* feat: Switch to persistent Chroma HTTP server Replace MCP subprocess approach with persistent Chroma HTTP server for improved performance and reliability. This re-enables Chroma on Windows by eliminating the subprocess spawning that caused console popups. Changes: - NEW: ChromaServerManager.ts - Manages local Chroma server lifecycle via `npx chroma run` - REFACTOR: ChromaSync.ts - Uses chromadb npm package's ChromaClient instead of MCP subprocess (removes Windows disabling) - UPDATE: worker-service.ts - Starts Chroma server on initialization - UPDATE: GracefulShutdown.ts - Stops Chroma server on shutdown - UPDATE: SettingsDefaultsManager.ts - New Chroma configuration options - UPDATE: build-hooks.js - Mark optional chromadb deps as external Benefits: - Eliminates subprocess spawn latency on first query - Single server process instead of per-operation subprocesses - No Python/uvx dependency for local mode - Re-enables Chroma vector search on Windows - Future-ready for cloud-hosted Chroma (claude-mem pro) - Cross-platform: Linux, macOS, Windows Configuration: CLAUDE_MEM_CHROMA_MODE=local|remote CLAUDE_MEM_CHROMA_HOST=127.0.0.1 CLAUDE_MEM_CHROMA_PORT=8000 CLAUDE_MEM_CHROMA_SSL=false Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> * fix: Use chromadb v3.2.2 with v2 API heartbeat endpoint - Updated chromadb from ^1.9.2 to ^3.2.2 (includes CLI binary) - Changed heartbeat endpoint from /api/v1 to /api/v2 The 1.9.x version did not include the CLI, causing `npx chroma run` to fail. Version 3.2.2 includes the chroma CLI and uses the v2 API. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: Add DefaultEmbeddingFunction for local vector embeddings - Added @chroma-core/default-embed dependency for local embeddings - Updated ChromaSync to use DefaultEmbeddingFunction with collections - Added isServerReachable() async method for reliable server detection - Fixed start() to detect and reuse existing Chroma servers - Updated build script to externalize native ONNX binaries - Added runtime dependency to plugin/package.json The embedding function uses all-MiniLM-L6-v2 model locally via ONNX, eliminating need for external embedding API calls. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> * Update src/services/sync/ChromaServerManager.ts Co-authored-by: greptile-apps[bot] <165735046+greptile-apps[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> * fix: Remove duplicate else block from merge Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: Add multi-tenancy support for claude-mem pro Wire tenant, database, and API key settings into ChromaSync for remote/pro mode. In remote mode: - Passes tenant and database to ChromaClient for data isolation - Adds Authorization header when API key is configured - Logs tenant isolation connection details Local mode unchanged - uses default_tenant without explicit params. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> * fix: add plugin.json to root .claude-plugin directory Claude Code's plugin discovery looks for plugin.json at the marketplace root level in .claude-plugin/, not nested inside plugin/.claude-plugin/. Without this file at the root level, skills and commands are not discovered. This matches the structure of working plugins like claude-research-team. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> * fix: resolve SDK spawn failures and sharp native binary crashes - Strip CLAUDECODE env var from SDK subprocesses to prevent "cannot be launched inside another Claude Code session" error (Claude Code 2.1.42+) - Lazy-load @chroma-core/default-embed to avoid eagerly pulling in sharp native binaries at bundle startup (fixes ERR_DLOPEN_FAILED) - Add stderr capture to SDK spawn for diagnosing future process failures - Exclude lockfiles from marketplace rsync and delete stale lockfiles before npm install to prevent native dep version mismatches Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: scaffold installer package with @clack/prompts and esbuild Sets up the claude-mem-installer project structure with build tooling, placeholder step and utility modules, and verified esbuild bundling. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: implement entry point, welcome screen, and dependency checks Adds TTY guard, styled welcome banner with install mode selection, OS detection utilities, and automated dependency checking/installation for Node.js, git, Bun, and uv. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: implement IDE selection and AI provider configuration Adds multiselect IDE picker (Claude Code, Cursor) and provider configuration with Claude CLI/API, Gemini, and OpenRouter support. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: implement settings configuration wizard and settings file writer Adds interactive settings wizard with default/custom modes, Chroma configuration, and a settings writer that merges with existing settings for upgrade support. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: implement installation execution and worker startup Adds git clone, build, plugin registration (marketplace, cache, settings), and worker startup with health check polling. Fixes TypeScript errors in settings.ts validate callbacks. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: add completion screen and curl|bash bootstrap script Completion screen shows configuration summary and next steps. Bootstrap shell script enables curl -fsSL install.cmem.ai | bash with TTY reconnection for interactive prompts. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * feat: wire up full installer flow in index.ts Connects all steps: welcome → dependency checks → IDE selection → provider config → settings → installation → worker startup → completion. Configure-only mode skips clone/build/worker steps. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * docs: add animated installer implementation plan Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> --------- Co-authored-by: bigphoot <bigphoot@local> Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Co-authored-by: Alexander Knigge <166455923+bigph00t@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: greptile-apps[bot] <165735046+greptile-apps[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: bigphoot <bigphoot@gmail.com>
Official $CMEM Links: Bags.fm • Jupiter • Photon • DEXScreener
Official CA: 2TsmuYUrsctE57VLckZBYEEzdokUF8j8e1GavekWBAGS (on Solana)
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Persistent memory compression system built for Claude Code.
Quick Start • How It Works • Search Tools • Documentation • Configuration • Troubleshooting • License
Claude-Mem seamlessly preserves context across sessions by automatically capturing tool usage observations, generating semantic summaries, and making them available to future sessions. This enables Claude to maintain continuity of knowledge about projects even after sessions end or reconnect.
Quick Start
Start a new Claude Code session in the terminal and enter the following commands:
/plugin marketplace add thedotmack/claude-mem
/plugin install claude-mem
Restart Claude Code. Context from previous sessions will automatically appear in new sessions.
Note: Claude-Mem is also published on npm, but
npm install -g claude-meminstalls the SDK/library only — it does not register the plugin hooks or set up the worker service. To use Claude-Mem as a plugin, always install via the/plugincommands above.
🦞 OpenClaw Gateway
Install claude-mem as a persistent memory plugin on OpenClaw gateways with a single command:
curl -fsSL https://install.cmem.ai/openclaw.sh | bash
The installer handles dependencies, plugin setup, AI provider configuration, worker startup, and optional real-time observation feeds to Telegram, Discord, Slack, and more. See the OpenClaw Integration Guide for details.
Key Features:
- 🧠 Persistent Memory - Context survives across sessions
- 📊 Progressive Disclosure - Layered memory retrieval with token cost visibility
- 🔍 Skill-Based Search - Query your project history with mem-search skill
- 🖥️ Web Viewer UI - Real-time memory stream at http://localhost:37777
- 💻 Claude Desktop Skill - Search memory from Claude Desktop conversations
- 🔒 Privacy Control - Use
<private>tags to exclude sensitive content from storage - ⚙️ Context Configuration - Fine-grained control over what context gets injected
- 🤖 Automatic Operation - No manual intervention required
- 🔗 Citations - Reference past observations with IDs (access via http://localhost:37777/api/observation/{id} or view all in the web viewer at http://localhost:37777)
- 🧪 Beta Channel - Try experimental features like Endless Mode via version switching
Documentation
📚 View Full Documentation - Browse on official website
Getting Started
- Installation Guide - Quick start & advanced installation
- Usage Guide - How Claude-Mem works automatically
- Search Tools - Query your project history with natural language
- Beta Features - Try experimental features like Endless Mode
Best Practices
- Context Engineering - AI agent context optimization principles
- Progressive Disclosure - Philosophy behind Claude-Mem's context priming strategy
Architecture
- Overview - System components & data flow
- Architecture Evolution - The journey from v3 to v5
- Hooks Architecture - How Claude-Mem uses lifecycle hooks
- Hooks Reference - 7 hook scripts explained
- Worker Service - HTTP API & Bun management
- Database - SQLite schema & FTS5 search
- Search Architecture - Hybrid search with Chroma vector database
Configuration & Development
- Configuration - Environment variables & settings
- Development - Building, testing, contributing
- Troubleshooting - Common issues & solutions
How It Works
Core Components:
- 5 Lifecycle Hooks - SessionStart, UserPromptSubmit, PostToolUse, Stop, SessionEnd (6 hook scripts)
- Smart Install - Cached dependency checker (pre-hook script, not a lifecycle hook)
- Worker Service - HTTP API on port 37777 with web viewer UI and 10 search endpoints, managed by Bun
- SQLite Database - Stores sessions, observations, summaries
- mem-search Skill - Natural language queries with progressive disclosure
- Chroma Vector Database - Hybrid semantic + keyword search for intelligent context retrieval
See Architecture Overview for details.
MCP Search Tools
Claude-Mem provides intelligent memory search through 5 MCP tools following a token-efficient 3-layer workflow pattern:
The 3-Layer Workflow:
search- Get compact index with IDs (~50-100 tokens/result)timeline- Get chronological context around interesting resultsget_observations- Fetch full details ONLY for filtered IDs (~500-1,000 tokens/result)
How It Works:
- Claude uses MCP tools to search your memory
- Start with
searchto get an index of results - Use
timelineto see what was happening around specific observations - Use
get_observationsto fetch full details for relevant IDs - Use
save_memoryto manually store important information - ~10x token savings by filtering before fetching details
Available MCP Tools:
search- Search memory index with full-text queries, filters by type/date/projecttimeline- Get chronological context around a specific observation or queryget_observations- Fetch full observation details by IDs (always batch multiple IDs)save_memory- Manually save a memory/observation for semantic search__IMPORTANT- Workflow documentation (always visible to Claude)
Example Usage:
// Step 1: Search for index
search(query="authentication bug", type="bugfix", limit=10)
// Step 2: Review index, identify relevant IDs (e.g., #123, #456)
// Step 3: Fetch full details
get_observations(ids=[123, 456])
// Save important information manually
save_memory(text="API requires auth header X-API-Key", title="API Auth")
See Search Tools Guide for detailed examples.
Beta Features
Claude-Mem offers a beta channel with experimental features like Endless Mode (biomimetic memory architecture for extended sessions). Switch between stable and beta versions from the web viewer UI at http://localhost:37777 → Settings.
See Beta Features Documentation for details on Endless Mode and how to try it.
System Requirements
- Node.js: 18.0.0 or higher
- Claude Code: Latest version with plugin support
- Bun: JavaScript runtime and process manager (auto-installed if missing)
- uv: Python package manager for vector search (auto-installed if missing)
- SQLite 3: For persistent storage (bundled)
Windows Setup Notes
If you see an error like:
npm : The term 'npm' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet
Make sure Node.js and npm are installed and added to your PATH. Download the latest Node.js installer from https://nodejs.org and restart your terminal after installation.
Configuration
Settings are managed in ~/.claude-mem/settings.json (auto-created with defaults on first run). Configure AI model, worker port, data directory, log level, and context injection settings.
See the Configuration Guide for all available settings and examples.
Development
See the Development Guide for build instructions, testing, and contribution workflow.
Troubleshooting
If experiencing issues, describe the problem to Claude and the troubleshoot skill will automatically diagnose and provide fixes.
See the Troubleshooting Guide for common issues and solutions.
Bug Reports
Create comprehensive bug reports with the automated generator:
cd ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/thedotmack
npm run bug-report
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please:
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Make your changes with tests
- Update documentation
- Submit a Pull Request
See Development Guide for contribution workflow.
License
This project is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0).
Copyright (C) 2025 Alex Newman (@thedotmack). All rights reserved.
See the LICENSE file for full details.
What This Means:
- You can use, modify, and distribute this software freely
- If you modify and deploy on a network server, you must make your source code available
- Derivative works must also be licensed under AGPL-3.0
- There is NO WARRANTY for this software
Note on Ragtime: The ragtime/ directory is licensed separately under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. See ragtime/LICENSE for details.
Support
- Documentation: docs/
- Issues: GitHub Issues
- Repository: github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem
- Official X Account: @Claude_Memory
- Official Discord: Join Discord
- Author: Alex Newman (@thedotmack)
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