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A plugin whose MCP server fronts a desktop application declares which application that is and what the server needs of it. The core evaluates the declaration on the host and gates the server’s tools, and any skill that names the application, on the answer. The parser imports only the standard library and mibyan_platform. The vocabulary lives in mibyan_platform/declaration.py. A declaration is data plus policy, parsed from plain mappings (already-decoded YAML, JSON, a dict literal — the parser never touches a file):
register(server_name, decl) stores one declaration under the configured server name in a process-local registry. Loader integration is separate work; core does not read plugin YAML automatically. An unregistered MCP server keeps its connection-only check. A skill that explicitly names an unregistered server is hidden. clear() removes every registration and is not a per-plugin unload operation. Registrations are process-wide, not profile-scoped.

app — how to find the application on each OS

When requires.app is true, an OS missing from app: gives unsupported_os.

requires — what the server needs before it is offered

requires.app: true with no app: block is a DeclarationError.

Availability: the one evaluation every reader uses

mibyan_platform/resolver/availability.py::availability(decl) -> Availability
  • no_requirements: no requires.app; the application gate passes, but the connection check still applies.
  • unsupported_os: requires.app and no app.<this os> block. Zero I/O.
  • missing_app: locate found nothing at location.
  • version_too_old: the version is below the minimum or cannot be read.
  • available: present, version acceptable or not required.
  • installed_not_running: reserved vocabulary; this evaluator never produces it.
Evaluation uses locate and optional version inspection. It never probes a server, launches an application, or connects. The tool registry retains its existing availability cache.

The two gates

  • MCP check_fn (tools/mcp_tool_handlers.py::_make_check_fn): connection alive AND, when a declaration with requires.app is registered for the server, availability(decl).offerable. Returns a plain bool because the registry caches bool(fn()).
  • Skill requires_apps: frontmatter (agent/skill_utils.py::skill_matches_apps): each name resolves through declaration.lookup; an unknown name hides the skill (fail closed). Offer-time filter, like environments:.