tdmcp Desktop bundle: .dxt → .mcpb

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How to migrate the tdmcp Codex 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-mcpb.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.

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What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by pantani/tdmcp in .agents/skills/mcpb-bundle/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

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 Codex Desktop, but new directory submissions should ship .mcpb.

What this repo already has

scripts/build-mcpb.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

  1. 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.
  2. Output filenametdmcp.mcpb. In scripts/build-mcpb.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).
  3. npm scripts (package.json): rename build:dxtbuild: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).
  4. 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.
  5. 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-mcpb.mjs, package.json's version script, and sync-manifest-version.mjs.

Signals

GitHub stars
41
Forks
9
Last commit
Aug 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
mcpb-bundle
Source
github.com/pantani/tdmcp