Files
claude-mem/docs/installation.mdx
T
Alex Newman 8b4c962e62 Add initial documentation for Claude-Mem plugin
- Created docs structure including introduction, installation, troubleshooting, and usage guides.
- Added detailed installation instructions with quick start and advanced options.
- Documented the automatic operation of Claude-Mem and its session management features.
- Introduced MCP search tools with usage examples and query strategies.
- Provided troubleshooting steps for common issues related to worker service, hooks, database, and search tools.
- Included system requirements and upgrade notes for transitioning from v3.x to v4.0.0.
2025-10-24 18:04:03 -04:00

114 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext

---
title: "Installation"
description: "Install Claude-Mem plugin for persistent memory across sessions"
---
# Installation Guide
## Quick Start
Install Claude-Mem directly from the plugin marketplace:
```bash
/plugin marketplace add thedotmack/claude-mem
/plugin install claude-mem
```
That's it! The plugin will automatically:
- Download prebuilt binaries (no compilation needed)
- Install all dependencies (including PM2 and SQLite binaries)
- Configure hooks for session lifecycle management
- Set up the MCP search server
- Auto-start the worker service on first session
Start a new Claude Code session and you'll see context from previous sessions automatically loaded.
## System Requirements
- **Node.js**: 18.0.0 or higher
- **Claude Code**: Latest version with plugin support
- **PM2**: Process manager (bundled with plugin - no global install required)
- **SQLite 3**: For persistent storage (bundled)
## Advanced Installation
For development or testing, you can clone and build from source:
### Clone and Build
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem.git
cd claude-mem
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Build hooks and worker service
npm run build
# Worker service will auto-start on first Claude Code session
# Or manually start with:
npm run worker:start
# Verify worker is running
npm run worker:status
```
### Post-Installation Verification
#### 1. Automatic Dependency Installation
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.
#### 2. Verify Plugin Installation
Check that hooks are configured in Claude Code:
```bash
cat plugin/hooks/hooks.json
```
#### 3. Data Directory Location
v4.0.0+ stores data in `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/data/`:
- Database: `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/data/claude-mem.db`
- Worker port file: `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/data/worker.port`
- Logs: `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/data/logs/`
For development/testing, you can override:
```bash
export CLAUDE_MEM_DATA_DIR=/custom/path
```
#### 4. Check Worker Logs
```bash
npm run worker:logs
```
#### 5. Test Context Retrieval
```bash
npm run test:context
```
## Upgrading from v3.x
**BREAKING CHANGES - Please Read:**
v4.0.0 introduces breaking changes:
- **Data Location Changed**: Database moved from `~/.claude-mem/` to `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/data/` (inside plugin directory)
- **Fresh Start Required**: No automatic migration from v3.x. You must start with a clean database
- **Worker Auto-Starts**: Worker service now starts automatically - no manual `npm run worker:start` needed
- **MCP Search Server**: 7 new search tools with full-text search and citations
- **Enhanced Architecture**: Improved plugin integration and data organization
See [CHANGELOG](https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) for complete details.
## Next Steps
- [Getting Started Guide](usage/getting-started) - Learn how Claude-Mem works automatically
- [MCP Search Tools](usage/search-tools) - Query your project history
- [Configuration](configuration) - Customize Claude-Mem behavior