MCP server

This server allows you to connect your preferred Large Language Model (LLM) to SUSE Application Collection. With this integration, you will be able to ask a model to help you write a new Dockerfile, migrate an application, or design a Helm chart.

Server overview

These are the general server details, which you might need when plugging it to any AI agent:

Server URL: https://mcp.apps.rancher.io
Server transport: HTTP
Additional headers:
- Authorization: Basic ... (Base64 encoded username:api-token)

Authentication

The server requires basic authentication. Make sure you already have a SUSE Application Collection account before proceeding. To generate the Authorization header named above, encode to Base64 the string <username>:<api-token>, where:

<username>: is your SUSE Application Collection username.
<api-token>: is an API token you can generate from your account settings.

VS Code GitHub Copilot

In this section we will walk you through the steps needed to connect GitHub Copilot to the MCP server in VS Code.

Setup Copilot in VS Code

Follow these steps from Microsoft to install and setup GitHub Copilot in your VS Code.

Configure the server

Open Command Palette (macOS: Cmd + Shift + P , Linux/Windows: Ctrl + Shift + P ) and write MCP: Open User Configuration. This will open the MCP configuration file. Then add the following server configuration:

mcp.json


{
  "servers": {
    "application-collection": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.apps.rancher.io",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Basic <base64_encoded_auth_string>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Enable the server

Some links will appear right on top of the MCP server name. Just click on Start and it will be available to the Copilot agent.

Try it out

It’s time to test that everything is working as expected.

Let’s create a new Dockerfile for a Node.js app:

Dockerfile


FROM node:24-slim AS runner
 
WORKDIR /app
 
ENV NODE_ENV production
 
COPY /app/dist .
COPY /app/node_modules node_modules
 
EXPOSE 3000
 
ENV PORT 3000
 
ENTRYPOINT node index.js

Now open up the Copilot chat (secondary side bar) and ask Copilot to update this file to use the latest version of Node offered by Application Collection. It will automatically connect to the MCP server and get the necessary information to complete your request. You can use this prompt:

Update this file to use the latest version of Node offered by Application Collection

Copilot chat example

Make sure you select Agent mode in the chat prompt.
The agent will ask for permission to use the server tools, accept them.
(Optional) Add the Dockerfile to the chat context to bound the agent scope.
Results may vary depending on the LLM model, the model response, and the latest version of Node.js offered at the time of your request.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. You can ask Copilot to update a more complex Dockerfile, create a whole Helm chart, or even migrate a deployed application.