fix(gsd): auto-prepare workflow MCP across providers

[jeremymcs]

Intent

Ensure the GSD MCP Server auto-initializes on correct paths for all providers. Three fixes: (1) Added missing cwd to PATH lookup fallback. (2) Removed provider gate — always returns true. (3) Added .gsd directory gate to avoid dirtying non-GSD repos. User chose fix per review finding.

What Changed

• Auto-prepares the GSD workflow MCP config regardless of the active model provider, while gating writes to projects that already have a .gsd directory.
• Ensures PATH-discovered gsd-mcp-server launches use the resolved workflow project root as cwd.
• Updates workflow MCP auto-prep tests around provider-independent prep, non-GSD project skipping, and initialized GSD project setup.

Risk Assessment

✅ Low: The branch is narrowly scoped to MCP auto-prep gating/path wiring and the changed behavior is covered by nearby callers without a substantiated blocking regression in the reviewed diff.

Testing

After confirming the target commit was not already merged, I restored minimal local setup, ran focused MCP auto-prep and launch-config regression selectors, and generated reviewer-visible evidence showing an OpenAI-provider GSD project auto-created project-scoped .mcp.json/Claude settings while a non-GSD project created no files; broad hook-level test attempts were blocked by missing broader workspace dist setup rather than behavior assertions, and transient node_modules/dist artifacts were removed before finish.

Evidence: MCP auto-init transcript

# MCP auto-init evidence

Active provider: openai
shouldAutoPrepareWorkflowMcp: true
GSD project root: /var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider
prepareWorkflowMcpForProject result: created
notification: info: GSD MCP Server Prepared at /var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider/.mcp.json

Generated GSD project files:
- /var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider/.mcp.json
- /var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider/.claude/settings.local.json

Workflow MCP server entry:
`` `json
{
  "command": "/opt/homebrew/Cellar/node/26.0.0/bin/node",
  "args": [
    "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/packages/mcp-server/src/cli.ts"
  ],
  "cwd": "/var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider",
  "env": {
    "GSD_CLI_PATH": "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/scripts/dev-cli.js",
    "GSD_BIN_PATH": "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/scripts/dev-cli.js",
    "GSD_WORKFLOW_EXECUTORS_MODULE": "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tools/workflow-tool-executors.ts",
    "GSD_WORKFLOW_WRITE_GATE_MODULE": "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/src/resources/extensions/gsd/bootstrap/write-gate.ts",
    "NODE_OPTIONS": "--experimental-strip-types --import=file:///Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/resolve-ts.mjs",
    "GSD_PERSIST_WRITE_GATE_STATE": "1",
    "GSD_WORKFLOW_PROJECT_ROOT": "/var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider"
  }
}
`` `

Enabled Claude MCP servers:
`` `json
[
  "gsd-workflow",
  "gsd-browser"
]
`` `

Non-GSD project root: /var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/plain-repo-openai-provider
prepareWorkflowMcpForProject result: null
non-GSD .mcp.json exists: false
non-GSD .claude/settings.local.json exists: false

Evidence: Generated .mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gsd-workflow": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/Cellar/node/26.0.0/bin/node",
      "args": [
        "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/packages/mcp-server/src/cli.ts"
      ],
      "cwd": "/var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider",
      "env": {
        "GSD_CLI_PATH": "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/scripts/dev-cli.js",
        "GSD_BIN_PATH": "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/scripts/dev-cli.js",
        "GSD_WORKFLOW_EXECUTORS_MODULE": "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tools/workflow-tool-executors.ts",
        "GSD_WORKFLOW_WRITE_GATE_MODULE": "/Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/src/resources/extensions/gsd/bootstrap/write-gate.ts",
        "NODE_OPTIONS": "--experimental-strip-types --import=file:///Users/jeremymcspadden/.no-mistakes/worktrees/c2f4d848183f/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/resolve-ts.mjs",
        "GSD_PERSIST_WRITE_GATE_STATE": "1",
        "GSD_WORKFLOW_PROJECT_ROOT": "/var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider"
      }
    },
    "gsd-browser": {
      "command": "gsd-browser",
      "args": [
        "mcp",
        "--session",
        "gsd-gsd-project-openai-provider-f584368c",
        "--identity-scope",
        "project",
        "--identity-key",
        "gsd-gsd-project-openai-provider-f584368c",
        "--identity-project",
        "gsd-gsd-project-openai-provider-f584368c"
      ],
      "cwd": "/var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-scenario/gsd-project-openai-provider"
    }
  }
}

Evidence: Generated Claude local settings

{
  "enabledMcpjsonServers": [
    "gsd-workflow",
    "gsd-browser"
  ]
}

Pipeline

Updates from git push no-mistakes

✅ **intent** - passed

✅ No issues found.

✅ **Rebase** - passed

✅ No issues found.

✅ **Review** - passed

✅ No issues found.

✅ **Test** - passed

✅ No issues found.

• git status --short --branch && git rev-parse HEAD && git branch --show-current && git merge-base --is-ancestor HEAD origin/main; echo $?
• sed -n '1,220p' CONTRIBUTING.md
• git diff --stat 4eeef20030eeadeb444e0f0faac7dca10d439fd1..4a4fce7907a63c565e2329b50f2d004386766841 && git diff --name-only 4eeef20030eeadeb444e0f0faac7dca10d439fd1..4a4fce7907a63c565e2329b50f2d004386766841
• pnpm install --frozen-lockfile (setup attempt; stopped after postinstall hung in unrelated optional setup)
• PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 GSD_SKIP_RTK_INSTALL=1 pnpm install --frozen-lockfile (setup retry; stopped after postinstall stayed in unrelated repair path)
• pnpm --filter @opengsd/contracts run build
• node --import ./src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/resolve-ts.mjs --experimental-strip-types --test src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/workflow-mcp-auto-prep.test.ts (broad attempt exposed missing workspace dist for hook-only cases)
• node --import ./src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/resolve-ts.mjs --experimental-strip-types --test --test-name-pattern 'shouldAutoPrepareWorkflowMcp enables prep for any provider|prepareWorkflowMcpForProject skips non-GSD projects|prepareWorkflowMcpForProject uses the selected unit model' src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/workflow-mcp-auto-prep.test.ts
• node --import ./src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/resolve-ts.mjs --experimental-strip-types --test --test-name-pattern 'detectWorkflowMcpLaunchConfig prefers explicit env override|detectWorkflowMcpLaunchConfig resolves the bundled server relative to the package without env hints' src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/workflow-mcp.test.ts
• node --import ./src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/resolve-ts.mjs --experimental-strip-types --input-type=module evidence script creating an OpenAI-provider GSD project and a non-GSD project under the evidence directory
• sed -n '1,220p' /var/folders/ts/yrrr1_453qz_str8lsryw04m0000gn/T/no-mistakes-evidence/01KV39RZV8E1TXXZH40KY6WV6X/mcp-auto-init-transcript.md
• rm -rf node_modules packages/contracts/dist packages/gsd-agent-core/dist && git status --short --ignored=matching node_modules packages/contracts/dist packages/gsd-agent-core/dist | head -80 && git status --short

⏭️ **Document** - skipped

Step was skipped.

✅ **Lint** - passed

✅ No issues found.

✅ **Push** - passed

✅ No issues found.

---

Note

Low Risk
Narrow MCP config gating and launch cwd wiring with updated unit tests; no auth or core workflow execution changes.

Overview
Workflow MCP auto-prep no longer depends on the active model provider or Claude-specific transport checks: shouldAutoPrepareWorkflowMcp always allows prep so project .mcp.json can be written for direct claude CLI use even when the session runs on another provider.

Writes are gated to repos that already have a .gsd directory, so auto-prep does not add .mcp.json / .claude/settings.local.json to unrelated projects. Model-override merging in prepareWorkflowMcpForProject is removed in favor of that simpler gate.

Launch config sets cwd to the resolved workflow project root when gsd-mcp-server is discovered on PATH, matching other discovery paths.

Tests cover provider-independent prep, skipping non-GSD roots, and initialized GSD project setup.

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---

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[github-actions]

🟢 PR Risk Report — LOW

Files changed	3
Systems affected	0
Overall risk	🟢 LOW

[jeremymcs]

Started an automated PR update.

Accepted review feedback is being applied.
Progress and final results will be posted in the related review thread(s).