# Dolt MCP Vcs

> | Universal Dolt version-control workflow. Step 0 auto-detects what kind of Dolt stack is present — every make and model (classic Dolt repo, live dolt sql-server on its ACTUAL bound port, bd embedded store, Doltgres, DoltLite single-file DB, DumboDB) — and emits a ready-to-use connection descriptor, then routes to work: DoltHub visibility diagnosis (no remote configured), the bd dolt remote add plus push fix, the JSONL throttle and rapid-write-race safe pattern, and expert agents for sync, epic-closure audits, dependency mapping, and recovery. Use when working with any Dolt database, detecting a Dolt flavor, connecting to a Dolt store, when beads are not showing in DoltHub, taming dolt server sprawl, auditing bead epics, or recovering from a bd or Dolt incident. Trigger with "/dolt-mcp-vcs", "/beads-dolt" (the former name, still accepted), "what kind of dolt is this", "my beads...

- Skill: `thedixitjain/dolt-mcp-vcs` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 5 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add thedixitjain/dolt-mcp-vcs`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/thedixitjain/dolt-mcp-vcs/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Data & Analytics
- Author: thedixitjain (https://skillmd.com/u/thedixitjain)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/thedixitjain/dolt-mcp-vcs

---



# dolt-mcp-vcs

One skill for every make and model of Dolt: detect the flavor and mode first, then do version-control work over the beads (bd) backend and DoltHub.

> Formerly **`beads-dolt`** — same plugin, renamed to its Dolt-first identity. The `beads-dolt`
> install slug still resolves (a deprecated catalog alias) and `/beads-dolt` is still an accepted
> trigger, so existing installs keep working — beads is now use-case adapter #1, not the whole skill.

The Dolt and DoltHub-aware layer for the [beads](https://github.com/gastownhall/beads) (bd) task tracker. It composes with — does not replace — the global beads skill: that skill runs the bead work cycle; this one handles the Dolt backend, DoltHub visibility, and the bd plus Dolt failure modes.

## Overview

bd stores every issue in a version-controlled [Dolt](https://github.com/dolthub/dolt) database. Two things bite teams repeatedly:

1. **"My beads aren't showing in DoltHub."** The overwhelmingly common cause is that the workspace's Dolt repo has **no remote configured** — so nothing is ever pushed. A file-protocol or GitHub backup does **not** make beads appear on DoltHub; only a Dolt remote plus a push does.
2. **JSONL appears stale after rapid writes.** This is the export *throttle*, not data loss. As of bd 1.0.4 the historical rapid-write race (failure mode 6) is fixed at the SQL-transaction level; the database is always correct, only the issues.jsonl file can lag.

This skill diagnoses both, applies the fixes, and routes deeper work to five bundled agents. **It keeps no frozen copy of bd/Dolt internals** — a baked snapshot goes stale the moment upstream ships a release; the installed binary wins on any conflict.
Verify version-specific behavior **live** (`bd --help`, `bd <cmd> --help`, `bd dolt show`) and consult the upstream docs; Read [references/dolt-internals.md](references/dolt-internals.md) for the directory of those authoritative sources. The agents fetch current truth in their own context, so answers track the installed binary rather than a guess.

**The fix for invisible-on-DoltHub, up front (don't stop at diagnosis):** the cause is almost always no remote, and the fix is two commands — `bd dolt remote add origin https://doltremoteapi.dolthub.com/ORG/REPO` then `bd dolt push --remote origin`. The DoltHub database must already exist (the push does NOT create it). Always carry the user all the way to these commands, not just the `bd dolt remote list` diagnostic.

## Prerequisites

- bd >= 1.0.4 with a Dolt-backed workspace (bd dolt show succeeds).
- For DoltHub: a dolt creds keypair authorized on your DoltHub account, and the **DoltHub database must already exist** (create it in the DoltHub UI — the push does **not** auto-create it).
- For the SQL-capable agents: the dolt-mcp-server binary on PATH, **pinned** to the exact version in the plugin README's install section (never @latest — the plugin's correctness rests on this binary). The plugin's .mcp.json wires it.

### Authentication

DoltHub pushes authenticate with a dolt creds keypair tied to your account (run dolt login once to create and authorize it), or with the DOLT_REMOTE_USER and DOLT_REMOTE_PASSWORD environment variables. The dolt-mcp connection uses DOLT_USER and DOLT_PASSWORD (bd's local server is unauthenticated by default — user root, empty password).

## Instructions

### Step 0: Detect — "what kind of Dolt database are we working with?"

Always start here when the flavor/mode is not already known (invoked with no args, a new
workspace, or any "connect me / what is this" ask). Run the detector and present the findings
before doing anything else:

```bash
python3 ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dolt-detect.py            # inspect cwd (read-only)
python3 ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dolt-detect.py PATH --json
python3 ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dolt-detect.py --emit-descriptor  # write connection.descriptor.json
```

It returns ranked findings (live-server > repo > embedded > file), each a ready-to-use
connection descriptor. Report them verbatim-honest, e.g.: *"found: dolt/server on
127.0.0.1:39353 (beads, actual bound port from /proc — not config.yaml), and dolt/embedded at
.beads/embeddeddolt/spine — read-only, the .lock is owned by bd."* Then route:

| Finding | Route |
|---|---|
| `dolt/server` (live) | wire work via the descriptor: `--emit-descriptor`, then `dolt-mcp-client.py --descriptor ...` (zero hand-written config) |
| `dolt/repo` | full dolt CLI verbs (log/diff/branch/AS OF) in that directory |
| `dolt/embedded` | **read-only** CLI verbs — never write; the single-writer `.lock` belongs to the embedding tool (bd). Mutations are refused with this reason |
| `doltgres/server` | Postgres wire via the descriptor (`--doltgres` derived, never hardcoded) |
| `doltlite/file` | detected by chunk-store magic; report it + local `doltlite` CLI if installed; alpha ⇒ read-only, no wire (decision 6) |
| `dumbo/server` | report only — experimental, fail-closed |
| nothing | say "this is not a Dolt database" and list what was checked — never guess |

Degrade honestly: an open MySQL port whose greeting doesn't name the flavor is reported as
*unconfirmed* (the detector cross-checks live dolt processes for evidence); undetected states
are reported, never guessed.

### Step 1: Diagnose visibility ("my beads aren't in DoltHub")

```bash
bd dolt show            # confirm the database name and server port
bd dolt remote list     # the smoking gun: "No remotes configured" means nothing is pushed
```

If no remote is configured, that is the root cause. Proceed to Step 2.

### Step 2: Configure the DoltHub remote and push

The DoltHub database must exist first (create it at dolthub.com, "Create Database"). Then:

```bash
# Use the bd wrapper (tracks the remote at the SQL layer and sets sync.remote for scheduled pushes)
bd dolt remote add origin https://doltremoteapi.dolthub.com/ORG/REPO
bd dolt push --remote origin
```

- The push is **history-preserving** — it transfers the full Dolt commit history, not a snapshot. (Flat-file dolt table import would lose history; do not use it for an existing bd database.)
- A PermissionDenied that reaches "Uploading…" first means **the creds work but the DoltHub repo doesn't exist yet** — create it, then re-push.
- Verify without cloning, via DoltHub's SQL API:
  ```bash
  curl -s "https://www.dolthub.com/api/v1alpha1/ORG/REPO/main?q=SELECT%20COUNT(*)%20FROM%20issues"
  ```

### Step 3: Keep it fresh (don't push per-command)

A per-command push is too slow. Schedule a push on the existing backup cadence (every 15–30 min, after bd export) rather than inline. See scripts/dolt-push-dolthub.sh.

### Step 4: Understand the JSONL throttle (not data loss)

export.interval defaults to **60s**: writes inside that window hit the database but not issues.jsonl until the next op after the window. For a gitignored .beads where a whole session fits in one window, set it to flush immediately:

```bash
bd config set export.interval 1s
```

As of recent bd the rapid-write race is reported fixed at the transaction level (verify with `bd version` + the upstream CHANGELOG) — so you do *not* need bd export between writes for database integrity; only batch plus flush if you need byte-fresh JSONL each step. Confirm current throttle/export behavior with `bd config --help` + `bd dolt --help`; [references/dolt-internals.md](references/dolt-internals.md) lists the authoritative sources.

### Step 5: Dispatch the right agent

Use the Task tool to dispatch the matching agent. Each fetches current bd/Dolt facts live in its own context (per the authority order in references/dolt-internals.md) rather than reciting a snapshot.

| Situation | Agent |
|---|---|
| DoltHub remotes, push/pull, backup-vs-push, federation, drift, idle-server reaping | dolt-sync-advisor |
| "Which epics have all their children closed?" subtree/closure audit | bead-epic-auditor |
| Dependency graph, cycles, critical path (SQL via the Dolt MCP) | bead-dependency-mapper |
| Rapid-write-race recovery, embedded-to-server mode migration, dolt-server incident | bead-recovery-specialist |
| General bd expertise, three-layer mirror discipline, naming and hygiene | beads-guru |

The SQL-capable agents (bead-epic-auditor, bead-dependency-mapper) query the bead graph through the wired dolt MCP server (the query, list_databases, and list_dolt_commits tools).

## Output

- A clear root-cause statement for visibility issues (almost always "no remote configured").
- The exact bd dolt commands to fix it, plus a DoltHub-API verification one-liner.
- For audits and maps: the agent's structured result (e.g., a closure table or dependency graph), never raw IDs without context.

## Error Handling

| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Push gives PermissionDenied after "Uploading…" | DoltHub repo doesn't exist (creds are fine) | Create the database in the DoltHub UI, re-push |
| Push gives an auth error before uploading | Stale or absent dolt creds | dolt login (interactive), or set DOLT_REMOTE_USER and DOLT_REMOTE_PASSWORD |
| JSONL stale after a burst of writes | 60s export throttle | bd config set export.interval 1s, or flush with bd export |
| Many dolt sql-server processes pile up | Each workspace runs its own per-project server | Reap idle ones: scripts/dolt-idle-reaper.sh (bd respawns each on next use — non-destructive), cron it; or consolidate via shared-server mode (read `bd init --help` live for the current flags) |
| MCP server won't connect | Wrong port or database | bd dolt show for the live port and database; set DOLT_PORT and DOLT_DATABASE |

## Examples

**"My beads aren't showing up in DoltHub."**
Run bd dolt remote list; it shows "No remotes configured" — explain that is the root cause — bd dolt remote add origin https://doltremoteapi.dolthub.com/ORG/REPO (repo must pre-exist) — bd dolt push --remote origin — verify via the DoltHub SQL API.

**"Which of my epics have all their children closed?"**
Dispatch bead-epic-auditor; it queries the bead graph over the Dolt MCP and returns a closure table.

**"bd has 15 dolt servers running, it's a mess."**
Dispatch dolt-sync-advisor; it reaps idle servers with scripts/dolt-idle-reaper.sh (each respawns on its next bd command — non-destructive), or walks shared-server consolidation if you want one durable server — it reads `bd init --help` live for the current flags rather than assuming them.

## Resources

- [references/dolt-internals.md](references/dolt-internals.md) — the directory of authoritative *live* sources (the installed `bd --help`, official upstream beads/Dolt docs, the Dolt MCP repo). The agents fetch current facts from these in their own context; the plugin freezes no internals snapshot.
- Upstreams: [beads](https://github.com/gastownhall/beads), [Dolt](https://github.com/dolthub/dolt) and [DoltHub](https://www.dolthub.com), [dolt-mcp](https://github.com/dolthub/dolt-mcp).

---

**Source:** [`jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills`](https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills) → `plugins/mcp/dolt-mcp-vcs/skills/dolt-mcp-vcs/SKILL.md`