feat(core): add support for admin-forced MCP server installations

[gsquared94]

Summary

Adds the ability for enterprise administrators to force specific MCP server installations through admin controls. Required servers are always injected regardless of user-local configurations and cannot be disabled by the user.

Changes

Core (packages/core)

• types.ts: Added RequiredMcpServerConfigSchema (Zod schema for admin-required servers with remote transport fields only) and updated McpConfigDefinitionSchema / AdminControlsSettingsSchema to include requiredMcpServers/requiredMcpConfig.
• admin_controls.ts: Updated sanitizeAdminSettings() to parse requiredMcpServers from mcpConfigJson and sort tool lists for stable deep-equality comparison.
• mcpUtils.ts: Added applyRequiredServers() function that converts RequiredMcpServerConfig → MCPServerConfig, defaulting trust to true and completely overriding any local config with the same server name.

CLI (packages/cli)

• config.ts: Calls applyRequiredServers() after applyAdminAllowlist() to inject admin-required servers.
• settings.ts: Maps requiredMcpConfig from admin settings to settings.admin.mcp.requiredConfig.
• settingsSchema.ts: Added requiredConfig field and RequiredMcpServerConfig JSON schema definition.

Design Decisions

• Separate field: Uses requiredMcpServers (distinct from existing mcpServers allowlist) for backward compatibility — older clients ignore the new field.
• Remote-only: The schema excludes stdio fields (command, args, env, cwd) since admin-pushed servers are always remote.
• Single source of truth: Uses z.nativeEnum(AuthProviderType) instead of duplicating enum values.
• Precedence: Admin-required servers override local configs and coexist with allowlisted servers.

Tests Added

• 10 new tests in mcpUtils.test.ts covering injection, overrides, auth preservation, tool filtering, trust defaults, and coexistence with allowlisted servers.
• 3 new tests in admin_controls.test.ts for requiredMcpServers parsing, tool list sorting, and required-only configs.
• 1 new test in settings.test.ts for requiredMcpConfig mapping through setRemoteAdminSettings.
• Fixed type in list.test.ts test fixture.

Verification

• Follow go/cli-ge-ag-tests to test changes e2e.

---

Fixes https://github.com/google-gemini/maintainers-gemini-cli/issues/1586

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request introduces a significant feature that empowers enterprise administrators to enforce specific MCP server configurations across their organization. By allowing administrators to define 'required' servers, the system ensures that these critical services are always available to users, overriding any conflicting local settings and preventing user-side disabling. This enhancement provides a robust mechanism for centralized control over the MCP server landscape, improving compliance and consistency within managed environments.

Highlights

• Admin-Forced MCP Server Installations: Introduced the capability for enterprise administrators to force specific MCP server installations, which are always injected and cannot be disabled by users.
• New Configuration Schema: Defined RequiredMcpServerConfigSchema (Zod schema) for admin-required servers, focusing on remote transport fields, and updated McpConfigDefinitionSchema and AdminControlsSettingsSchema to include requiredMcpServers and requiredMcpConfig.
• Core Logic for Server Injection: Added the applyRequiredServers() function which converts RequiredMcpServerConfig to MCPServerConfig, defaults trust to true, and completely overrides any local configuration with the same server name.
• CLI Integration: The CLI now calls applyRequiredServers() after applyAdminAllowlist() to inject admin-required servers and maps requiredMcpConfig from admin settings to settings.admin.mcp.requiredConfig.
• Design Decisions: Key design choices include using a separate field (requiredMcpServers) for backward compatibility, restricting the schema to remote-only fields, leveraging z.nativeEnum for consistency, and ensuring admin-required servers take precedence over local configurations.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

The pull request introduces support for admin-forced MCP server installations, allowing enterprise administrators to inject specific MCP server configurations that override local user settings. The changes are well-tested with new unit tests covering various scenarios, including injection, overrides, and tool filtering. The implementation correctly handles the precedence of admin-required servers and ensures proper logging of injected servers. The use of z.nativeEnum(AuthProviderType) in packages/core/src/code_assist/types.ts aligns with the stated design decision for a single source of truth for enum values.

_{Note: Security Review did not run due to the size of the PR.}

[adamfweidman]

LGTM w a few questions