APaper tools

Academic paper-authoring tools for Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode, distributed as standard MCP configuration and Agent Skills. One install.sh installs the tools into a repository you choose.

| Tool | Purpose | | --- | --- | | apaper-mcp | Paper research and literature search through MCP. | | writing | Revise academic prose, with IEEE journal, LaTeX, and theorem-statement guidance. | | creating-figures | Publication-quality TikZ and CeTZ figures, including examples and rendering guidance. |

The skills are sourced from isomoes/skills.

Install

The installer requires Node.js 20+, npm, Bash, curl, and tar (Linux, macOS, or WSL). The target repository directory must already exist. Running the MCP server requires uv/uvx and Python 3.12+. Download and run the installer directly:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ai4paper/apaper-plugin/main/install.sh -o /tmp/apaper-install.sh
bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh

Choose Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, or all three, then choose all components, skills only, or MCPs only and enter the repository path. Multiple client names or numbers can be separated by commas. Press Enter at each prompt to install all components for Codex in the current working directory.

Or install into a specific repository in one command:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ai4paper/apaper-plugin/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --repo /path/to/paper

Select just the clients you need with the downloaded script:

bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh --client claude-code --repo /path/to/paper
bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh --client codex --repo /path/to/paper
bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh --client opencode --repo /path/to/paper
bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh --client claude-code,codex --repo "/path/to/my paper"

claude and claudecode are aliases for claude-code. You can also repeat --client. The default client is codex; --client all selects all three clients. Use --only to select which components to install (default: all):

bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh --repo /path/to/paper --only skills
bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh --repo /path/to/paper --only mcps

These choices work with any selected clients. Skills-only installs copy the skills; MCPs-only installs configure the MCP server. Non-interactive runs require --repo. Run bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh --help for usage. Piping the script without options also supports the interactive picker when a terminal is available.

The standalone script downloads a GitHub source archive and installs its parser dependencies into a temporary folder, then removes that folder on exit. No clone is needed, and no npm dependencies are added to your paper repo. Downloads use main by default; set APAPER_REF to a branch, tag, or commit to select a version:

APAPER_REF=<tag-or-commit> bash /tmp/apaper-install.sh --client codex --repo /path/to/paper

Choose a revision containing the new installer. These online commands become available after this change is pushed to main; earlier tags contain the legacy DSH plugin. A complete local checkout still supports ./install.sh and uses its own files, installing parser dependencies into that checkout when needed.

The client launches the maintained Python MCP server on demand with uvx apaper-mcp; first use requires access to PyPI. Make sure uvx is on the client's PATH. Node.js/npm are used for this toolkit's installer. For IACR PDF downloads, upstream also requires Chromium on PATH or Scrapling's browser runtime (uvx --from 'scrapling[fetchers]' scrapling install). Upstream recommends 15-minute OpenCode timeouts for those browser-assisted downloads; see its runtime and MCP setup instructions. Figure compilation needs the relevant LaTeX or Typst tools described in the skill.

The npm distribution also exposes the same installer as apaper-install:

npx -y --package @ai4paper/apaper-plugin apaper-install --client codex --repo /path/to/paper

This npm command becomes available once a release containing the new installer is published; earlier releases contain the legacy DSH plugin.

Files installed

All paths are relative to the selected repository:

| Client | MCP config | Skills | | --- | --- | --- | | Claude Code | .mcp.json | .claude/skills/{writing,creating-figures}/ | | Codex | .codex/config.toml | .agents/skills/{writing,creating-figures}/ | | OpenCode | opencode.json (or existing opencode.jsonc) | .agents/skills/{writing,creating-figures}/ |

Codex and OpenCode share the standard .agents/skills directory. Each skill is copied with all reference files and examples, so the installed tools remain usable after moving or removing the toolkit checkout. Global client settings are untouched.

The installer adds the apaper-mcp entry while keeping other servers and settings. The previous default npx -y @ai4paper/apaper-mcp launcher is migrated to uvx apaper-mcp, preserving environment variables and other server settings. Other existing launch commands, including pinned versions, are left as configured. JSONC comments and normal TOML formatting are preserved. Migrating an old Codex launcher reserializes its TOML; the original formatting/comments remain in the backup. If Codex uses an inline mcp_servers table that cannot be extended, the installer reserializes the TOML and reports that its formatting/comments changed; the original is backed up.

Re-running updates packaged skill files and leaves unrelated files intact. Before overwriting any changed file, the installer saves its original under .apaper-backups/<unique-install-id>/, retaining its relative path. Identical files are skipped. Backups may contain the same credentials as the original configs. Invalid configs, ambiguous OpenCode configs (both JSON and JSONC present), and symlink destinations are rejected before target files are changed.

Restart the client in your paper repository after installation. Claude Code may ask for project MCP approval; Codex loads project MCP config only for trusted repositories. Review the client's MCP list and skill list to confirm discovery.

These locations and formats follow the official documentation: Claude Code MCP, Claude Code skills, Codex MCP, Codex skills, OpenCode MCP, and OpenCode skills.

Manual installation and other clients

mcp/ contains ready-to-merge client configuration examples. Copy the two folders under skills/ into your client's supported skill directory, keeping each folder's SKILL.md and supporting files together. Any client supporting stdio MCP can launch uvx with arguments ["apaper-mcp"].

This replaces the native DeepSeek Harness/Cordis packaging. The ./dsh export, DSH preset, and DSH runtime dependency are no longer shipped. Existing DSH users can keep their previous release or configure the MCP server and skills through their client's supported interfaces; install.sh targets the three clients above.

To remove an installation, delete only the apaper-mcp entry and the two copied skill directories from the paths above. Shared .agents/skills serve both Codex and OpenCode. Restore any locally customized files from .apaper-backups as needed.

Development and publishing

Use Node.js 24+ for the TypeScript tests:

npm ci
npm run typecheck
npm test
npm run pack:check

The npm package ships the installer, MCP templates, and skills. Release publishing uses npm trusted publishing through GitHub OIDC. See prompt/release.md for the release process.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.