Glucksberg
8287ad960a
Users may assume `npm install -g claude-mem` sets up the full plugin, but it only installs the SDK/library. Added a note to both the README and the installation guide making this distinction explicit. Co-authored-by: Markus <glucksberg89@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
117 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
117 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
---
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title: "Installation"
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description: "Install Claude-Mem plugin for persistent memory across sessions"
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---
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# Installation Guide
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## Quick Start
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Install Claude-Mem directly from the plugin marketplace:
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```bash
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/plugin marketplace add thedotmack/claude-mem
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/plugin install claude-mem
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```
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That's it! The plugin will automatically:
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- Download prebuilt binaries (no compilation needed)
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- Install all dependencies (including SQLite binaries)
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- Configure hooks for session lifecycle management
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- Auto-start the worker service on first session
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Start a new Claude Code session and you'll see context from previous sessions automatically loaded.
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> **Important:** Claude-Mem is published on npm, but running `npm install -g claude-mem` installs the
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> **SDK/library only**. It does **not** register plugin hooks or start the worker service.
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> To use Claude-Mem as a persistent memory plugin, always install via the `/plugin` commands above.
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## System Requirements
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- **Node.js**: 18.0.0 or higher
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- **Claude Code**: Latest version with plugin support
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- **Bun**: JavaScript runtime and process manager (auto-installed if missing)
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- **SQLite 3**: For persistent storage (bundled)
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## Advanced Installation
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For development or testing, you can clone and build from source:
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### Clone and Build
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```bash
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# Clone the repository
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git clone https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem.git
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cd claude-mem
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# Install dependencies
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npm install
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# Build hooks and worker service
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npm run build
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# Worker service will auto-start on first Claude Code session
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# Or manually start with:
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npm run worker:start
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# Verify worker is running
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npm run worker:status
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```
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### Post-Installation Verification
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#### 1. Automatic Dependency Installation
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Dependencies are installed automatically during plugin installation. The SessionStart hook also ensures dependencies are up-to-date on each session start (this is fast and idempotent). Works cross-platform on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
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#### 2. Verify Plugin Installation
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Check that hooks are configured in Claude Code:
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```bash
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cat plugin/hooks/hooks.json
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```
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#### 3. Data Directory Location
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Data is stored in `~/.claude-mem/`:
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- Database: `~/.claude-mem/claude-mem.db`
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- PID file: `~/.claude-mem/.worker.pid`
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- Port file: `~/.claude-mem/.worker.port`
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- Logs: `~/.claude-mem/logs/worker-YYYY-MM-DD.log`
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- Settings: `~/.claude-mem/settings.json`
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Override with environment variable:
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```bash
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export CLAUDE_MEM_DATA_DIR=/custom/path
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```
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#### 4. Check Worker Logs
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```bash
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npm run worker:logs
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```
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#### 5. Test Context Retrieval
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```bash
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npm run test:context
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```
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## Upgrading
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Upgrades are automatic when updating via the plugin marketplace. Key changes in recent versions:
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**v7.1.0**: PM2 replaced with native Bun process management. Migration is automatic on first hook trigger.
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**v7.0.0+**: 11 configuration settings, dual-tag privacy system.
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**v5.4.0+**: Skill-based search replaces MCP tools, saving ~2,250 tokens per session.
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See [CHANGELOG](https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) for complete version history.
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## Next Steps
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- [Getting Started Guide](usage/getting-started) - Learn how Claude-Mem works automatically
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- [MCP Search Tools](usage/search-tools) - Query your project history
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- [Configuration](configuration) - Customize Claude-Mem behavior
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