---
one_liner: Strip MCP transport layer from v1.6, keep spool/hook/rename improvements, restore CLI-first skill docs
status: complete
---

# Quick Task 260414-28p: MCP Devolution

Strip the MCP server transport layer introduced in v1.6, retaining all non-MCP improvements (spool delivered marking, result variants, command rename, hook spool migration, wake sentinels, re-orientation). Restore CLI-first skill docs and plugin workflow.

## Accomplishments

- Deleted `src/mcp/` module entirely (server, dispatch, tools, resources, types, watchdog — 6 files)
- Removed `mcp-serve` CLI subcommand from `cli.rs` and dispatch from `owl/mod.rs`
- Removed `pub mod mcp` from `lib.rs`
- Deleted `plugin/spt/.mcp.json` MCP server manifest
- Cleaned all MCP references from source comments across 10+ files
- Replaced MCP resource references in hooks:
  - `hook_prompt.rs`: `spt://inbox/{id}` → "they will arrive in your next tool call context"
  - `hook_check.rs`: removed MCP-specific comments
  - `resume.rs`: replaced MCP tools/resources re-orientation with CLI command list
  - `plugin_session_start.rs`: removed MCP doc comment
- Restored all 16 plugin skill files + commune.md to pre-MCP CLI-first versions (from commit e1bb355~1)
- Removed `.mcp.json` references from `docs/DEPLOY.md` (4 locations)
- Bumped plugin version from 1.6.1 → 1.7.0, removed `mcp` keyword
- Verified: `cargo build --release` succeeds (3 pre-existing warnings only)
- Verified: `cargo test` passes 113 tests, 0 failures

## What Was Kept (v1.6 improvements)

- SQLite spool `delivered` column with `peek_all()` and `mark_delivered()` (non-destructive reads)
- All 16 outcome types in `outcomes.rs` and 13 `_result()` functions across owl/live modules
- Command rename: `deliver`→`send`, `send`→`ring`, `reply` folded into `send --reply-to`
- Spool-only hook delivery (PreToolUse uses `peek_all` + `mark_delivered`)
- Wake-sentinel detection (`.` and `--- [INCOMING]` patterns)
- SessionStart re-orientation on `/clear` and `/compact` (now CLI-focused)
- 9 spool unit tests + 13 result variant integration tests

## What Was Removed

- `src/mcp/` — entire module (hand-rolled JSON-RPC stdio server, 13 MCP tools, 5 MCP resources, change tracker, watchdog)
- `plugin/spt/.mcp.json` — auto-discovery manifest
- MCP-first skill doc rewrites (replaced with CLI-first originals)
- All `spt://` URI references, `spacetime_*` tool references, MCP comments in source

## Branch

Work performed on `devolution` branch, based on `mcp-fabric` HEAD.

## Commits

| # | Hash | Description |
|---|------|-------------|
| 1 | (pending) | All changes uncommitted — single atomic commit needed |

## Decisions

- **Subtractive approach**: Started from mcp-fabric (everything works) and stripped MCP, rather than cherry-picking from 106 interleaved commits
- **No root SKILL.md/LIVE-SKILL.md**: These monolithic files aren't used — agents read plugin skills
- **Result variants kept**: `_result()` functions are useful infrastructure even without MCP
- **Plugin version 1.7.0**: Clean version break from the MCP era (1.6.x)