Burnside

A TypeScript LLM provider adapter that provides a unified interface to multiple LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI) with Model Context Protocol (MCP) support. Designed for Desktop (Electron Main/Renderer), Mobile (React Native), and API (Node.js) platforms.

Key Features

• Unified LLM Interface: Single API for multiple providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI)
• MCP Integration: Full Model Context Protocol support with both HTTP and STDIO transports
• Cross-Platform: Works across Node.js, Electron (Main/Renderer), and React Native
• Streaming Support: Real-time response streaming from all providers
• TypeScript: Fully typed with comprehensive type safety

Installation

Node.js / Electron Main

npm install @langadventurellc/burnside

React Native

React Native requires an additional peer dependency for Server-Sent Events (SSE) streaming support:

npm install @langadventurellc/burnside react-native-sse

Electron Renderer

For Electron renderer processes, no additional dependencies are required beyond the base installation:

npm install @langadventurellc/burnside

Platform Support & MCP Capabilities

| Platform | HTTP Requests | Streaming (SSE) | MCP HTTP | MCP STDIO | | ----------------- | ------------- | --------------- | -------- | --------- | | Node.js | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Electron Main | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Electron Renderer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | React Native | ✅ | ✅* | ✅ | ❌ |

*Requires react-native-sse peer dependency

MCP Transport Differences

STDIO MCP Support: Only available in Node.js and Electron Main processes due to the need for child process spawning and standard I/O access. This is the key differentiator between platforms.

HTTP MCP Support: Available across all platforms as it only requires standard HTTP capabilities.

React Native Setup

Why react-native-sse is required

React Native doesn't have native support for Server-Sent Events (SSE), which are essential for streaming responses from LLM providers. The react-native-sse library provides this functionality, enabling real-time streaming of LLM responses in React Native applications.

Installation Steps for React Native

1. Install both packages:

   npm install @langadventurellc/burnside react-native-sse

2. For React Native 0.60 and above, no additional linking is required as react-native-sse is a JavaScript-only library.

3. Verify installation by importing the library:

   import { Burnside } from "@langadventurellc/burnside";

Version Compatibility

• react-native-sse: ^1.2.1 (latest available version)
• React Native: 0.64+ (supported due to JavaScript-only implementation)
• Node.js: 18.0.0+ (for development and Electron main process)

Troubleshooting

React Native Issues

Missing react-native-sse dependency:

Error: Cannot resolve module 'react-native-sse'

Solution: Install the peer dependency: npm install react-native-sse

Streaming not working: Ensure you have installed react-native-sse and that your React Native version is 0.64 or higher.

Peer dependency warnings: These warnings are expected and do not affect functionality. The warnings remind you that react-native-sse is required for React Native streaming support.

MCP Issues

STDIO MCP not working in React Native/Electron Renderer: This is expected behavior. STDIO MCP requires Node.js child process capabilities that are only available in Node.js and Electron Main processes. Use HTTP MCP transport instead.