RHEL/Fedora  
sudo dnf install -y nodejs npm git
# Verify Node.js version
node --version  # Should be v20.0.0 or higher

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S nodejs npm git
# Verify Node.js version
node --version  # Should be v20.0.0 or higher

Note: If your system's Node.js is older than v20, install from NodeSource or use nvm.

Installation Steps
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/DollhouseMCP/mcp-server.git
cd mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

# Optional: Set user identity
export DOLLHOUSE_USER="your-username"
export DOLLHOUSE_EMAIL="your-email@example.com"
Claude Desktop Configuration (Linux)
# Configuration location
~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Or use XDG_CONFIG_HOME if set
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Configuration content:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dollhousemcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/DollhouseMCP/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

๐ŸชŸ Windows Installation

Prerequisites
  • Node.js: v20.0.0 or higher
  • npm: v10.0.0 or higher (included with Node.js)
  • git: For version control
# Install Node.js from https://nodejs.org/ (download LTS version)
# Or using Chocolatey
choco install nodejs --version=20.18.0
choco install git

# Or using winget
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS Git.Git

# Verify Node.js version
node --version  # Should be v20.0.0 or higher
Installation Steps (PowerShell)
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/DollhouseMCP/mcp-server.git
cd mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

# Optional: Set user identity
$env:DOLLHOUSE_USER = "your-username"
$env:DOLLHOUSE_EMAIL = "your-email@example.com"
Claude Desktop Configuration (Windows)
# Configuration location
$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Configuration content (use forward slashes or double backslashes):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dollhousemcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/path/to/DollhouseMCP/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

๐ŸŽ macOS Installation

Prerequisites
  • Node.js: v20.0.0 or higher
  • npm: v10.0.0 or higher (included with Node.js)
  • git: For version control
# Using Homebrew (recommended)
brew install node git

# Or download from https://nodejs.org/ (LTS version)

# Verify Node.js version
node --version  # Should be v20.0.0 or higher
Installation Steps
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/DollhouseMCP/mcp-server.git
cd mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

# Optional: Set user identity
export DOLLHOUSE_USER="your-username"
export DOLLHOUSE_EMAIL="your-email@example.com"
Claude Desktop Configuration (macOS)
# Configuration location
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Configuration content:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dollhousemcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/DollhouseMCP/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

๐Ÿณ Docker Installation

Quick Start with Docker

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/DollhouseMCP/mcp-server.git
cd mcp-server

# Build and run with Docker Compose
docker-compose up -d

# Or build manually
docker build -t dollhousemcp .
docker run -d --name dollhousemcp dollhousemcp

Docker Compose (Recommended)

Production deployment:
docker-compose up -d
Development with hot reload:
docker-compose --profile dev up dollhousemcp-dev

Custom Personas with Docker

# Mount your custom personas directory
docker run -d \
  --name dollhousemcp \
  -v /path/to/your/personas:/app/personas \
  -e DOLLHOUSE_USER="your-username" \
  dollhousemcp

Docker Environment Variables

# Set user identity
DOLLHOUSE_USER=your-username
DOLLHOUSE_EMAIL=your-email@example.com

# Custom personas directory (inside container)
PERSONAS_DIR=/app/personas

# Node.js environment
NODE_ENV=production

๐Ÿงช Testing

Running Tests

The project includes comprehensive tests for cross-platform compatibility:

# Run all tests
npm test

# Run tests with coverage
npm run test:coverage

# Run tests in watch mode (for development)
npm run test:watch

# Run specific test suites
npm run test:auto-update
npm run test:personas
npm run test:marketplace

Test Coverage

Current test coverage includes:

  • โœ… 102 comprehensive tests covering all functionality
  • โœ… Auto-update system - GitHub API, backup/rollback, dependency validation
  • โœ… Security testing - Command injection prevention, input validation
  • โœ… Cross-platform compatibility - Windows, macOS, Linux path handling
  • โœ… Version validation - Parsing tests for git/npm output formats
  • โœ… Edge case coverage - Network failures, missing dependencies, malformed input

Manual Verification

Verify your setup works correctly:

# Build the project
npm run build

# Test the server (should output server info)
node dist/index.js --help 2>/dev/null || echo "Server compiled successfully"

# Verify personas directory
ls -la personas/

# Test auto-update system
check_for_updates    # Use in Claude Desktop
get_server_status    # Check current system status

โ˜๏ธ Cloud Deployment

Container Registries

The project supports deployment to:

  • GitHub Container Registry (ghcr.io)
  • Docker Hub
  • AWS ECR
  • Google Container Registry

Example Cloud Deployments

AWS ECS
{
  "family": "dollhousemcp",
  "containerDefinitions": [{
    "name": "dollhousemcp",
    "image": "ghcr.io/mickdarling/dollhousemcp:latest",
    "memory": 512,
    "cpu": 256,
    "environment": [
      {"name": "NODE_ENV", "value": "production"},
      {"name": "PERSONAS_DIR", "value": "/app/personas"},
      {"name": "DOLLHOUSE_USER", "value": "production"}
    ]
  }]
}
Google Cloud Run
gcloud run deploy dollhousemcp \
  --image ghcr.io/mickdarling/dollhousemcp:latest \
  --platform managed \
  --region us-central1 \
  --set-env-vars NODE_ENV=production,DOLLHOUSE_USER=production
Azure Container Instances
az container create \
  --name dollhousemcp \
  --resource-group myResourceGroup \
  --image ghcr.io/mickdarling/dollhousemcp:latest \
  --environment-variables NODE_ENV=production DOLLHOUSE_USER=production

๐Ÿ—๏ธ Project Structure

DollhouseMCP/
โ”œโ”€โ”€ .github/
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ actions/
โ”‚   โ”‚   โ””โ”€โ”€ validate-yaml/         # Reusable YAML validation action
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ workflows/                 # CI/CD workflows
โ”‚   โ””โ”€โ”€ ISSUE_TEMPLATE/           # Issue templates for bug/feature/task
โ”œโ”€โ”€ __tests__/
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ unit/                     # Unit tests for components
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ integration/              # Integration tests
โ”‚   โ””โ”€โ”€ *.test.ts                 # Test files (372 tests total)
โ”œโ”€โ”€ src/
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ index.ts                  # Main MCP server (DollhouseMCPServer)
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ cache/                    # API caching layer
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ config/                   # Configuration management
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ marketplace/              # GitHub marketplace integration
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ persona/                  # Persona management core
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ security/                 # Input validation and security
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ server/                   # MCP server setup and tools
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ types/                    # TypeScript type definitions
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ update/                   # Auto-update system components
โ”‚   โ””โ”€โ”€ utils/                    # Utility functions
โ”œโ”€โ”€ dist/                         # Compiled JavaScript (auto-generated)
โ”œโ”€โ”€ personas/                     # Default persona collection
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ creative-writer.md
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ technical-analyst.md
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ eli5-explainer.md
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ business-consultant.md
โ”‚   โ””โ”€โ”€ debug-detective.md
โ”œโ”€โ”€ custom-personas/              # User-created personas (git-ignored)
โ”œโ”€โ”€ docs/                         # Documentation
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ auto-update/             # Auto-update system docs
โ”‚   โ””โ”€โ”€ development/             # Development notes and guides
โ”œโ”€โ”€ scripts/                      # Management and utility scripts
โ”œโ”€โ”€ Dockerfile                    # Multi-stage Docker build
โ”œโ”€โ”€ docker-compose.yml           # Production and development configs
โ”œโ”€โ”€ package.json                 # Project config (dollhousemcp v1.2.1)
โ”œโ”€โ”€ tsconfig.json                # TypeScript configuration
โ”œโ”€โ”€ jest.config.cjs              # Jest test configuration
โ”œโ”€โ”€ setup.sh                     # Automated installation script
โ”œโ”€โ”€ LICENSE                      # AGPL-3.0 with platform stability
โ”œโ”€โ”€ CHANGELOG.md                 # Version history
โ”œโ”€โ”€ claude.md                    # Project context for Claude
โ””โ”€โ”€ README.md                    # This file

๐Ÿ“ Creating Custom Personas

Enhanced Persona Format

Create .md files in the personas/ directory with this structure:

---
name: "Your Persona Name"
description: "Brief description of what this persona does"
unique_id: "auto-generated-if-missing"
author: "your-username"
triggers: ["keyword1", "keyword2"]
version: "1.0"
category: "creative"
age_rating: "all"
ai_generated: false
generation_method: "human"
price: "free"
license: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
---

# Your Persona Name

Your persona instructions go here. This content defines how the AI should behave when this persona is activated.

## Response Style
- Communication guidelines
- Tone and approach
- Specific behaviors

## Key Techniques
- Problem-solving methods
- Interaction patterns

Metadata Fields

Required Fields
FieldDescription
nameDisplay name for the persona
descriptionBrief description of purpose and capabilities
Optional Fields
FieldDescription
unique_idAuto-generated in format: what-it-is_YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS_who-made-it
authorCreator username (uses DOLLHOUSE_USER environment variable or generates anonymous ID)
categoryOne of: creative, professional, educational, gaming, personal
triggersArray of keywords that suggest when to use this persona
versionSemantic version number (auto-incremented on edits)
age_ratingContent rating: all, 13+, or 18+
ai_generatedBoolean flag indicating if content was AI-created
priceMonetization field - TODO: Future Release (will support "free" or pricing tiers)

๐Ÿ“š Built-in Personas

PersonaPurposeBest For
Creative WriterImaginative storytelling and creative contentBrainstorming, creative writing, engaging narratives
Technical AnalystDeep technical analysis and systematic problem-solvingArchitecture decisions, debugging, technical docs
ELI5 ExplainerSimplifying complex topics for beginnersTeaching, onboarding, concept explanation
Business ConsultantStrategic business analysis and recommendationsStrategy planning, business decisions, market analysis
Debug DetectiveSystematic debugging and troubleshootingBug hunting, system troubleshooting, root cause analysis

๐Ÿช Marketplace Integration (Beta)

๐Ÿงช Beta Feature: The GitHub-powered marketplace is currently in beta. Features may change based on community feedback.

DollhouseMCP includes an experimental GitHub-powered marketplace:

  • Browse by Category: creative, professional, educational, gaming, personal
  • Search Content: Find personas by keywords and descriptions
  • One-Click Install: Download and integrate marketplace personas
  • Community Submissions: Submit your personas via submit_persona tool
  • Version Control: Full Git history for all marketplace content

Note: Marketplace features require internet connection and GitHub API access. Rate limits may apply.

๐Ÿ’ผ Business Model & Legal

Licensing

  • Core Server: AGPL-3.0 (prevents proprietary competing platforms)
  • Persona Content: CC-BY-SA-4.0 for free personas, custom licenses for premium
  • Platform Terms: Creator-friendly 80/20 revenue split (applies only to paid personas when monetization is implemented)

Platform Stability Commitments

  • 90-day advance notice for monetization changes
  • 12-month revenue sharing locks for existing paid personas
  • Transparent governance for platform policy updates
  • Full data portability rights
  • Community advisory input on policy changes

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Development

Available Scripts

ScriptDescription
npm run buildCompile TypeScript to JavaScript
npm run startRun the compiled server
npm run devRun in development mode with auto-reload
npm run cleanRemove compiled files
npm run rebuildClean and rebuild the project
npm run setupInstall dependencies and build
npm testRun the comprehensive test suite
npm run test:coverageRun tests with coverage reporting

Environment Variables

Customize server behavior with these environment variables:

# User Attribution
export DOLLHOUSE_USER="your-username"          # User attribution for persona creation
export DOLLHOUSE_EMAIL="your-email"            # Contact email (optional)

# Directory Configuration
export PERSONAS_DIR="/custom/path/to/personas"  # Custom personas directory

# Auto-Update Configuration
export GITHUB_TOKEN="your-token"               # For private repository access (optional)

# Development Configuration
export NODE_ENV="development"                  # Development mode
export DEBUG="dollhousemcp:*"                  # Debug logging (optional)

๐Ÿ”ง Troubleshooting

Common Issues

IssueSolution
Personas not loadingCheck personas/ directory exists and has read permissions
Server won't startRun npm run rebuild to clean and rebuild
Marketplace not workingCheck internet connection and GitHub API access
User identity not savingSet DOLLHOUSE_USER environment variable before starting Claude
"Cannot find module" errorsEnsure npm install completed successfully
TypeScript compilation errorsVerify Node.js version is 20+ with node --version
Tools not appearing in ClaudeRestart Claude Desktop completely after config changes
Default personas modifiedv1.2.1+ uses copy-on-write; git restore if needed
Update/rollback issuesCheck write permissions; disable with DOLLHOUSE_DISABLE_UPDATES=true
Rate limit errorsWait 60 seconds; GitHub API has hourly limits

Debug Steps

  1. Check build status:

    npm run build
    
  2. Verify persona files:

    ls -la personas/*.md
    
  3. Test server startup:

    node dist/index.js
    
  4. Validate configuration:

    # Check Claude Desktop config
    cat ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
    
    # Verify Node.js version (requires 20+)
    node --version
    
    # Check npm version
    npm --version
    
  5. Test auto-update system:

    # Use within Claude Desktop
    check_for_updates    # Check for available updates
    get_server_status    # View system information
    
  6. Validate personas: Use the reload_personas tool to check for loading errors

๐Ÿค Contributing

We welcome contributions! DollhouseMCP includes integrated tools for submitting personas directly from Claude.

Integrated Contribution Process (Recommended)

  1. Create or modify a persona using the chat-based tools:

    create_persona "My Awesome Persona" "A helpful assistant for..." "professional"
    
  2. Validate your persona to ensure quality:

    validate_persona "My Awesome Persona"
    
  3. Submit to the marketplace directly from Claude:

    submit_persona "My Awesome Persona"
    

    This automatically creates a GitHub issue for community review.

Manual Contribution Process

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create persona files in personas/ or custom-personas/
  3. Follow the metadata format and naming conventions
  4. Test thoroughly with validate_persona tool
  5. Submit a pull request with clear description

Reporting Issues

Please include:

  • Node.js version (node --version)
  • Operating system and version
  • Complete error messages
  • Steps to reproduce the issue
  • Relevant persona files (if applicable)
  • Claude Desktop configuration (without sensitive paths)

Development Guidelines

  1. Follow TypeScript best practices
  2. Maintain existing code style and patterns
  3. Add comprehensive error handling
  4. Update documentation for new features
  5. Test thoroughly across platforms before submitting PRs
  6. Include tests for new functionality
  7. Follow semantic versioning for releases

Development Workflow

# Fork and clone
git clone https://github.com/your-username/DollhouseMCP.git
cd mcp-server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

# Make changes and test
npm run build
npm test

# Commit and push
git commit -m "feat: your feature description"
git push origin feature/your-feature-name

# Submit pull request

๐Ÿ“„ API Reference

MCP Tool Specifications

Each tool follows the MCP specification:

interface DollhouseTool {
  name: string;
  description: string;
  inputSchema: {
    type: "object";
    properties: Record<string, any>;
    required?: string[];
  };
}

Tool Categories

Core Persona Management
// list_personas - No parameters
// activate_persona - { persona: string }
// get_active_persona - No parameters  
// deactivate_persona - No parameters
// get_persona_details - { persona: string }
// reload_personas - No parameters
Marketplace Integration
// browse_marketplace - { category?: string }
// search_marketplace - { query: string }
// get_marketplace_persona - { path: string }
// install_persona - { path: string }
// submit_persona - { persona: string }
User Identity Management
// set_user_identity - { username: string }
// get_user_identity - No parameters
// clear_user_identity - No parameters
Chat-Based Management
// create_persona - { name: string, description: string, category?: string, instructions: string }
// edit_persona - { persona: string, field: string, value: string }
// validate_persona - { persona: string }
Auto-Update System
// check_for_updates - No parameters
// update_server - { confirm: boolean }
// rollback_update - { confirm: boolean }
// get_server_status - No parameters

Error Handling

The server provides detailed error messages for:

  • Invalid persona identifiers - Clear suggestions for valid names
  • File system issues - Permission and path resolution errors
  • Malformed persona files - YAML parsing and validation errors
  • Network errors - GitHub API and marketplace connectivity issues
  • Runtime errors - Server startup and operation failures

Response Formats

All responses follow consistent patterns:

  • Success responses: Include requested data and operation status
  • Error responses: Include error type, message, and suggested resolution
  • Progress indicators: Step-by-step feedback for long operations
  • Validation results: Detailed reports with recommendations

๐Ÿ“„ License

This project is licensed under the AGPL-3.0 License with Platform Stability Commitments - see the file for details.

Platform Stability Guarantees:

  • 90-day advance notice for policy changes
  • 12-month revenue sharing locks
  • Full data portability rights
  • Community advisory input

๐Ÿท๏ธ Version History

v1.2.4 - July 10, 2025 (Current)

Critical Fix:

  • โœ… Fixed MCP protocol compatibility - console output no longer breaks JSON-RPC communication
  • โœ… Added MCP-safe logger utility for proper logging during protocol sessions
  • โœ… Resolves connection failures in Claude Desktop
  • โœ… Updated Docker tests to work with new logging approach
  • โœ… Added comprehensive logger unit tests

v1.2.3 - July 10, 2025

Bug Fix:

  • โœ… Fixed personas directory path resolution for production environments
  • โœ… Changed from process.cwd() to __dirname-based paths
  • โœ… Fixed setup script with correct tool count and repository URLs

v1.2.2 - July 10, 2025

  • โœ… Comprehensive security enhancements:
    • Content sanitization with DOMPurify (SEC-001)
    • YAML injection prevention (SEC-003)
    • GitHub token security (SEC-004)
    • Docker container hardening (SEC-005)
  • โœ… 487 comprehensive tests including extensive security coverage
  • โœ… CI timing test fixes for reliable cross-platform testing
  • โœ… TypeScript compilation fixes for all test files
  • โœ… All security vulnerabilities resolved (0 active alerts)

v1.2.1 - January 8, 2025

  • โœ… Critical bug fixes for data protection:
    • Copy-on-write for default personas (Issue #145)
    • User personas included in backups (Issue #144)
  • โœ… Node.js 20+ requirement for npm publishing compatibility
  • โœ… 372 comprehensive tests covering all functionality
  • โœ… Enhanced security with all vulnerabilities resolved
  • โœ… Improved documentation with clear prerequisites

v1.2.0 - January 7, 2025

  • โœ… Rate limiting implementation to prevent API abuse
  • โœ… GPG signature verification for release authenticity
  • โœ… GitHub Advanced Security integration
  • โœ… 309 tests with improved CI environment coverage
  • โœ… Package optimization at 279.3 kB

v1.1.0 - July 4, 2025

  • โœ… Platform-specific badges for Windows, macOS, Linux visibility
  • โœ… GitHub Project management with issue templates and milestones
  • โœ… ARM64 Docker fix switching from Alpine to Debian base images
  • โœ… 100% workflow reliability (except Docker ARM64)
  • โœ… First GitHub release with CHANGELOG.md
  • โœ… 21 total MCP tools at time of release

Phase 2B+ - July 3, 2025

  • โœ… Enterprise-grade auto-update system with 4 new MCP tools
  • โœ… 50 comprehensive tests covering all functionality
  • โœ… Security hardening - eliminated all command injection vulnerabilities
  • โœ… Cross-platform support - Windows, macOS, Linux with CI/CD testing
  • โœ… Docker containerization with production and development configurations
  • โœ… 21 total MCP tools with backup/rollback and dependency validation

Phase 2B - July 1-2, 2025

  • โœ… Complete chat-based persona management
  • โœ… GitHub marketplace integration
  • โœ… User identity and attribution system
  • โœ… Real-time validation and editing
  • โœ… Enterprise-grade GitHub Actions security

Phase 1 - July 1, 2025

  • โœ… Fresh AGPL-3.0 licensed repository
  • โœ… Enhanced unique ID system
  • โœ… Anonymous user support
  • โœ… Marketplace-ready metadata schema

๐ŸŽญ Transform your AI interactions with the power of personas

For support, please open an issue or visit our marketplace.