feat(mcp): detect Connected-but-namespaces-missing attachment failures (Closes #708)

docs/mcp-namespace-health.md

@@ -86,3 +86,26 @@ When a namespace returns EOF, follow
 
 When blocked, repair the IDE namespace and re-record a healthy
 `client_namespace` assessment before retrying the mutation.
+
+## Connected vs Attached Tool Surface (#708)
+
+MCP servers can report **Connected** at the CLI / host inventory layer while the **active LLM session exposes none of their tool namespaces**.
+
+### Core principle
+
+* **Connected status at host layer ≠ attached tools in active session.**
+* Required preflight proof is **live tool visibility + `gitea_whoami` call** through the target namespace, not host `Connected` status alone.
+* When servers report Connected but namespaces are absent from attached tools, classify as `mcp_connected_namespaces_missing`.
+
+### Forbidden unsafe fallbacks
+
+When `mcp_connected_namespaces_missing` is detected, workflows must **fail closed** and must **never** encourage or perform:
+
+* direct imports of MCP server Python modules
+* CLI or raw Gitea API mutations as a substitute for native tools
+* profile hopping to another MCP profile/namespace to bypass the empty session
+* session-state overrides or hand-edited session/ledger files
+* process kills (`pkill`), config mtime touches, or `.env` edits
+
+Only sanctioned recovery: **client reconnect path**, followed by full preflight (`whoami` → capability resolve → task).
+

mcp_namespace_health.py

@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ EOF_PATTERNS = (
     "eof",
 )
 
+ERROR_CONNECTED_NAMESPACES_MISSING = "mcp_connected_namespaces_missing"
+
+UNSAFE_FALLBACK_WARNING = (
+    "Workflow Safety Hard Stop (#708): Connected-but-namespaces-missing recovery must "
+    "NEVER use direct imports, Gitea API mutations, profile hopping, session-state "
+    "overrides, PID kills, or config mtime touches. Use client reconnect only."
+)
+
 SAFE_ENV_KEYS = (
     "GITEA_MCP_PROFILE",
     "GITEA_PROFILE_NAME",
@@ -60,6 +68,83 @@ SAFE_ENV_KEYS = (
 )
 
 
+def assess_connected_namespace_attachment(
+    *,
+    connected_servers: list[str] | tuple[str, ...] | set[str] | None = None,
+    attached_session_namespaces: list[str] | tuple[str, ...] | set[str] | None = None,
+    required_namespaces: list[str] | tuple[str, ...] | set[str] | None = None,
+) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    """Assess whether host-connected MCP servers have attached tool namespaces in the active session (#708).
+
+    Addresses the Connected-but-namespaces-missing defect: CLI/host status may report Connected
+    while the active LLM session tool surface exposes 0 attached tool namespaces.
+
+    Returns structured telemetry and detection details.
+    """
+    connected = [str(s).strip() for s in (connected_servers or []) if str(s).strip()]
+    attached = set(str(ns).strip() for ns in (attached_session_namespaces or []) if str(ns).strip())
+    req = [str(r).strip() for r in (required_namespaces or DEFAULT_NAMESPACES) if str(r).strip()]
+
+    proof: dict[str, dict[str, bool]] = {}
+    missing: list[str] = []
+
+    for s in connected:
+        is_attached = s in attached
+        proof[s] = {"connected": True, "attached": is_attached}
+        if not is_attached and s in req:
+            missing.append(s)
+
+    for r in req:
+        if r not in proof:
+            proof[r] = {"connected": r in connected, "attached": r in attached}
+            if r in connected and r not in attached and r not in missing:
+                missing.append(r)
+
+    attachment_healthy = len(missing) == 0 and len(connected) > 0
+    discovery_status = (
+        "namespaces_attached" if attachment_healthy
+        else ("connected_but_namespaces_missing" if len(connected) > 0 else "disconnected")
+    )
+
+    reasons: list[str] = []
+    remediation: list[str] = []
+    if missing:
+        reasons.append(
+            f"MCP server(s) {missing} report Connected at host/CLI layer but tool namespaces "
+            f"are missing from active session attached tools (Connected ≠ attached tools, #708)."
+        )
+        remediation.append(
+            "Reconnect the IDE/client MCP session to attach namespaces to the active session. "
+            "Do not use direct imports, CLI API mutations, profile hopping, or session file overrides."
+        )
+    elif not connected:
+        reasons.append("No MCP servers reported Connected.")
+        remediation.append("Start or reconnect Gitea MCP servers in client config.")
+    else:
+        reasons.append("All connected MCP server namespaces are attached to the active session.")
+
+    return {
+        "success": attachment_healthy,
+        "attachment_healthy": attachment_healthy,
+        "discovery_status": discovery_status,
+        "connected_servers": connected,
+        "attached_session_namespaces": list(attached),
+        "missing_namespaces": missing,
+        "proof_of_connected_vs_attached": proof,
+        "error_type": None if attachment_healthy else ERROR_CONNECTED_NAMESPACES_MISSING,
+        "reasons": reasons,
+        "remediation": remediation,
+        "exact_next_action": (
+            "Reconnect the IDE/client MCP session so tool namespaces attach to the active session. "
+            "Do not use direct imports, CLI API mutations, profile hopping, or session-state overrides."
+            if not attachment_healthy
+            else "None; session tool namespaces attached."
+        ),
+        "unsafe_fallback_policy": UNSAFE_FALLBACK_WARNING,
+    }
+
+
+
 def _as_list(value: Any) -> list[str] | None:
     if value is None:
         return None

tests/test_issue_708_mcp_namespace_attachment.py

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+"""Unit regression tests for Issue #708: Connected-but-namespaces-missing detection and attachment safety."""
+
+import mcp_namespace_health
+
+
+def test_assess_connected_namespace_attachment_success():
+    connected = ["gitea-author", "gitea-reviewer", "gitea-merger"]
+    attached = ["gitea-author", "gitea-reviewer", "gitea-merger"]
+    res = mcp_namespace_health.assess_connected_namespace_attachment(
+        connected_servers=connected,
+        attached_session_namespaces=attached,
+    )
+    assert res["success"] is True
+    assert res["attachment_healthy"] is True
+    assert res["discovery_status"] == "namespaces_attached"
+    assert res["error_type"] is None
+    assert res["missing_namespaces"] == []
+    assert res["exact_next_action"] == "None; session tool namespaces attached."
+
+
+def test_assess_connected_namespace_attachment_missing():
+    connected = ["gitea-author", "gitea-reviewer", "gitea-merger"]
+    attached = ["gitea-author"]
+    res = mcp_namespace_health.assess_connected_namespace_attachment(
+        connected_servers=connected,
+        attached_session_namespaces=attached,
+    )
+    assert res["success"] is False
+    assert res["attachment_healthy"] is False
+    assert res["discovery_status"] == "connected_but_namespaces_missing"
+    assert res["error_type"] == "mcp_connected_namespaces_missing"
+    assert "gitea-reviewer" in res["missing_namespaces"]
+    assert "gitea-merger" in res["missing_namespaces"]
+    assert "Reconnect the IDE/client MCP session" in res["exact_next_action"]
+
+
+def test_assess_connected_namespace_attachment_disconnected():
+    res = mcp_namespace_health.assess_connected_namespace_attachment(
+        connected_servers=[],
+        attached_session_namespaces=[],
+    )
+    assert res["success"] is False
+    assert res["attachment_healthy"] is False
+    assert res["discovery_status"] == "disconnected"
+
+
+def test_proof_of_connected_vs_attached_mapping():
+    connected = ["gitea-author", "gitea-reviewer"]
+    attached = ["gitea-author"]
+    res = mcp_namespace_health.assess_connected_namespace_attachment(
+        connected_servers=connected,
+        attached_session_namespaces=attached,
+    )
+    proof = res["proof_of_connected_vs_attached"]
+    assert proof["gitea-author"] == {"connected": True, "attached": True}
+    assert proof["gitea-reviewer"] == {"connected": True, "attached": False}
+
+
+def test_unsafe_fallback_policy_enforcement():
+    res = mcp_namespace_health.assess_connected_namespace_attachment(
+        connected_servers=["gitea-author"],
+        attached_session_namespaces=[],
+    )
+    policy = res["unsafe_fallback_policy"]
+    assert "Workflow Safety Hard Stop (#708)" in policy
+    assert "direct imports" in policy
+    assert "API mutations" in policy
+    assert "profile hopping" in policy
+    assert "session-state overrides" in policy