Add TOOLHIVE_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK env var to disable update checks (#5264)

* Add TOOLHIVE_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK env var to disable update checks

ShouldSkipUpdateChecks() previously detected only CI environments via a
fixed list of well-known CI env vars. There was no clean way for a user
or downstream distribution to disable update checks in a non-CI runtime
such as the operator.

Add TOOLHIVE_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK as an explicit opt-out env var. When set
to "true" (case-insensitive), ShouldSkipUpdateChecks() returns true,
which skips update checks from the CLI, the API server middleware, and
the operator telemetry service. Update-derived usage metrics are also
skipped, since usagemetrics.shouldEnableMetrics gates on the same
function -- this is the intended coupling.

* Address review: test, regroup const, document in operator chart

- Add TestShouldSkipUpdateChecks_SkipEnvVar covering true / TRUE / unset
  / false / unrecognized values. Clears CI env vars via t.Setenv so the
  opt-out path is exercised regardless of how the test binary is run.
- Move EnvVarSkipUpdateCheck next to ciEnvVars so all "things that
  decide skip" live together. Expand the doc comment to spell out the
  usage-metrics coupling.
- Document the env var on the operator chart's `operator.env` field so
  it is discoverable from values.yaml and the auto-generated chart
  README. Run helm-docs.

Author: lujunsan

deploy/charts/operator/README.md

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ The command removes all the Kubernetes components associated with the chart and
 | operator.autoscaling.targetCPUUtilizationPercentage | int | `80` | Target CPU utilization percentage for autoscaling |
 | operator.containerSecurityContext | object | `{"allowPrivilegeEscalation":false,"capabilities":{"drop":["ALL"]},"readOnlyRootFilesystem":true,"runAsNonRoot":true,"runAsUser":1000,"seccompProfile":{"type":"RuntimeDefault"}}` | Container security context settings for the operator |
 | operator.defaultImagePullSecrets | list | `[]` | List of image pull secrets that the operator applies as defaults to every workload it spawns (proxy runners, vMCP servers, registry API, etc.). Per-CR `imagePullSecrets` take precedence on name collisions; chart-level entries are appended additively. The operator parses these once at startup from the TOOLHIVE_DEFAULT_IMAGE_PULL_SECRETS environment variable. The Secrets must exist in the namespace where each workload is created.  Each entry may be either a plain string (the Secret name) or an object with a `name` field, e.g.:   defaultImagePullSecrets:     - regcred     - name: otherscred The two shapes are equivalent; the object form matches `operator.imagePullSecrets` above for convenience. |
-| operator.env | list | `[]` | Environment variables to set in the operator container |
+| operator.env | list | `[]` | Environment variables to set in the operator container. Supported toolhive-specific variables include: - TOOLHIVE_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK: set to "true" to disable the operator's   periodic update check against the ToolHive update API. Also disables   the usage-metrics collection that is gated on the same check. |
 | operator.features.experimental | bool | `false` | Enable experimental features |
 | operator.features.registry | bool | `true` | Enable registry controller (MCPRegistry). This automatically sets ENABLE_REGISTRY environment variable. |
 | operator.features.server | bool | `true` | Enable server-related controllers (MCPServer, MCPExternalAuthConfig, MCPRemoteProxy, and ToolConfig). This automatically sets ENABLE_SERVER environment variable. |

deploy/charts/operator/values.yaml

@@ -55,7 +55,11 @@ operator:
   # -- Host for the proxy deployed by the operator
   proxyHost: 0.0.0.0
 
-  # -- Environment variables to set in the operator container
+  # -- Environment variables to set in the operator container. Supported
+  # toolhive-specific variables include:
+  # - TOOLHIVE_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK: set to "true" to disable the operator's
+  #   periodic update check against the ToolHive update API. Also disables
+  #   the usage-metrics collection that is gated on the same check.
   env: []
 
   # -- List of ports to expose from the operator container

pkg/updates/client.go

@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ const (
 	buildTypeLocalBuild = "local_build"
 )
 
+// EnvVarSkipUpdateCheck disables update checks when set to "true"
+// (case-insensitive). Disabling update checks also disables update-derived
+// usage metrics, because usagemetrics.ShouldEnableMetrics gates on
+// ShouldSkipUpdateChecks.
+const EnvVarSkipUpdateCheck = "TOOLHIVE_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK"
+
 // ciEnvVars contains environment variables that indicate CI environments
 var ciEnvVars = []string{
 	"GITHUB_ACTIONS",
@@ -153,8 +159,12 @@ func (d *defaultVersionClient) GetComponent() string {
 }
 
 // ShouldSkipUpdateChecks returns true if update checks should be skipped.
-// This includes CI environments and other scenarios where automated update checking is undesirable.
+// This includes CI environments, an explicit opt-out via TOOLHIVE_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK,
+// and other scenarios where automated update checking is undesirable.
 func ShouldSkipUpdateChecks() bool {
+	if strings.EqualFold(os.Getenv(EnvVarSkipUpdateCheck), "true") {
+		return true
+	}
 	// Check if running in any known CI environment
 	for _, envVar := range ciEnvVars {
 		if os.Getenv(envVar) != "" {

pkg/updates/client_test.go

@@ -67,3 +67,31 @@ func TestNewVersionClientForComponent(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestShouldSkipUpdateChecks_SkipEnvVar(t *testing.T) {
+	// Not parallel: mutates process environment via t.Setenv, including the
+	// CI variables that other tests in this binary may also rely on.
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		value   string
+		wantSet bool
+	}{
+		{name: "unset", value: "", wantSet: false},
+		{name: "true", value: "true", wantSet: true},
+		{name: "TRUE uppercase", value: "TRUE", wantSet: true},
+		{name: "false does not skip", value: "false", wantSet: false},
+		{name: "unrecognized value does not skip", value: "maybe", wantSet: false},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Clear CI vars so the opt-out path is exercised in isolation,
+			// independent of whether the test runs under GitHub Actions.
+			for _, v := range ciEnvVars {
+				t.Setenv(v, "")
+			}
+			t.Setenv(EnvVarSkipUpdateCheck, tt.value)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantSet, ShouldSkipUpdateChecks())
+		})
+	}
+}