This project is for creating a simple library and MCP server for handling Redmine, particularly for when Redmine is being used for customer service/support.

This is a private project for now, as it pertains to an installation of Redmine 3.4.4-stable used by LDR, which also uses some outdated plugins. Notably, the outdated pluggins in use are both from Redmine Up (contacts, helpdesk/crm).

This is about creating the basic tools that an agent would need in order to interact with and automate LDR's redmine communications. Some of the functionality will extend beyond Redmine.

## Notable issues to be aware of

Projects which have the modules "contacts" or "contacts_helpdesk" enabled have the Helpdesk plugins enabled. That means a few things:

The regular API call to fetch an issue will not necessarily return the helpdesk information. Instead, it may claim that the issue's author or journals were created by "anonymous". When getting these issues, we need to use a different way to handle it.

The project in /home/iadnah/redmine/ is related to this problem.

## Client shape

`RedMCP\RedmineClient` wraps the normal Redmine REST client and composes
Helpdesk context in application logic instead of modifying Redmine's core issue
API.

```php
$client = RedMCP\RedmineClient::fromCredentials('http://192.168.50.170', $apiKey);
$context = $client->issueWithHelpdesk(39858);
```

The returned array has:

- `issue`: the normal `/issues/:id.json` response
- `helpdesk.ticket`: metadata from `/helpdesk_search/issues/:id/ticket`, or
  `null`
- `helpdesk.journal_messages`: metadata from
  `/helpdesk_search/issues/:id/messages`

Basic issue CRUD is exposed on the same wrapper:

```php
$issues = $client->issues(['project_id' => 'customer-service', 'status_id' => 'open', 'limit' => 10]);
$filtered = $client->filterIssues(['query_id' => 12, 'limit' => 25]);
$issue = $client->issue(39858);

$created = $client->createIssue([
    'project_id' => 78,
    'subject' => 'Example issue from redMCP',
    'description' => 'Created through the Redmine REST API wrapper.',
]);

$client->updateIssue((int) $created['id'], ['notes' => 'Follow-up note']);
$client->deleteIssue((int) $created['id']);
```

Native Redmine search is exposed separately from issue filtering. Use
`filterIssues()` or `issues()` when you already know the structured filters.
Use `search()` or `searchIssues()` when you want Redmine's built-in text search:

```php
$results = $client->search('power supply', [
    'all_words' => '1',
    'limit' => 10,
]);

$issueResults = $client->searchIssues('power supply', [
    'project_id' => 'customer-service',
    'open_issues' => '1',
    'limit' => 10,
]);
```

MCP list tools also accept friendly top-level query options so callers do not
need to know Redmine's raw parameter syntax. These are normalized into Redmine
params before the request is sent:

```json
{
  "name": "redmine_list_issues",
  "arguments": {
    "project_id": "customer-service",
    "status": "open",
    "updated": "last 7 days",
    "sort": "newest",
    "limit": 25
  }
}
```

Friendly paging uses `limit`, `page`, and `offset`; the default limit is 25 and
the maximum is 100. Sort shortcuts include `newest`, `recent`, `oldest`,
`created_newest`, `created_oldest`, and `priority`. Issue date filters accept
exact dates, ranges such as `2026-04-01..2026-04-25`, objects with `from`/`to`,
phrases such as `since 2026-04-01`, and common presets such as `today`,
`yesterday`, `last 7 days`, `this_week`, and `last_month`. Raw `filters` or
`params` remain available and override friendly fields on conflict.

Project and user discovery is read-only:

```php
$projects = $client->projects(['limit' => 25]);
$project = $client->project('fud-helpdesk', ['include' => 'trackers,enabled_modules']);
$members = $client->projectMemberships('fud-helpdesk');

$users = $client->users(['status' => 1, 'limit' => 25]);
$user = $client->user(1, ['include' => 'memberships,groups']);
```

`updateIssue()` is intentionally safe by default: on Helpdesk-backed issues, a
normal Redmine note does **not** send an email to the customer. To send through
the Helpdesk plugin, opt in explicitly:

```php
$client->updateIssue(39858, [
    'notes' => 'Customer-visible response.',
], [
    'send_helpdesk_email' => true,
]);

// Equivalent explicit form:
$client->sendHelpdeskIssueResponse(39858, 'Customer-visible response.');
```

Use the default non-email update for internal notes, status/category/assignee
changes, and automation cleanup. Use the Helpdesk email path only when the
caller deliberately wants the customer to receive mail.

## MCP server

`redMCP` can run as either a stdio MCP server or a network MCP server. It reads
Redmine credentials from environment variables or `redMCP/.env`.

```sh
redMCP/bin/redmcp-server.php
```

For local network testing, run the Streamable HTTP server:

```sh
MCP_SERVER_TOKEN=test-token redMCP/bin/redmcp-http-server.php --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8765
```

Generate a bearer token with:

```sh
redMCP/bin/generate-bearer-token.php --env-line
```

The network endpoint defaults to `/mcp` and requires:

```text
Authorization: Bearer <MCP_SERVER_TOKEN>
```

Example Streamable HTTP request:

```sh
curl -sS \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer test-token' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list","params":{}}'
```

HTTP server process helpers:

```sh
redMCP/bin/redmcp-http-server.php --status
redMCP/bin/redmcp-http-server.php --stop
redMCP/bin/redmcp-http-server.php --pid-file /tmp/redmcp-http-server.pid --status
```

The default PID file is `/tmp/redmcp-http-server.pid`. A second server start
fails if the PID file points to a live process. Use `--force` only to replace a
stale PID file.

Debug logging is disabled by default. To record full MCP params/tool arguments
as JSONL during local testing:

```sh
MCP_SERVER_TOKEN=test-token redMCP/bin/redmcp-http-server.php \
  --debug-log /tmp/redmcp-mcp.log
```

Debug logs may include customer text, issue notes, search terms, email content,
and IDs. Authorization headers, bearer tokens, and Redmine API keys are not
logged. MCP tool output also redacts credential fields returned by Redmine, such
as `api_key`.

Example stdio client configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "redmcp": {
      "command": "/home/iadnah/redmine/redMCP/bin/redmcp-server.php"
    }
  }
}
```

Both transports expose tools for native Redmine project listing/detail, project
memberships, users, filtering/search, issue CRUD, Helpdesk-aware issue reads,
and explicit Helpdesk email responses. Tools that can send customer-visible mail
require an explicit tool call such as `redmine_send_helpdesk_response` or
`redmine_update_issue` with `send_helpdesk_email=true`.

Run the local no-network query normalizer checks with:

```sh
php redMCP/bin/test-query-normalizer.php
```

## Test instance

A working test copy of Redmine is available on the LAN at `192.168.50.170`.
The related Redmine plugin forks, helper scripts, and operational docs live in
the parent repository.