MCP: Encourage that MCP servers are installed via marketplace #278301
Description
There are currently different ways on how MCP servers can be installed. Each of them can result in a different id the server is known for. That is problematic with shared agent files where we want to list tools from MCP servers in a sharable way.
One way to fix this is to encourage/force everyone to go via marketplace.
I found these ways on how MCP servers can be installed
- via the MCP server marketplace
- via extensions in the VS Code marketplace
- via the `Add Server' command
- via an external import link
- manually editing user and workspace mcp.json
- by mcp discovery from configuration files of other product
and probably many more I don't know of
Besides the problem of ids, it is also a UX problem: The many ways of adding servers is confusing to me and surely also to the occasional user.
IMO the marketplace is our preferred installation experience and the other ones should only be used in special cases, e.g for private servers or for developing.
I suggest
-> hide advanced ways of installing servers
-> try to redirect the user to the marketplace, e.g. when a import link is clicked
-> all custom installed server should get an id with prefix local/ so it is clear where they are configured.