fix: actually wire STDIO attach for docker-image MCP servers

Commit 1bd5087 added attachInteractive to the orchestrator interface
but never hooked it up in mcp-proxy-service — sendViaPersistentAttach
was promised in the commit message but missing from the diff. Servers
with a distroless image whose entrypoint IS the MCP server (gitea-mcp)
ended up needing a bogus `command: [node, dist/index.js]` workaround
that silently failed on every exec, leaving clients with empty tool
lists.

Changes:
- PersistentStdioClient: take a StdioMode discriminated union. Exec
  mode runs a command via execInteractive; attach mode talks to PID 1
  via attachInteractive.
- mcp-proxy-service: dispatch by config — command → exec; packageName
  → exec via runtime runner; dockerImage-only → attach. Error
  serialization no longer drops non-Error objects as "[object Object]".
- templates/gitea.yaml: remove the command workaround; the image CMD
  runs as PID 1 and mcpd attaches.
- Add unit tests covering both modes and the unsupported-orchestrator
  paths.

Also required (separate repo): mcpd's k8s Role needed pods/attach
added alongside pods/exec; updated in kubernetes-deployment/…/mcpctl/server.ts
and kubectl-patched on the live cluster.

Verified end-to-end against mcpctl.ad.itaz.eu:
- gitea (attach): 49 tools listed, real tools/call round-trip.
- aws-docs (exec via packageName): 4 tools, no regression.
- docmost (exec via command): 11 tools, no regression.
- mcpd suite: 634/634 passing.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/mcpd/src/services/mcp-proxy-service.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { NotFoundError } from './mcp-server.service.js';
 import { InvalidStateError } from './instance.service.js';
 import { sendViaSse } from './transport/sse-client.js';
 import { sendViaStdio } from './transport/stdio-client.js';
-import { PersistentStdioClient } from './transport/persistent-stdio.js';
+import { PersistentStdioClient, type StdioMode } from './transport/persistent-stdio.js';
 
 /**
  * Build the spawn command for a runtime inside its runner container.
@@ -35,6 +35,18 @@ export interface McpProxyResponse {
   error?: { code: number; message: string; data?: unknown };
 }
 
+function formatError(err: unknown): string {
+  if (err instanceof Error) return err.message || err.toString();
+  if (err && typeof err === 'object') {
+    try {
+      return JSON.stringify(err);
+    } catch {
+      return Object.prototype.toString.call(err);
+    }
+  }
+  return String(err);
+}
+
 /**
  * Parses a streamable-http SSE response body to extract the JSON-RPC payload.
  * Streamable-http returns `event: message\ndata: {...}\n\n` format.
@@ -140,28 +152,48 @@ export class McpProxyService {
       }
       const packageName = server.packageName as string | null;
       const command = server.command as string[] | null;
+      const dockerImage = server.dockerImage as string | null;
 
-      if (!packageName && (!command || command.length === 0)) {
+      // Decide STDIO mode:
+      //   - packageName set  → exec via runtime runner (npx/uvx).
+      //   - command set      → exec the given command in the container.
+      //   - dockerImage only → attach to PID 1 (image entrypoint IS the MCP server).
+      //   - nothing          → unreachable, reject.
+      const runtime = (server.runtime as string | null) ?? 'node';
+      let mode: StdioMode;
+      if (command && command.length > 0) {
+        mode = { kind: 'exec', command };
+      } else if (packageName) {
+        mode = { kind: 'exec', command: buildRuntimeSpawnCmd(runtime, packageName) };
+      } else if (dockerImage) {
+        mode = { kind: 'attach' };
+      } else {
         throw new InvalidStateError(
-          `Server '${server.name}' (${server.id}) uses STDIO transport with a docker image ` +
+          `Server '${server.name}' (${server.id}) uses STDIO transport but has no ` +
-          `but has no command. Set 'command' to the image's entrypoint ` +
+          `packageName, command, or dockerImage. Configure one of these.`,
-          `(e.g. mcpctl edit server ${server.name} --command node --command build/index.js)`
         );
       }
 
-      // Build the spawn command based on runtime
-      const runtime = (server.runtime as string | null) ?? 'node';
-      const spawnCmd = command && command.length > 0
-        ? command
-        : buildRuntimeSpawnCmd(runtime, packageName!);
-
       // Try persistent connection first
       try {
-        return await this.sendViaPersistentStdio(instance.containerId, spawnCmd, method, params);
+        return await this.sendViaPersistentStdio(instance.containerId, mode, method, params);
-      } catch {
+      } catch (err) {
-        // Persistent failed — fall back to one-shot
         this.removeClient(instance.containerId);
-        return sendViaStdio(this.orchestrator, instance.containerId, packageName, method, params, 120_000, command, runtime);
+        // Fall back to one-shot exec when we have a command to run.
+        // Attach mode has no equivalent one-shot fallback — surface the error.
+        if (mode.kind === 'exec') {
+          return sendViaStdio(this.orchestrator, instance.containerId, packageName, method, params, 120_000, command, runtime);
+        }
+        const detail = formatError(err);
+        console.error(`[mcp-proxy] attach to ${instance.containerId} failed:`, err);
+        return {
+          jsonrpc: '2.0',
+          id: 1,
+          error: {
+            code: -32000,
+            message: `STDIO attach to '${instance.containerId}' failed: ${detail}`,
+          },
+        };
       }
     }
 
@@ -178,16 +210,17 @@ export class McpProxyService {
 
   /**
    * Send via a persistent STDIO connection (reused across calls).
+   * Mode is exec (run a command in the container) or attach (talk to PID 1).
    */
   private async sendViaPersistentStdio(
     containerId: string,
-    command: string[],
+    mode: StdioMode,
     method: string,
     params?: Record<string, unknown>,
   ): Promise<McpProxyResponse> {
     let client = this.stdioClients.get(containerId);
     if (!client) {
-      client = new PersistentStdioClient(this.orchestrator!, containerId, command);
+      client = new PersistentStdioClient(this.orchestrator!, containerId, mode);
       this.stdioClients.set(containerId, client);
     }
     return client.send(method, params);

src/mcpd/src/services/transport/persistent-stdio.ts

@@ -1,14 +1,24 @@
 import type { McpOrchestrator, InteractiveExec } from '../orchestrator.js';
 import type { McpProxyResponse } from '../mcp-proxy-service.js';
 
+export type StdioMode =
+  | { kind: 'exec'; command: string[] }
+  | { kind: 'attach' };
+
 /**
- * Persistent STDIO connection to an MCP server running inside a Docker container.
+ * Persistent STDIO connection to an MCP server running inside a container.
  *
- * Instead of cold-starting a new process per call (docker exec one-shot), this keeps
+ * Two modes:
- * a long-running `docker exec -i <cmd>` session alive. The MCP init handshake runs
+ *   exec   — start a new process in the container (`docker exec -i <cmd>` /
- * once, then tool calls are multiplexed over the same stdin/stdout pipe.
+ *            `kubectl exec -i`) and speak MCP to it. Used for runner-image
+ *            servers where mcpctl launches the MCP binary itself.
+ *   attach — attach to the container's PID 1 stdin/stdout. Used for
+ *            docker-image servers whose entrypoint IS the MCP server
+ *            (e.g. gitea-mcp-server, docmost-mcp).
  *
- * Falls back gracefully: if the process dies, the next call will reconnect.
+ * In both modes the MCP init handshake runs once; subsequent tool calls
+ * are multiplexed over the same pipe. If the session dies, the next call
+ * will reconnect.
  */
 export class PersistentStdioClient {
   private exec: InteractiveExec | null = null;
@@ -25,7 +35,7 @@ export class PersistentStdioClient {
   constructor(
     private readonly orchestrator: McpOrchestrator,
     private readonly containerId: string,
-    private readonly command: string[],
+    private readonly mode: StdioMode,
     private readonly timeoutMs = 120_000,
   ) {}
 
@@ -90,11 +100,18 @@ export class PersistentStdioClient {
   private async connect(): Promise<void> {
     this.close();
 
-    if (!this.orchestrator.execInteractive) {
+    let exec: InteractiveExec;
-      throw new Error('Orchestrator does not support interactive exec');
+    if (this.mode.kind === 'attach') {
+      if (!this.orchestrator.attachInteractive) {
+        throw new Error('Orchestrator does not support attach');
+      }
+      exec = await this.orchestrator.attachInteractive(this.containerId);
+    } else {
+      if (!this.orchestrator.execInteractive) {
+        throw new Error('Orchestrator does not support interactive exec');
+      }
+      exec = await this.orchestrator.execInteractive(this.containerId, this.mode.command);
     }
-
-    const exec = await this.orchestrator.execInteractive(this.containerId, this.command);
     this.exec = exec;
     this.buffer = '';
 

src/mcpd/tests/persistent-stdio.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { PassThrough } from 'node:stream';
+import { PersistentStdioClient } from '../src/services/transport/persistent-stdio.js';
+import type { InteractiveExec, McpOrchestrator } from '../src/services/orchestrator.js';
+
+function makeFakeExec(): {
+  iexec: InteractiveExec;
+  written: string[];
+  emit: (line: unknown) => void;
+} {
+  const stdout = new PassThrough();
+  const written: string[] = [];
+  const iexec: InteractiveExec = {
+    stdout,
+    write(data) { written.push(data); },
+    close() { stdout.destroy(); },
+  };
+  const emit = (msg: unknown) => {
+    stdout.write(JSON.stringify(msg) + '\n');
+  };
+  return { iexec, written, emit };
+}
+
+function makeOrchestrator(overrides: Partial<McpOrchestrator> = {}): McpOrchestrator {
+  return {
+    pullImage: vi.fn(),
+    createContainer: vi.fn(),
+    stopContainer: vi.fn(),
+    removeContainer: vi.fn(),
+    inspectContainer: vi.fn(),
+    getContainerLogs: vi.fn(),
+    execInContainer: vi.fn(),
+    ping: vi.fn(),
+    ...overrides,
+  } as McpOrchestrator;
+}
+
+describe('PersistentStdioClient', () => {
+  it('exec mode calls execInteractive with the command', async () => {
+    const fake = makeFakeExec();
+    const execInteractive = vi.fn(async () => fake.iexec);
+    const orch = makeOrchestrator({ execInteractive });
+
+    const client = new PersistentStdioClient(
+      orch,
+      'container-1',
+      { kind: 'exec', command: ['node', 'index.js'] },
+    );
+
+    // Drive the handshake: respond to the first init request (id=1)
+    // then to the subsequent tools/list request (id=2).
+    const sendPromise = client.send('tools/list');
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 10));
+
+    const init = JSON.parse(fake.written[0]!);
+    expect(init.method).toBe('initialize');
+    fake.emit({ jsonrpc: '2.0', id: init.id, result: { capabilities: {} } });
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 150));
+
+    // Second written msg is notifications/initialized; third is tools/list
+    const toolsReq = JSON.parse(fake.written[2]!);
+    expect(toolsReq.method).toBe('tools/list');
+    fake.emit({ jsonrpc: '2.0', id: toolsReq.id, result: { tools: [] } });
+
+    const res = await sendPromise;
+    expect(res.result).toEqual({ tools: [] });
+    expect(execInteractive).toHaveBeenCalledWith('container-1', ['node', 'index.js']);
+    client.close();
+  });
+
+  it('attach mode calls attachInteractive and never execInteractive', async () => {
+    const fake = makeFakeExec();
+    const attachInteractive = vi.fn(async () => fake.iexec);
+    const execInteractive = vi.fn();
+    const orch = makeOrchestrator({ attachInteractive, execInteractive });
+
+    const client = new PersistentStdioClient(
+      orch,
+      'container-gitea',
+      { kind: 'attach' },
+    );
+
+    const sendPromise = client.send('tools/list');
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 10));
+
+    const init = JSON.parse(fake.written[0]!);
+    fake.emit({ jsonrpc: '2.0', id: init.id, result: { capabilities: {} } });
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 150));
+
+    const req = JSON.parse(fake.written[2]!);
+    fake.emit({ jsonrpc: '2.0', id: req.id, result: { tools: [{ name: 'list_repos' }] } });
+
+    const res = await sendPromise;
+    expect((res.result as { tools: unknown[] }).tools).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(attachInteractive).toHaveBeenCalledWith('container-gitea');
+    expect(execInteractive).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    client.close();
+  });
+
+  it('attach mode throws if orchestrator does not support attach', async () => {
+    const orch = makeOrchestrator({}); // no attachInteractive
+    const client = new PersistentStdioClient(orch, 'c', { kind: 'attach' });
+    await expect(client.send('tools/list')).rejects.toThrow(/attach/i);
+  });
+
+  it('exec mode throws if orchestrator does not support execInteractive', async () => {
+    const orch = makeOrchestrator({}); // no execInteractive
+    const client = new PersistentStdioClient(orch, 'c', { kind: 'exec', command: ['x'] });
+    await expect(client.send('tools/list')).rejects.toThrow(/interactive exec/i);
+  });
+});

templates/gitea.yaml

@@ -4,12 +4,10 @@ description: Gitea MCP server for repositories, issues, PRs, and code management
 dockerImage: "docker.gitea.com/gitea-mcp-server:latest"
 transport: STDIO
 repositoryUrl: https://gitea.com/gitea/gitea-mcp
-command:
+# No command: the image's entrypoint IS the MCP server. mcpd attaches to PID 1
-  - /app/gitea-mcp
+# stdin/stdout (attach mode) rather than exec-ing a new process. The image is
-  - -t
+# distroless and has no node/shell, so exec-based STDIO would fail.
-  - stdio
+# Health check disabled: STDIO health probe requires node in the container.
-# Health check disabled: STDIO health probe requires packageName (npm-based servers).
-# This server uses a custom dockerImage. Probe support for dockerImage STDIO servers is TODO.
 env:
   - name: GITEA_HOST
     description: Gitea instance URL (e.g. https://gitea.example.com)