fix(connect): bridge connectable on fresh install + detect custom-name bridge

Addresses Codex REQUEST_CHANGES on PR #682 (MCP-2479):

Gap 1 — Connect button hidden on fresh installs. A fresh Claude Desktop has
no config file yet (exists=false), so the modal showed "Config not found"
instead of a Connect button even though Connect can create the file. Add a
`Bridge` flag to ClientDef/ClientStatus (true for claude-desktop) and relax
the frontend gate to `supported && (exists || bridge)` for the button and
the Connect-All set.

Gap 2 — Status detection only matched the `mcpproxy` key. A bridge written
under a custom server_name has no URL field and a non-default key, so it
showed disconnected. Detect the bridge by inspecting the entry args
(mcp-remote + mcpURL) via entryPointsToBridge, regardless of the key.

Tests: custom-name bridge detection, bridge flag on ClientDef/status, and a
fresh-install (exists=false) Connect-button render. go test ./internal/connect/...
green; full vitest + vue-tsc green.

Related MCP-2479

Author: Dumbris

frontend/src/components/ConnectModal.vue

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
           </div>
           <div class="shrink-0 ml-2">
             <span v-if="!client.supported" class="badge badge-ghost badge-sm">{{ client.reason || 'Not supported' }}</span>
-            <span v-else-if="!client.exists" class="text-xs opacity-40">Config not found</span>
+            <span v-else-if="!client.exists && !client.bridge" class="text-xs opacity-40">Config not found</span>
             <button
               v-else-if="client.connected"
               @click="disconnect(client.id)"
@@ -115,7 +115,9 @@ const loading = reactive({
 })
 
 const connectableClients = computed(() =>
-  clients.value.filter(c => c.supported && c.exists && !c.connected)
+  // Bridge clients (e.g. Claude Desktop) can be connected even without an
+  // existing config file — Connect creates it.
+  clients.value.filter(c => c.supported && (c.exists || c.bridge) && !c.connected)
 )
 
 const allConnected = computed(() =>

frontend/src/types/api.ts

@@ -796,6 +796,7 @@ export interface ClientStatus {
   supported: boolean
   reason?: string
   note?: string
+  bridge?: boolean
   icon: string
   server_name?: string
 }

frontend/tests/unit/connect-modal.spec.ts

@@ -128,6 +128,37 @@ describe('ConnectModal', () => {
     expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('mcp-remote stdio bridge')
   })
 
+  it('shows Connect for a bridge client even when its config file does not exist', async () => {
+    ;(api.getConnectStatus as any).mockResolvedValue({
+      success: true,
+      data: [{
+        id: 'claude-desktop',
+        name: 'Claude Desktop',
+        config_path: '/Users/test/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json',
+        exists: false,
+        connected: false,
+        supported: true,
+        bridge: true,
+        note: 'Connects via an mcp-remote stdio bridge (npx -y mcp-remote). Requires Node.js.',
+        icon: 'claude-desktop',
+      }],
+    })
+
+    const wrapper = mount(ConnectModal, {
+      props: { show: false },
+      global: { plugins: [pinia] },
+    })
+
+    await wrapper.setProps({ show: true })
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    // Fresh install: no config file yet, but the bridge Connect must still appear.
+    const connectButton = wrapper.find('button.btn-primary.btn-xs')
+    expect(connectButton.exists()).toBe(true)
+    expect(connectButton.text()).toContain('Connect')
+    expect(wrapper.text()).not.toContain('Config not found')
+  })
+
   it('disconnect uses server_name alias when OpenCode status is adopted', async () => {
     ;(api.getConnectStatus as any).mockResolvedValue({
       success: true,

internal/connect/clients.go

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ type ClientDef struct {
 	Supported bool   // Whether this client can be connected (directly or via a bridge)
 	Reason    string // Explanation when Supported is false
 	Note      string // Optional caveat shown for supported clients (e.g. bridge requirement)
+	Bridge    bool   // Connects via a stdio bridge; Connect can create the config when absent
 	Icon      string // Icon identifier for frontend use
 }
 
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ var allClients = []ClientDef{
 		ServerKey: "mcpServers",
 		Supported: true,
 		Note:      "Connects via an mcp-remote stdio bridge (npx -y mcp-remote). Requires Node.js.",
+		Bridge:    true,
 		Icon:      "claude-desktop",
 	},
 	{

internal/connect/connect.go

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ type ClientStatus struct {
 	Supported  bool   `json:"supported"`        // client can be connected (directly or via a bridge)
 	Reason     string `json:"reason,omitempty"` // why not supported
 	Note       string `json:"note,omitempty"`   // caveat for supported clients (e.g. bridge requirement)
+	Bridge     bool   `json:"bridge,omitempty"` // connects via a stdio bridge; connectable even without an existing config
 	Icon       string `json:"icon"`
 	ServerName string `json:"server_name,omitempty"` // name under which mcpproxy is registered
 }
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ func (s *Service) GetAllStatus() []ClientStatus {
 			Supported:  c.Supported,
 			Reason:     c.Reason,
 			Note:       c.Note,
+			Bridge:     c.Bridge,
 			Icon:       c.Icon,
 		}
 
@@ -672,6 +674,13 @@ func (s *Service) findEntryJSON(client ClientDef, cfgPath string) (string, bool)
 			}
 		}
 
+		// Stdio-bridge clients (e.g. Claude Desktop) have no URL field; the
+		// mcpproxy endpoint lives in the command args. Detect by inspecting
+		// args so a bridge written under a custom server name is still found.
+		if entryPointsToBridge(entry, mcpURL, baseURL) {
+			return name, true
+		}
+
 		// Also match by server name
 		if name == defaultServerName {
 			return name, true
@@ -681,6 +690,30 @@ func (s *Service) findEntryJSON(client ClientDef, cfgPath string) (string, bool)
 	return "", false
 }
 
+// entryPointsToBridge reports whether a JSON config entry is an mcp-remote
+// stdio bridge targeting our MCP endpoint, regardless of the entry key.
+func entryPointsToBridge(entry map[string]interface{}, mcpURL, baseURL string) bool {
+	rawArgs, ok := entry["args"].([]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	hasBridgePkg := false
+	pointsToUs := false
+	for _, a := range rawArgs {
+		s, ok := a.(string)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		if s == "mcp-remote" {
+			hasBridgePkg = true
+		}
+		if s == mcpURL || s == baseURL || strings.HasPrefix(s, baseURL+"?") {
+			pointsToUs = true
+		}
+	}
+	return hasBridgePkg && pointsToUs
+}
+
 var trailingCommaPattern = regexp.MustCompile(`,\s*([}\]])`)
 
 func unmarshalLenientJSON(raw []byte, out interface{}) error {

internal/connect/connect_test.go

@@ -757,6 +757,12 @@ func TestClaudeDesktop_SupportedWithBridgeNote(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(client.Note), "mcp-remote") {
 		t.Errorf("claude-desktop note should mention mcp-remote, got: %q", client.Note)
 	}
+	// Bridge clients can be connected even when no config file exists yet
+	// (Connect creates it), so the frontend must offer the button on fresh
+	// installs.
+	if !client.Bridge {
+		t.Error("claude-desktop should be flagged as a bridge client")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestBuildServerEntry_ClaudeDesktop_StdioBridge(t *testing.T) {
@@ -880,6 +886,34 @@ func TestGetAllStatus_ClaudeDesktop_DetectsBridgeConnection(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Fatal("claude-desktop status not found")
 }
 
+// Gap 2 (Codex review): a bridge written under a custom server_name has no
+// URL field and a non-"mcpproxy" key, so it must be detected by inspecting
+// the entry's args (mcp-remote + mcpURL).
+func TestGetAllStatus_ClaudeDesktop_DetectsBridgeUnderCustomName(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, homeDir := testService(t)
+
+	cfgPath := ConfigPath("claude-desktop", homeDir)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(cfgPath), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := svc.Connect("claude-desktop", "my-bridge", false); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	for _, s := range svc.GetAllStatus() {
+		if s.ID == "claude-desktop" {
+			if !s.Connected {
+				t.Error("expected claude-desktop connected via bridge args under a custom name")
+			}
+			if s.ServerName != "my-bridge" {
+				t.Errorf("expected server_name=my-bridge, got %q", s.ServerName)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	t.Fatal("claude-desktop status not found")
+}
+
 func TestConnect_UnknownClient(t *testing.T) {
 	svc, _ := testService(t)
 
@@ -938,6 +972,9 @@ func TestGetAllStatus(t *testing.T) {
 			if s.Note == "" {
 				t.Error("claude-desktop should expose a bridge note")
 			}
+			if !s.Bridge {
+				t.Error("claude-desktop status should expose bridge=true")
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }