# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Env var interpolation in portable MCP plugin configs

## Open now

- 1 issue, 2 PRs open on GitHub.
- #120526: Portable plugin mcp.json \`${VAR}\` env placeholders are not interpolated by the loader
- PR #120539: fix(plugins): interpolate portable MCP server placeholders
- PR #120979: fix(mcp): interpolate env placeholders in portable plugin mcp servers

These issues and PRs concern a bug where \`${VAR}\` environment variable placeholders in portable plugin MCP server configurations are not expanded by the loader. Multiple fix attempts address interpolation of these placeholders at load time.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 2 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- No fix has been merged to main; one or more PRs were attempted (see below).
- **Recommended:** review the prior/competing PR(s) below. A fix was attempted but not merged; your case may extend or revive that work.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.50`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Open related issues

- #120526: Portable plugin mcp.json \`${VAR}\` env placeholders are not interpolated by the loader

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#120539: fix(plugins): interpolate portable MCP server placeholders**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#120678`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_mcp_tool.py`, `tools/mcp_tool_config.py`
- **#120678: fix(mcp): interpolate env vars in portable plugin servers**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#120539`, `#120539`
- **#120979: fix(mcp): interpolate env placeholders in portable plugin mcp servers**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_mcp_portable_env.py`, `tools/mcp_tool_config.py`

## Fix status

- No merged fix on record.
- Subsystem: `mcp`