test(cli): keep delete-note search assertions deterministic

Signed-off-by: phernandez <paul@basicmachines.co>

.agents/skills/adversarial-review/SKILL.md

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+---
+name: adversarial-review
+description: Cross-vendor adversarial code review of the current branch. Two different model families (Claude + Codex/GPT) review the diff independently, then try to refute each other's findings; survivors are reported by confidence. Runs from either Claude Code or Codex. Use when the user asks for an adversarial review, a cross-model / second-opinion review, or wants high-confidence findings before merging. Report-only — never auto-applies fixes.
+license: MIT
+---
+
+# Adversarial code review
+
+Two reviewers from **different model families** — **Claude** and **Codex/GPT** — review the
+same diff independently, then each tries to **refute** the other's findings. A finding's
+confidence comes from whether it survives that cross-examination. This kills the two failure
+modes of solo LLM review: self-ratification (a model won't critique its own work) and
+confident false positives.
+
+## You are the orchestrator — and one of the two reviewers
+
+This skill runs from **either** Claude Code **or** Codex. First, **identify which model
+family you are** (Claude or Codex/GPT). Then:
+
+- **You** are reviewer #1. You review **natively**, in this session, using your own tools.
+- **The other family** is reviewer #2. You invoke it as a **subprocess CLI** for an
+  independent pass: a fresh process, no shared context — that independence is the point.
+
+The CLI for "the other model":
+
+| If you are… | Invoke the other via… |
+|-------------|------------------------|
+| **Claude**  | `codex exec` (GPT)     |
+| **Codex**   | `claude -p` (Claude)   |
+
+Everything else in the flow is symmetric. Resolve the `prompts/` and `schemas/` paths
+below relative to **this skill's own directory** (where this SKILL.md lives).
+
+## Inputs
+
+Two independent, optional inputs:
+
+- `BASE` — the ref to diff against. Default `main`.
+- `SCOPE` — a pathspec to narrow the review (e.g. `src/basic_memory`). Default: none (whole diff).
+
+These are separate: a ref and a pathspec are not interchangeable. Build the **canonical diff
+command** once in preflight and reuse it everywhere below — never re-spell the diff inline
+(the scattered, inconsistent spelling is what broke earlier). Build it as an **argv array**,
+not a string, so a `$SCOPE` containing spaces or glob characters survives intact:
+
+```bash
+BASE="${BASE:-main}"
+DIFF=(git diff "$BASE...HEAD")          # argv array — never a scalar string
+[ -n "$SCOPE" ] && DIFF+=(-- "$SCOPE")  # pathspec stays one argument even with spaces
+DIFF_STR=$(printf '%q ' "${DIFF[@]}")   # shell-quoted rendering, for embedding in a prompt
+```
+
+To **run** it, use `"${DIFF[@]}"` (quoted, no word-splitting). To **embed** it as text inside
+a subprocess prompt, use `$DIFF_STR`.
+
+## Preflight
+
+0. Set `SKILL_DIR` to the directory this SKILL.md lives in. Canonical location is
+   `.agents/skills/adversarial-review` (the shared agent-skills store); Claude Code reaches it
+   via the `.claude/skills/adversarial-review` symlink, Codex via its own skills path. The
+   `prompts/` and `schemas/` subdirs are siblings of this file in every case.
+1. Confirm the *other* model's CLI is on PATH (`codex` if you're Claude, `claude` if you're
+   Codex). If it's missing, tell the user the panel falls back to single-model (which loses
+   the cross-vendor benefit) and ask whether to proceed or stop.
+2. Run `"${DIFF[@]}"`. If it prints nothing, report "nothing to review against $BASE"
+   (mention `$SCOPE` if set) and stop.
+3. `RUN=$(mktemp -d)` — scratch dir for the other model's output. Transient, never committed.
+   No persisted artifacts, no state file.
+
+## Phase 0 — Deterministic gates (before the models)
+
+Models are statistically blind to negation ("never do X"). Enforce mechanical house rules
+with tools, not prompts, and treat hits as high-confidence facts (reported separately from
+model findings):
+
+- `just lint` and `just typecheck` if the diff touches `src/`.
+- Grep the diff for catchable house-rule violations: `getattr(.*,.*,` defaults, bare
+  `except:` / `except Exception: pass`, function-scope imports.
+
+## Phase 1 — Independent review (you + the other model, concurrently)
+
+Both reviewers get the same brief: `prompts/review.md` + the repo's `CLAUDE.md` house rules,
+reviewing the diff from `"${DIFF[@]}"`. Both emit findings matching `schemas/findings.schema.json`.
+
+**Your native pass:** review as yourself, following `prompts/review.md`. Hold your findings
+as that JSON shape.
+
+**The other model's pass** — run, from the repo root, the row that matches you:
+
+Always redirect `codex` stdin from `/dev/null` — if stdin is a pipe (e.g. the call gets
+backgrounded), `codex exec` blocks "Reading additional input from stdin..." and fails.
+
+```bash
+# You are Claude → run Codex:
+codex exec -s read-only \
+  --output-schema "$SKILL_DIR/schemas/findings.schema.json" \
+  -o "$RUN/other_findings.json" \
+  "$(cat "$SKILL_DIR/prompts/review.md")
+
+Review the diff: $DIFF_STR" </dev/null
+
+# You are Codex → run Claude (read-only via plan mode; parse the JSON block it returns):
+claude -p --permission-mode plan --output-format json \
+  "$(cat "$SKILL_DIR/prompts/review.md")
+
+Review the diff: $DIFF_STR
+Return ONLY a JSON object matching this schema:
+$(cat "$SKILL_DIR/schemas/findings.schema.json")" </dev/null > "$RUN/other_raw.json"
+# claude --output-format json output shape varies by CLI version: it may be a JSON ARRAY
+# of event objects, OR a single result object. Normalize before reading: if it's an array,
+# take the element with type=='result'; otherwise use the object as-is. Then read its
+# .result string, strip the ```json fence if present, and parse that.
+# (Verified empirically: the CLI in this environment emits the array form.)
+```
+
+> Runtime note for Codex orchestrating: `claude -p` needs network access, which Codex's
+> default sandbox blocks. Run it from a Codex session whose project is trusted with network
+> allowed (or approve the `claude` call when prompted). Keep Codex's own sandbox on — do not
+> bypass it just to reach the network.
+
+Tag each finding with its origin (`claude` / `codex`).
+
+## Phase 2 — Cross-refute
+
+Each model tries to refute the *other's* findings, per `prompts/refute.md`
+(verdicts match `schemas/verdicts.schema.json`).
+
+- **You** refute the other model's findings natively.
+- **The other model** refutes *your* findings — invoke it again the same way (swap
+  `prompts/review.md` for `prompts/refute.md`, append your findings JSON **and `$DIFF_STR`**
+  so it judges against the right base and scope, and for Codex use
+  `--output-schema "$SKILL_DIR/schemas/verdicts.schema.json"`).
+
+Match verdicts to findings by `id`.
+
+## Phase 3 — Synthesize and report (no auto-fix)
+
+Merge, dedupe (same file + overlapping lines + same root cause = one finding), assign
+confidence from provenance:
+
+- **High** — both models raised it independently, OR one raised it and the other upheld it.
+- **Medium** — one raised it; the other could not refute it but did not independently find it.
+- **Low / contested** — one raised it and the other **refuted** it. Keep it, show both sides,
+  let the human judge. Never silently drop a contested finding.
+- Deterministic-gate hits are reported as facts, separate from the model panel.
+
+Rank by `severity × confidence`. Present a compact table: `severity | confidence | file:line
+| claim | found-by / upheld-or-refuted-by`. Expand the high-confidence ones with `why` and
+any suggested fix.
+
+End by asking which findings, if any, to fix. **Do not edit code until the user picks.**
+Convergence between the models is not correctness — your job is to surface a ranked,
+cross-examined list, not to declare the branch clean.
+
+## Deliberately NOT done
+
+- No loop-until-both-agree (models converge by going silent, not by being right).
+- No persisted artifacts / state machine — the scratch dir is thrown away.
+- No auto-applying fixes.

.agents/skills/adversarial-review/prompts/refute.md

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+# Refute the other reviewer
+
+A different reviewer (a different model family) produced the findings below against the
+same diff under review (the exact `git diff` command is provided with the findings). Your
+job is to try to **refute** each one.
+
+Default to skepticism: assume a finding is wrong until the code proves it right. A finding
+that survives a genuine attempt to disprove it is worth far more than one nobody checked.
+
+For each finding, read the actual code it points at and return a verdict:
+
+- **refuted** — the claim is wrong, the code does not do what the finding says, the case
+  cannot occur, or it is pure style with no correctness impact. Cite the specific code or
+  fact that disproves it.
+- **upheld** — you tried to refute it and could not; the finding is real.
+- **partial** — the underlying issue is real but the finding mis-states the severity or
+  scope. Explain, and set `corrected_severity` if the severity should change.
+
+Do not be agreeable for its own sake, and do not refute for its own sake. Follow the code.
+
+Return ONLY the structured verdicts object conforming to the provided schema. Every
+verdict's `id` must match the `id` of the finding it judges.

.agents/skills/adversarial-review/prompts/review.md

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+# Adversarial reviewer
+
+You are an independent, skeptical code reviewer. Another agent wrote this code; your
+job is to find what is actually wrong with it — not to praise it, not to rubber-stamp it.
+
+You are reviewing a specific diff — the exact `git diff` command to run is provided at the
+end of this prompt by the orchestrator. Run it, then read the changed files in full for
+context, not just the hunks.
+
+## What to look for, in priority order
+
+1. **Correctness** — logic errors, wrong conditions, off-by-one, unhandled `None`,
+   broken async/await, races, resource leaks, incorrect error handling.
+2. **Security** — injection, path traversal, secret leakage, missing authz, unsafe
+   deserialization.
+3. **House rules** (this repo's `CLAUDE.md`/`AGENTS.md` — these are hard rules):
+   - No swallowed exceptions / no silent fallback logic. Code must fail fast.
+   - Imports at the top of the file unless deferral is justified in a comment.
+   - No speculative `getattr(obj, "attr", default)` to paper over unknown attributes.
+   - Repository pattern for data access; MCP tools talk to API routers via the httpx
+     ASGI client, not directly to services.
+   - 100-char lines; full type annotations; async SQLAlchemy 2.0; Pydantic v2.
+   - New code needs tests (coverage stays at 100%).
+4. **Performance** — N+1 queries, work inside hot loops, sync I/O on the async path.
+5. **Maintainability** — only when it materially risks a bug. Do not report pure style.
+
+## Rules of engagement
+
+- Every finding MUST be falsifiable: cite the specific file, line, and the code that
+  triggers it. "This could be cleaner" is not a finding.
+- Do not invent issues to seem thorough. An empty findings list is a valid, good result.
+- Watch your own negation blindness: when a rule says "never do X," check the diff for X
+  explicitly rather than trusting a gestalt impression.
+- Prefer few high-confidence findings over many speculative ones.
+- Assign severity honestly: `critical` = data loss/security/crash in normal use;
+  `high` = wrong behavior on a common path; `medium` = wrong on an edge case or a real
+  house-rule violation; `low` = minor.
+
+Return ONLY the structured findings object conforming to the provided schema.

.agents/skills/adversarial-review/schemas/findings.schema.json

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+{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "title": "AdversarialReviewFindings",
+  "description": "Structured output for one reviewer's pass over a diff.",
+  "type": "object",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "required": ["findings"],
+  "properties": {
+    "findings": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "items": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "required": ["id", "file", "line", "severity", "category", "claim", "why", "suggested_fix"],
+        "properties": {
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Short stable slug for this finding, e.g. 'swallowed-exc-sync-service'."
+          },
+          "file": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Path relative to repo root."
+          },
+          "line": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "Best line number in the new file, or 0 if not line-specific."
+          },
+          "severity": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "enum": ["critical", "high", "medium", "low"]
+          },
+          "category": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "enum": ["correctness", "security", "house-rule", "performance", "maintainability"]
+          },
+          "claim": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "One sentence: what is wrong."
+          },
+          "why": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Concrete reasoning + the specific code that triggers it. Must be falsifiable, not vibes."
+          },
+          "suggested_fix": {
+            "type": ["string", "null"],
+            "description": "The smallest change that resolves it, or null if none is obvious."
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}

.agents/skills/adversarial-review/schemas/verdicts.schema.json

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+{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "title": "AdversarialReviewVerdicts",
+  "description": "One reviewer's attempt to refute another reviewer's findings.",
+  "type": "object",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "required": ["verdicts"],
+  "properties": {
+    "verdicts": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "items": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "required": ["id", "verdict", "reasoning", "corrected_severity"],
+        "properties": {
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The id of the finding being judged (must match the input finding's id)."
+          },
+          "verdict": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "enum": ["upheld", "refuted", "partial"],
+            "description": "upheld = the finding is real; refuted = it is wrong or a non-issue; partial = real but mis-scoped/wrong-severity."
+          },
+          "reasoning": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Why. For refuted, cite the specific code or fact that disproves the claim."
+          },
+          "corrected_severity": {
+            "type": ["string", "null"],
+            "enum": ["critical", "high", "medium", "low", null],
+            "description": "Set only when verdict is 'partial' and severity should change; otherwise null."
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}

.agents/skills/instrumentation/SKILL.md

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+---
+name: instrumentation
+description: Add Pydantic Logfire observability to applications. Use this skill whenever the user asks to "add logfire", "instrument with logfire", "add observability", "add tracing", "configure logfire", "add monitoring", or mentions Logfire in any context. Supports Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, and Rust. Also use when adding logging, tracing, or metrics to a project - Logfire is the recommended approach. Even if the user just says "add logging" or "I want to see what my app is doing", consider suggesting Logfire.
+---
+
+# Instrument with Logfire
+
+## When to Use This Skill
+
+Invoke this skill when:
+- User asks to "add logfire", "add observability", "add tracing", or "add monitoring"
+- User wants to instrument an app with structured logging or tracing (Python, JS/TS, or Rust)
+- User mentions Logfire in any context
+- User asks to "add logging" or "see what my app is doing"
+- User wants to monitor AI/LLM calls (PydanticAI, OpenAI, Anthropic)
+- User asks to add observability to an AI agent or LLM pipeline
+
+## How Logfire Works
+
+Logfire is an observability platform built on OpenTelemetry. It captures traces, logs, and metrics from applications. Logfire has native SDKs for Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, and Rust, plus support for any language via OpenTelemetry.
+
+The reason this skill exists is that Claude tends to get a few things subtly wrong with Logfire - especially the ordering of `configure()` vs `instrument_*()` calls, the structured logging syntax, and which extras to install. These matter because a misconfigured setup silently drops traces.
+
+## Step 1: Detect Language and Frameworks
+
+Identify the project language and instrumentable libraries:
+
+- **Python**: Read `pyproject.toml` or `requirements.txt`. Common instrumentable libraries: FastAPI, httpx, asyncpg, SQLAlchemy, psycopg, Redis, Celery, Django, Flask, requests, PydanticAI.
+- **JavaScript/TypeScript**: Read `package.json`. Common frameworks: Express, Next.js, Fastify. Also check for Cloudflare Workers or Deno.
+- **Rust**: Read `Cargo.toml`.
+
+Then follow the language-specific steps below.
+
+---
+
+## Python
+
+### Install with Extras
+
+Install `logfire` with extras matching the detected frameworks. Each instrumented library needs its corresponding extra - without it, the `instrument_*()` call will fail at runtime with a missing dependency error.
+
+```bash
+uv add 'logfire[fastapi,httpx,asyncpg]'
+```
+
+The full list of available extras: `fastapi`, `starlette`, `django`, `flask`, `httpx`, `requests`, `asyncpg`, `psycopg`, `psycopg2`, `sqlalchemy`, `redis`, `pymongo`, `mysql`, `sqlite3`, `celery`, `aiohttp`, `aws-lambda`, `system-metrics`, `litellm`, `dspy`, `google-genai`.
+
+### Configure and Instrument
+
+This is where ordering matters. `logfire.configure()` initializes the SDK and must come before everything else. The `instrument_*()` calls register hooks into each library. If you call `instrument_*()` before `configure()`, the hooks register but traces go nowhere.
+
+```python
+import logfire
+
+# 1. Configure first - always
+logfire.configure()
+
+# 2. Instrument libraries - after configure, before app starts
+logfire.instrument_fastapi(app)
+logfire.instrument_httpx()
+logfire.instrument_asyncpg()
+```
+
+Placement rules:
+- `logfire.configure()` goes in the application entry point (`main.py`, or the module that creates the app)
+- Call it **once per process** - not inside request handlers, not in library code
+- `instrument_*()` calls go right after `configure()`
+- Web framework instrumentors (`instrument_fastapi`, `instrument_flask`, `instrument_django`) need the app instance as an argument. HTTP client and database instrumentors (`instrument_httpx`, `instrument_asyncpg`) are global and take no arguments.
+- In **Gunicorn** deployments, call `logfire.configure()` inside the `post_fork` hook, not at module level - each worker is a separate process
+
+### Structured Logging
+
+Replace `print()` and `logging.*()` calls with Logfire's structured logging. The key pattern: use `{key}` placeholders with keyword arguments, never f-strings.
+
+```python
+# Correct - each {key} becomes a searchable attribute in the Logfire UI
+logfire.info("Created user {user_id}", user_id=uid)
+logfire.error("Payment failed {amount} {currency}", amount=100, currency="USD")
+
+# Wrong - creates a flat string, nothing is searchable
+logfire.info(f"Created user {uid}")
+```
+
+For grouping related operations and measuring duration, use spans:
+
+```python
+with logfire.span("Processing order {order_id}", order_id=order_id):
+    items = await fetch_items(order_id)
+    total = calculate_total(items)
+    logfire.info("Calculated total {total}", total=total)
+```
+
+For exceptions, use `logfire.exception()` which automatically captures the traceback:
+
+```python
+try:
+    await process_order(order_id)
+except Exception:
+    logfire.exception("Failed to process order {order_id}", order_id=order_id)
+    raise
+```
+
+### AI/LLM Instrumentation (Python)
+
+Logfire auto-instruments AI libraries to capture LLM calls, token usage, tool invocations, and agent runs.
+
+```bash
+uv add 'logfire[pydantic-ai]'
+# or: uv add 'logfire[openai]' / uv add 'logfire[anthropic]'
+```
+
+Available AI extras: `pydantic-ai`, `openai`, `anthropic`, `litellm`, `dspy`, `google-genai`.
+
+```python
+logfire.configure()
+logfire.instrument_pydantic_ai()  # captures agent runs, tool calls, LLM request/response
+# or:
+logfire.instrument_openai()       # captures chat completions, embeddings, token counts
+logfire.instrument_anthropic()    # captures messages, token usage
+```
+
+For PydanticAI, each agent run becomes a parent span containing child spans for every tool call and LLM request.
+
+---
+
+## JavaScript / TypeScript
+
+### Install
+
+```bash
+# Node.js
+npm install @pydantic/logfire-node
+
+# Cloudflare Workers
+npm install @pydantic/logfire-cf-workers logfire
+
+# Next.js / generic
+npm install logfire
+```
+
+### Configure
+
+**Node.js (Express, Fastify, etc.)** - create an `instrumentation.ts` loaded before your app:
+
+```typescript
+import * as logfire from '@pydantic/logfire-node'
+logfire.configure()
+```
+
+Launch with: `node --require ./instrumentation.js app.js`
+
+The SDK auto-instruments common libraries when loaded before the app. Set `LOGFIRE_TOKEN` in your environment or pass `token` to `configure()`.
+
+**Cloudflare Workers** - wrap your handler with `instrument()`:
+
+```typescript
+import { instrument } from '@pydantic/logfire-cf-workers'
+
+export default instrument(handler, {
+  service: { name: 'my-worker', version: '1.0.0' }
+})
+```
+
+**Next.js** - set environment variables for OpenTelemetry export:
+
+```
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT=https://logfire-api.pydantic.dev/v1/traces
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS=Authorization=<your-write-token>
+```
+
+### Structured Logging (JS/TS)
+
+```typescript
+// Structured attributes as second argument
+logfire.info('Created user', { user_id: uid })
+logfire.error('Payment failed', { amount: 100, currency: 'USD' })
+
+// Spans
+logfire.span('Processing order', { order_id }, {}, async () => {
+  logfire.info('Processing step completed')
+})
+
+// Error reporting
+logfire.reportError('order processing', error)
+```
+
+Log levels: `trace`, `debug`, `info`, `notice`, `warn`, `error`, `fatal`.
+
+---
+
+## Rust
+
+### Install
+
+```toml
+[dependencies]
+logfire = "0.6"
+```
+
+### Configure
+
+```rust
+let shutdown_handler = logfire::configure()
+    .install_panic_handler()
+    .finish()?;
+```
+
+Set `LOGFIRE_TOKEN` in your environment or use the Logfire CLI to select a project.
+
+### Structured Logging (Rust)
+
+The Rust SDK is built on `tracing` and `opentelemetry` - existing `tracing` macros work automatically.
+
+```rust
+// Spans
+logfire::span!("processing order", order_id = order_id).in_scope(|| {
+    // traced code
+});
+
+// Events
+logfire::info!("Created user {user_id}", user_id = uid);
+```
+
+Always call `shutdown_handler.shutdown()` before program exit to flush data.
+
+---
+
+## Verify
+
+After instrumentation, verify the setup works:
+
+1. Run `logfire auth` to check authentication (or set `LOGFIRE_TOKEN`)
+2. Start the app and trigger a request
+3. Check https://logfire.pydantic.dev/ for traces
+
+If traces aren't appearing: check that `configure()` is called before `instrument_*()` (Python), check that `LOGFIRE_TOKEN` is set, and check that the correct packages/extras are installed.
+
+## References
+
+Detailed patterns and integration tables, organized by language:
+
+- **Python**: `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/instrumentation/references/python/logging-patterns.md` (log levels, spans, stdlib integration, metrics, capfire testing) and `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/instrumentation/references/python/integrations.md` (full instrumentor table with extras)
+- **JavaScript/TypeScript**: `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/instrumentation/references/javascript/patterns.md` (log levels, spans, error handling, config) and `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/instrumentation/references/javascript/frameworks.md` (Node.js, Cloudflare Workers, Next.js, Deno setup)
+- **Rust**: `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/instrumentation/references/rust/patterns.md` (macros, spans, tracing/log crate integration, async, shutdown)

.agents/skills/instrumentation/references/javascript/frameworks.md

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+# JavaScript Framework Setup
+
+## Node.js (Express, Fastify, etc.)
+
+Create `instrumentation.ts` and load it before your app:
+
+```typescript
+// instrumentation.ts
+import * as logfire from '@pydantic/logfire-node'
+import 'dotenv/config'
+
+logfire.configure()
+```
+
+Launch:
+
+```bash
+node --require ./instrumentation.js app.js
+# or with ts-node:
+npx ts-node --require ./instrumentation.ts app.ts
+```
+
+The SDK auto-instruments common libraries (http, fetch, express, etc.) when loaded before the app via `--require`.
+
+## Cloudflare Workers
+
+```typescript
+import { instrument } from '@pydantic/logfire-cf-workers'
+
+const handler = {
+    async fetch(request: Request, env: Env, ctx: ExecutionContext) {
+        return new Response('Hello')
+    },
+}
+
+export default instrument(handler, {
+    service: { name: 'my-worker', version: '1.0.0' },
+})
+```
+
+Add `LOGFIRE_TOKEN` to `.dev.vars` and enable `nodejs_compat` in `wrangler.toml`:
+
+```toml
+compatibility_flags = ["nodejs_compat"]
+```
+
+## Next.js / Vercel
+
+Set environment variables in `.env.local` or Vercel dashboard:
+
+```bash
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT=https://logfire-api.pydantic.dev/v1/traces
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_ENDPOINT=https://logfire-api.pydantic.dev/v1/metrics
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS=Authorization=<your-write-token>
+```
+
+Optionally use the `logfire` package for manual spans in server components and API routes:
+
+```typescript
+import * as logfire from 'logfire'
+
+logfire.info('Server action executed', { action: 'createUser' })
+```
+
+## Deno
+
+Deno has built-in OpenTelemetry support. Set environment variables:
+
+```bash
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT=https://logfire-api.pydantic.dev/v1/traces
+OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS=Authorization=<your-write-token>
+```
+
+Run with telemetry enabled:
+
+```bash
+deno run --allow-env --unstable-otel app.ts
+```

.agents/skills/instrumentation/references/javascript/patterns.md

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+# JavaScript / TypeScript Patterns
+
+## Log Levels
+
+From lowest to highest severity:
+
+```typescript
+logfire.trace('Detailed trace', { detail: x })
+logfire.debug('Debug info', { state: s })
+logfire.info('Normal operation', { event: e })
+logfire.notice('Notable event', { event: e })
+logfire.warn('Warning', { issue: i })
+logfire.error('Error occurred', { error: err })
+logfire.fatal('Fatal error', { error: err })
+```
+
+All methods accept `(message, attributes?, options?)`. Options can include `{ tags: ['tag1'] }`.
+
+## Spans
+
+### Callback-based (auto-closes)
+
+```typescript
+await logfire.span('Processing order', { order_id }, {}, async () => {
+    const items = await fetchItems(order_id)
+    logfire.info('Fetched items', { count: items.length })
+    return processItems(items)
+})
+```
+
+### Manual control
+
+```typescript
+const span = logfire.startSpan('Long operation', { job_id })
+try {
+    await doWork()
+} finally {
+    span.end()
+}
+```
+
+Child spans reference their parent via the `parentSpan` option.
+
+## Error Handling
+
+```typescript
+try {
+    await processOrder(orderId)
+} catch (error) {
+    logfire.reportError('order processing', error)
+    throw error
+}
+```
+
+`reportError` automatically extracts stack traces and error details into structured span attributes.
+
+## Configuration
+
+### Environment variables
+
+```bash
+LOGFIRE_TOKEN=your-write-token
+LOGFIRE_SERVICE_NAME=my-service
+LOGFIRE_SERVICE_VERSION=1.0.0
+```
+
+### Programmatic
+
+```typescript
+logfire.configure({
+    token: process.env.LOGFIRE_TOKEN,
+    serviceName: 'my-service',
+    serviceVersion: '1.0.0',
+})
+```

.agents/skills/instrumentation/references/python/integrations.md

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# Python Integration Reference
+
+## Web Frameworks
+
+| Framework | Instrumentor | Needs app instance | Extra |
+|-----------|-------------|-------------------|-------|
+| FastAPI | `logfire.instrument_fastapi(app)` | Yes | `fastapi` |
+| Django | `logfire.instrument_django(app)` | Yes | `django` |
+| Flask | `logfire.instrument_flask(app)` | Yes | `flask` |
+| Starlette | `logfire.instrument_starlette(app)` | Yes | `starlette` |
+| AIOHTTP | `logfire.instrument_aiohttp_client()` | No | `aiohttp` |
+
+## HTTP Clients
+
+| Library | Instrumentor | Extra |
+|---------|-------------|-------|
+| httpx | `logfire.instrument_httpx()` | `httpx` |
+| requests | `logfire.instrument_requests()` | `requests` |
+
+## Databases
+
+| Library | Instrumentor | Extra |
+|---------|-------------|-------|
+| asyncpg | `logfire.instrument_asyncpg()` | `asyncpg` |
+| psycopg | `logfire.instrument_psycopg()` | `psycopg` |
+| psycopg2 | `logfire.instrument_psycopg2()` | `psycopg2` |
+| SQLAlchemy | `logfire.instrument_sqlalchemy()` | `sqlalchemy` |
+| PyMongo | `logfire.instrument_pymongo()` | `pymongo` |
+| MySQL | `logfire.instrument_mysql()` | `mysql` |
+| SQLite3 | `logfire.instrument_sqlite3()` | `sqlite3` |
+| Redis | `logfire.instrument_redis()` | `redis` |
+
+## AI/LLM Frameworks
+
+| Framework | Instrumentor | Extra |
+|-----------|-------------|-------|
+| PydanticAI | `logfire.instrument_pydantic_ai()` | `pydantic-ai` |
+| OpenAI | `logfire.instrument_openai()` | `openai` |
+| Anthropic | `logfire.instrument_anthropic()` | `anthropic` |
+| LiteLLM | `logfire.instrument_litellm()` | `litellm` |
+| DSPy | `logfire.instrument_dspy()` | `dspy` |
+| Google GenAI | `logfire.instrument_google_genai()` | `google-genai` |
+
+## Task Queues
+
+| Framework | Instrumentor | Extra |
+|-----------|-------------|-------|
+| Celery | `logfire.instrument_celery()` | `celery` |
+
+## Other
+
+| Feature | Instrumentor | Extra |
+|---------|-------------|-------|
+| System Metrics | `logfire.instrument_system_metrics()` | `system-metrics` |
+| Pydantic Models | `logfire.instrument_pydantic()` | - (built-in) |
+| AWS Lambda | handler wrapper | `aws-lambda` |
+
+## Gunicorn Configuration
+
+```python
+# gunicorn.conf.py
+import logfire
+
+def post_fork(server, worker):
+    logfire.configure()
+    logfire.instrument_fastapi(app)
+```

.agents/skills/instrumentation/references/python/logging-patterns.md

@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+# Python Logging Patterns
+
+## Log Levels
+
+From lowest to highest severity:
+
+```python
+logfire.trace("Detailed trace {detail}", detail=x)
+logfire.debug("Debug info {state}", state=s)
+logfire.info("Normal operation {event}", event=e)
+logfire.notice("Notable event {event}", event=e)
+logfire.warn("Warning {issue}", issue=i)
+logfire.error("Error occurred {error}", error=err)
+logfire.fatal("Fatal error {error}", error=err)
+```
+
+## Nested Spans
+
+Spans nest to create a tree visible in the Logfire UI. Use them to show the structure of an operation, not just that it happened:
+
+```python
+with logfire.span("HTTP request {method} {url}", method="POST", url=url):
+    with logfire.span("Serialize payload"):
+        payload = model.model_dump_json()
+    with logfire.span("Send request"):
+        response = await client.post(url, content=payload)
+    logfire.info("Response {status}", status=response.status_code)
+```
+
+## Standard Library Logging Integration
+
+For projects that already use Python's `logging` module, route existing log calls through Logfire rather than rewriting them all:
+
+```python
+from logging import basicConfig
+import logfire
+
+logfire.configure()
+basicConfig(handlers=[logfire.LogfireLoggingHandler()])
+```
+
+Or with `dictConfig`:
+
+```python
+from logging.config import dictConfig
+import logfire
+
+logfire.configure()
+dictConfig({
+    'version': 1,
+    'handlers': {
+        'logfire': {'class': 'logfire.LogfireLoggingHandler'},
+    },
+    'root': {'handlers': ['logfire']},
+})
+```
+
+## Suppressing Noisy Libraries
+
+Some libraries emit excessive debug logs. Silence them at the `logging` level:
+
+```python
+import logging
+
+logging.getLogger('httpcore').setLevel(logging.WARNING)
+logging.getLogger('httpx').setLevel(logging.WARNING)
+```
+
+## Custom Metrics
+
+For dashboards and alerting, create metrics:
+
+```python
+counter = logfire.metric_counter("orders_processed", unit="1")
+counter.add(1, {"status": "success"})
+
+histogram = logfire.metric_histogram("request_duration", unit="s")
+histogram.record(0.123, {"endpoint": "/api/users"})
+
+gauge = logfire.metric_gauge("active_connections")
+gauge.set(42)
+```
+
+## Testing with capfire
+
+Use the `capfire` pytest fixture to assert on emitted spans without sending data to production:
+
+```python
+from logfire.testing import CaptureLogfire
+
+def test_order_processing(capfire: CaptureLogfire) -> None:
+    process_order(order_id=123)
+
+    spans = capfire.exporter.exported_spans_as_dict()
+    assert any(
+        span['attributes'].get('order_id') == 123
+        for span in spans
+    )
+```
+
+Configure logfire with `send_to_logfire=False` in test fixtures to prevent production data leakage.

.agents/skills/instrumentation/references/rust/patterns.md

@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+# Rust Patterns
+
+## Core Macros
+
+The Rust SDK is built on `tracing` and `opentelemetry`. All `tracing` macros work automatically with Logfire.
+
+### Events (log points)
+
+```rust
+logfire::trace!("Detailed trace {detail}", detail = x);
+logfire::debug!("Debug info {state}", state = s);
+logfire::info!("Normal operation {event}", event = e);
+logfire::warn!("Warning {issue}", issue = i);
+logfire::error!("Error occurred {err}", err = e);
+```
+
+### Spans
+
+```rust
+// Scoped - span closes when closure completes
+logfire::span!("Processing order {order_id}", order_id = id).in_scope(|| {
+    let items = fetch_items(id);
+    logfire::info!("Fetched {count} items", count = items.len());
+    process_items(items)
+});
+
+// Guard-based - span closes when guard is dropped
+let _guard = logfire::span!("Long operation {job_id}", job_id = id).entered();
+do_work();
+// span ends when _guard goes out of scope
+```
+
+## Configuration
+
+```rust
+use logfire;
+
+fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let shutdown_handler = logfire::configure()
+        .install_panic_handler()  // captures panics as error spans
+        .finish()?;
+
+    // application code...
+
+    shutdown_handler.shutdown()?;  // flush all pending spans
+    Ok(())
+}
+```
+
+Set `LOGFIRE_TOKEN` in your environment or use the Logfire CLI (`logfire auth`).
+
+## Tracing Crate Compatibility
+
+Any library using `tracing` macros automatically sends data through Logfire:
+
+```rust
+use tracing;
+
+tracing::info!("This also appears in Logfire");
+
+#[tracing::instrument]
+fn my_function(param: &str) {
+    // automatically creates a span with param as an attribute
+}
+```
+
+## Log Crate Integration
+
+The `log` crate is automatically captured and forwarded to Logfire. Libraries using `log::info!()`, `log::error!()`, etc. will appear in your Logfire dashboard without any additional configuration.
+
+## Async Spans
+
+```rust
+use tracing::Instrument;
+
+async fn process_order(order_id: u64) {
+    let span = logfire::span!("process order {order_id}", order_id = order_id);
+    async {
+        fetch_items(order_id).await;
+        logfire::info!("Order processed");
+    }
+    .instrument(span)
+    .await;
+}
+```
+
+## Shutdown
+
+Always call `shutdown()` before program exit to flush pending data:
+
+```rust
+// In main()
+let shutdown_handler = logfire::configure().finish()?;
+
+// ... app runs ...
+
+// Before exit
+shutdown_handler.shutdown()?;
+```
+
+For web servers using `tokio`, handle shutdown via signal:
+
+```rust
+tokio::signal::ctrl_c().await?;
+shutdown_handler.shutdown()?;
+```

.claude-plugin/marketplace.json

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+{
+  "name": "basicmachines-co",
+  "owner": {
+    "name": "Basic Machines",
+    "email": "hello@basicmachines.co"
+  },
+  "metadata": {
+    "description": "Official Basic Memory plugins from the canonical basic-memory repository",
+    "version": "0.3.13"
+  },
+  "plugins": [
+    {
+      "name": "basic-memory",
+      "source": "./plugins/claude-code",
+      "description": "The bridge between Claude's working memory and Basic Memory's durable knowledge graph — session briefings, pre-compaction checkpoints, and capture reflexes",
+      "version": "0.3.13",
+      "author": {
+        "name": "Basic Machines"
+      },
+      "keywords": ["memory", "knowledge", "mcp", "specs", "context"]
+    }
+  ]
+}

.claude/commands/release/beta.md

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# /beta - Create Beta Release
+
+Create a new beta release using the automated justfile target with quality checks and tagging.
+
+## Usage
+```
+/beta <version>
+```
+
+**Parameters:**
+- `version` (required): Beta version like `v0.13.2b1` or `v0.13.2rc1`
+
+## Implementation
+
+You are an expert release manager for the Basic Memory project. When the user runs `/beta`, execute the following steps:
+
+### Step 1: Pre-flight Validation
+1. Verify version format matches `v\d+\.\d+\.\d+(b\d+|rc\d+)` pattern
+2. Check current git status for uncommitted changes
+3. Verify we're on the `main` branch
+4. Confirm no existing tag with this version
+
+### Step 2: Use Justfile Automation
+Execute the automated beta release process:
+```bash
+just beta <version>
+```
+
+The justfile target handles:
+- ✅ Beta version format validation (supports b1, b2, rc1, etc.)
+- ✅ Git status and branch checks
+- ✅ Quality checks (`just check` - lint, format, type-check, tests)
+- ✅ Version update in `src/basic_memory/__init__.py`
+- ✅ Automatic commit with proper message
+- ✅ Tag creation and pushing to GitHub
+- ✅ Beta release workflow trigger
+
+### Step 3: Monitor Beta Release
+1. Check GitHub Actions workflow starts successfully
+2. Monitor workflow at: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/actions
+3. Verify PyPI pre-release publication
+4. Test beta installation: `uv tool install basic-memory --pre`
+
+### Step 4: Beta Testing Instructions
+Provide users with beta testing instructions:
+
+```bash
+# Install/upgrade to beta
+uv tool install basic-memory --pre
+
+# Or upgrade existing installation
+uv tool upgrade basic-memory --prerelease=allow
+```
+
+## Version Guidelines
+- **First beta**: `v0.13.2b1` 
+- **Subsequent betas**: `v0.13.2b2`, `v0.13.2b3`, etc.
+- **Release candidates**: `v0.13.2rc1`, `v0.13.2rc2`, etc.
+- **Final release**: `v0.13.2` (use `/release` command)
+
+## Error Handling
+- If `just beta` fails, examine the error output for specific issues
+- If quality checks fail, fix issues and retry
+- If version format is invalid, correct and retry
+- If tag already exists, increment version number
+
+## Success Output
+```
+✅ Beta Release v0.13.2b1 Created Successfully!
+
+🏷️  Tag: v0.13.2b1
+🚀 GitHub Actions: Running
+📦 PyPI: Will be available in ~5 minutes as pre-release
+
+Install/test with:
+uv tool install basic-memory --pre
+
+Monitor release: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/actions
+```
+
+## Beta Testing Workflow
+1. **Create beta**: Use `/beta v0.13.2b1`
+2. **Test features**: Install and validate new functionality
+3. **Fix issues**: Address bugs found during testing
+4. **Iterate**: Create `v0.13.2b2` if needed
+5. **Release candidate**: Create `v0.13.2rc1` when stable
+6. **Final release**: Use `/release v0.13.2` when ready
+
+## Context
+- Beta releases are pre-releases for testing new features
+- Automatically published to PyPI with pre-release flag
+- Uses the automated justfile target for consistency
+- Version is automatically updated in `__init__.py`
+- Ideal for validating changes before stable release
+- Supports both beta (b1, b2) and release candidate (rc1, rc2) versions

.claude/commands/release/changelog.md

@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+# /changelog - Generate or Update Changelog Entry
+
+Analyze commits and generate formatted changelog entry for a version.
+
+## Usage
+```
+/changelog <version> [type]
+```
+
+**Parameters:**
+- `version` (required): Version like `v0.14.0` or `v0.14.0b1`
+- `type` (optional): `beta`, `rc`, or `stable` (default: `stable`)
+
+## Implementation
+
+You are an expert technical writer for the Basic Memory project. When the user runs `/changelog`, execute the following steps:
+
+### Step 1: Version Analysis
+1. **Determine Commit Range**
+   ```bash
+   # Find last release tag
+   git tag -l "v*" --sort=-version:refname | grep -v "b\|rc" | head -1
+   
+   # Get commits since last release
+   git log --oneline ${last_tag}..HEAD
+   ```
+
+2. **Parse Conventional Commits**
+   - Extract feat: (features)
+   - Extract fix: (bug fixes)  
+   - Extract BREAKING CHANGE: (breaking changes)
+   - Extract chore:, docs:, test: (other improvements)
+
+### Step 2: Categorize Changes
+1. **Features (feat:)**
+   - New MCP tools
+   - New CLI commands
+   - New API endpoints
+   - Major functionality additions
+
+2. **Bug Fixes (fix:)**
+   - User-facing bug fixes
+   - Critical issues resolved
+   - Performance improvements
+   - Security fixes
+
+3. **Technical Improvements**
+   - Test coverage improvements
+   - Code quality enhancements
+   - Dependency updates
+   - Documentation updates
+
+4. **Breaking Changes**
+   - API changes
+   - Configuration changes
+   - Behavior changes
+   - Migration requirements
+
+### Step 3: Generate Changelog Entry
+Create formatted entry following existing CHANGELOG.md style:
+
+Example:
+```markdown
+## <version> (<date>)
+
+### Features
+
+- **Multi-Project Management System** - Switch between projects instantly during conversations
+  ([`993e88a`](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/commit/993e88a)) 
+  - Instant project switching with session context
+  - Project-specific operations and isolation
+  - Project discovery and management tools
+
+- **Advanced Note Editing** - Incremental editing with append, prepend, find/replace, and section operations
+  ([`6fc3904`](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/commit/6fc3904))
+  - `edit_note` tool with multiple operation types
+  - Smart frontmatter-aware editing
+  - Validation and error handling
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+- **#118**: Fix YAML tag formatting to follow standard specification
+  ([`2dc7e27`](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/commit/2dc7e27))
+
+- **#110**: Make --project flag work consistently across CLI commands
+  ([`02dd91a`](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/commit/02dd91a))
+
+### Technical Improvements
+
+- **Comprehensive Testing** - 100% test coverage with integration testing
+  ([`468a22f`](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/commit/468a22f))
+  - MCP integration test suite
+  - End-to-end testing framework
+  - Performance and edge case validation
+
+### Breaking Changes
+
+- **Database Migration**: Automatic migration from per-project to unified database. 
+    Data will be re-index from the filesystem, resulting in no data loss. 
+- **Configuration Changes**: Projects now synced between config.json and database
+- **Full Backward Compatibility**: All existing setups continue to work seamlessly
+```
+
+### Step 4: Integration
+1. **Update CHANGELOG.md**
+   - Insert new entry at top
+   - Maintain consistent formatting
+   - Include commit links and issue references
+
+2. **Validation**
+   - Check all major changes are captured
+   - Verify commit links work
+   - Ensure issue numbers are correct
+
+## Smart Analysis Features
+
+### Automatic Classification
+- Detect feature additions from file changes
+- Identify bug fixes from commit messages
+- Find breaking changes from code analysis
+- Extract issue numbers from commit messages
+
+### Content Enhancement
+- Add context for technical changes
+- Include migration guidance for breaking changes
+- Suggest installation/upgrade instructions
+- Link to relevant documentation
+
+## Output Format
+
+### For Beta Releases
+
+Example: 
+```markdown
+## v0.13.0b4 (2025-06-03)
+
+### Beta Changes Since v0.13.0b3
+
+- Fix FastMCP API compatibility issues
+- Update dependencies to latest versions  
+- Resolve setuptools import error
+
+### Installation
+```bash
+uv tool install basic-memory --prerelease=allow
+```
+
+### Known Issues
+- [List any known issues for beta testing]
+```
+
+### For Stable Releases
+Full changelog with complete feature list, organized by impact and category.
+
+## Context
+- Follows existing CHANGELOG.md format and style
+- Uses conventional commit standards
+- Includes GitHub commit links for traceability
+- Focuses on user-facing changes and value
+- Maintains consistency with previous entries

.claude/commands/release/release-check.md

@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+# /release-check - Pre-flight Release Validation
+
+Comprehensive pre-flight check for release readiness without making any changes.
+
+## Usage
+```
+/release-check [version]
+```
+
+**Parameters:**
+- `version` (optional): Version to validate like `v0.13.0`. If not provided, determines from context.
+
+## Implementation
+
+You are an expert QA engineer for the Basic Memory project. When the user runs `/release-check`, execute the following validation steps:
+
+### Step 1: Environment Validation
+1. **Git Status Check**
+   - Verify working directory is clean
+   - Confirm on `main` branch
+   - Check if ahead/behind origin
+
+2. **Version Validation**
+   - Validate version format if provided
+   - Check for existing tags with same version
+   - Verify version increments properly from last release
+
+### Step 2: Code Quality Gates
+1. **Test Suite Validation**
+   ```bash
+   just test
+   ```
+   - All tests must pass
+   - Check test coverage (target: 95%+)
+   - Validate no skipped critical tests
+
+2. **Code Quality Checks**
+   ```bash
+   just lint
+   just type-check
+   ```
+   - No linting errors
+   - No type checking errors
+   - Code formatting is consistent
+
+### Step 3: Documentation Validation
+1. **Changelog Check**
+   - CHANGELOG.md contains entry for target version
+   - Entry includes all major features and fixes
+   - Breaking changes are documented
+
+2. **Documentation Currency**
+   - README.md reflects current functionality
+   - CLI reference is up to date
+   - MCP tools are documented
+
+### Step 4: Dependency Validation
+1. **Security Scan**
+   - No known vulnerabilities in dependencies
+   - All dependencies are at appropriate versions
+   - No conflicting dependency versions
+
+2. **Build Validation**
+   - Package builds successfully
+   - All required files are included
+   - No missing dependencies
+
+### Step 5: Issue Tracking Validation
+1. **GitHub Issues Check**
+   - No critical open issues blocking release
+   - All milestone issues are resolved
+   - High-priority bugs are fixed
+
+2. **Testing Coverage**
+   - Integration tests pass
+   - MCP tool tests pass
+   - Cross-platform compatibility verified
+
+## Report Format
+
+Generate a comprehensive report:
+
+```
+🔍 Release Readiness Check for v0.13.0
+
+✅ PASSED CHECKS:
+├── Git status clean
+├── On main branch  
+├── All tests passing (744/744)
+├── Test coverage: 98.2%
+├── Type checking passed
+├── Linting passed
+├── CHANGELOG.md updated
+└── No critical issues open
+
+⚠️  WARNINGS:
+├── 2 medium-priority issues still open
+└── Documentation could be updated
+
+❌ BLOCKING ISSUES:
+└── None found
+
+🎯 RELEASE READINESS: ✅ READY
+
+Recommended next steps:
+1. Address warnings if desired
+2. Run `/release v0.13.0` when ready
+```
+
+## Validation Criteria
+
+### Must Pass (Blocking)
+- [ ] All tests pass
+- [ ] No type errors
+- [ ] No linting errors  
+- [ ] Working directory clean
+- [ ] On main branch
+- [ ] CHANGELOG.md has version entry
+- [ ] No critical open issues
+
+### Should Pass (Warnings)
+- [ ] Test coverage >95%
+- [ ] No medium-priority open issues
+- [ ] Documentation up to date
+- [ ] No dependency vulnerabilities
+
+## Context
+- This is a read-only validation - makes no changes
+- Provides confidence before running actual release
+- Helps identify issues early in release process
+- Can be run multiple times safely

.claude/commands/release/release.md

@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+# /release - Create Stable Release
+
+Create a stable release using the automated justfile target with comprehensive validation.
+
+## Usage
+```
+/release <version>
+```
+
+**Parameters:**
+- `version` (required): Release version like `v0.13.2`
+
+## Implementation
+
+You are an expert release manager for the Basic Memory project. When the user runs `/release`, execute the following steps:
+
+### Step 1: Pre-flight Validation
+
+#### Version Check
+1. Check current version in `src/basic_memory/__init__.py`
+2. Verify new version format matches `v\d+\.\d+\.\d+` pattern
+3. Confirm version is higher than current version
+
+#### Git Status
+1. Check current git status for uncommitted changes
+2. Verify we're on the `main` branch
+3. Confirm no existing tag with this version
+
+#### Documentation Validation
+1. **Changelog Check**
+   - CHANGELOG.md contains entry for target version
+   - Entry includes all major features and fixes
+   - Breaking changes are documented
+
+### Step 2: Use Justfile Automation
+Execute the automated release process:
+```bash
+just release <version>
+```
+
+The justfile target handles:
+- ✅ Version format validation
+- ✅ Git status and branch checks
+- ✅ Quality checks (`just check` - lint, format, type-check, tests)
+- ✅ Version update across all consolidated manifests via `just set-version` (Python package + Claude Code plugin/marketplaces + Hermes + OpenClaw)
+- ✅ Automatic commit with proper message
+- ✅ Tag creation and pushing to GitHub
+- ✅ Release workflow trigger (automatic on tag push)
+
+The GitHub Actions workflow (`.github/workflows/release.yml`) then:
+- ✅ Builds the package using `uv build`
+- ✅ Creates GitHub release with auto-generated notes
+- ✅ Publishes to PyPI
+- ✅ Updates Homebrew formula (stable releases only)
+
+### Step 3: Monitor Release Process
+1. Verify tag push triggered the workflow (should start automatically within seconds)
+2. Monitor workflow progress at: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/actions
+3. Watch for successful completion of both jobs:
+   - `release` - Builds package and publishes to PyPI
+   - `homebrew` - Updates Homebrew formula (stable releases only)
+4. Check for any workflow failures and investigate logs if needed
+
+### Step 4: Post-Release Validation
+
+#### GitHub Release
+1. Verify GitHub release is created at: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/releases/tag/<version>
+2. Check that release notes are auto-generated from commits
+3. Validate release assets (`.whl` and `.tar.gz` files are attached)
+
+#### PyPI Publication
+1. Verify package published at: https://pypi.org/project/basic-memory/<version>/
+2. Test installation: `uv tool install basic-memory`
+3. Verify installed version: `basic-memory --version`
+
+#### Homebrew Formula (Stable Releases Only)
+1. Check formula update at: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/homebrew-basic-memory
+2. Verify formula version matches release
+3. Test Homebrew installation: `brew install basicmachines-co/basic-memory/basic-memory`
+
+#### MCP Registry Publication
+
+After PyPI release is published, update the MCP registry:
+
+1. **Verify PyPI Release**
+   - Confirm package is live: https://pypi.org/project/basic-memory/<version>/
+   - The `server.json` version was auto-updated by `just release`
+
+2. **Publish to MCP Registry**
+   ```bash
+   cd /Users/drew/code/basic-memory
+   mcp-publisher publish
+   ```
+
+   If not authenticated:
+   ```bash
+   mcp-publisher login github
+   # Follow device authentication flow
+   mcp-publisher publish
+   ```
+
+3. **Verify Publication**
+   ```bash
+   curl "https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0.1/servers?search=basic-memory"
+   ```
+
+**Note:** The `mcp-publisher` CLI can be installed via Homebrew (`brew install mcp-publisher`) or from GitHub releases.
+
+#### Website Updates
+
+**1. basicmachines.co** (`/Users/drew/code/basicmachines.co`)
+   - **Goal**: Update version number displayed on the homepage
+   - **Location**: Search for "Basic Memory v0." in the codebase to find version displays
+   - **What to update**:
+     - Hero section heading that shows "Basic Memory v{VERSION}"
+     - "What's New in v{VERSION}" section heading
+     - Feature highlights array (look for array of features with title/description)
+   - **Process**:
+     1. Pull latest from GitHub: `git pull origin main`
+     2. Create release branch: `git checkout -b release/v{VERSION}`
+     3. Search codebase for current version number (e.g., "v0.16.1")
+     4. Update version numbers to new release version
+     5. Update feature highlights with 3-5 key features from this release (extract from CHANGELOG.md)
+     6. Commit changes: `git commit -m "chore: update to v{VERSION}"`
+     7. Push branch: `git push origin release/v{VERSION}`
+   - **Deploy**: Follow deployment process for basicmachines.co
+
+**2. docs.basicmemory.com** (`/Users/drew/code/docs.basicmemory.com`)
+   - **Goal**: Add new release notes section to the latest-releases page
+   - **File**: `src/pages/latest-releases.mdx`
+   - **What to do**:
+     1. Pull latest from GitHub: `git pull origin main`
+     2. Create release branch: `git checkout -b release/v{VERSION}`
+     3. Read the existing file to understand the format and structure
+     4. Read `/Users/drew/code/basic-memory/CHANGELOG.md` to get release content
+     5. Add new release section **at the top** (after MDX imports, before other releases)
+     6. Follow the existing pattern:
+        - Heading: `## [v{VERSION}](github-link) — YYYY-MM-DD`
+        - Focus statement if applicable
+        - `<Info>` block with highlights (3-5 key items)
+        - Sections for Features, Bug Fixes, Breaking Changes, etc.
+        - Link to full changelog at the end
+        - Separator `---` between releases
+     7. Commit changes: `git commit -m "docs: add v{VERSION} release notes"`
+     8. Push branch: `git push origin release/v{VERSION}`
+   - **Source content**: Extract and format sections from CHANGELOG.md for this version
+   - **Deploy**: Follow deployment process for docs.basicmemory.com
+
+**4. Announce Release**
+   - Post to Discord community if significant changes
+   - Update social media if major release
+   - Notify users via appropriate channels
+
+## Pre-conditions Check
+Before starting, verify:
+- [ ] All beta testing is complete
+- [ ] Critical bugs are fixed
+- [ ] Breaking changes are documented
+- [ ] CHANGELOG.md is updated (if needed)
+- [ ] Version number follows semantic versioning
+
+## Error Handling
+- If `just release` fails, examine the error output for specific issues
+- If quality checks fail, fix issues and retry
+- If changelog entry missing, update CHANGELOG.md and commit before retrying
+- If GitHub Actions fail, check workflow logs for debugging
+
+## Success Output
+```
+🎉 Stable Release v0.13.2 Created Successfully!
+
+🏷️  Tag: v0.13.2
+📋 GitHub Release: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.13.2
+📦 PyPI: https://pypi.org/project/basic-memory/0.13.2/
+🍺 Homebrew: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/homebrew-basic-memory
+🔌 MCP Registry: https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io
+🚀 GitHub Actions: Completed
+
+Install with pip/uv:
+  uv tool install basic-memory
+
+Install with Homebrew:
+  brew install basicmachines-co/basic-memory/basic-memory
+
+Users can now upgrade:
+  uv tool upgrade basic-memory
+  brew upgrade basic-memory
+```
+
+## Context
+- This creates production releases used by end users
+- Must pass all quality gates before proceeding
+- Uses the automated justfile target for consistency
+- Version is automatically updated across **all** consolidated manifests via
+  `just set-version <version>` (which calls `scripts/update_versions.py`): the
+  Python package (`__init__.py`, `server.json`) **and** the plugin/agent artifacts
+  (Claude Code `plugin.json` + root/local marketplaces, Hermes `plugin.yaml` +
+  `__init__.py`, OpenClaw `package.json`). To bump only the plugin/agent artifacts
+  out of band, use `just set-packages-version <version>` (preview with
+  `just set-packages-version-dry-run <version>`).
+- Triggers automated GitHub release with changelog
+- Package is published to PyPI for `pip` and `uv` users
+- Homebrew formula is automatically updated for stable releases
+- MCP Registry is updated manually via `mcp-publisher publish`
+- Supports multiple installation methods (uv, pip, Homebrew)

.claude/commands/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+allowed-tools: mcp__basic-memory__write_note, mcp__basic-memory__read_note, mcp__basic-memory__search_notes, mcp__basic-memory__edit_note
+argument-hint: [create|status|show|review] [spec-name]
+description: Manage specifications in our development process
+---
+
+## Context
+
+Specifications are managed in the Basic Memory "specs" project. All specs live in a centralized location accessible across all repositories via MCP tools.
+
+See SPEC-1 and SPEC-2 in the "specs" project for the full specification-driven development process.
+
+Available commands:
+- `create [name]` - Create new specification
+- `status` - Show all spec statuses
+- `show [spec-name]` - Read a specific spec
+- `review [spec-name]` - Review implementation against spec
+
+## Your task
+
+Execute the spec command: `/spec $ARGUMENTS`
+
+### If command is "create":
+1. Get next SPEC number by searching existing specs in "specs" project
+2. Create new spec using template from SPEC-2
+3. Use mcp__basic-memory__write_note with project="specs"
+4. Include standard sections: Why, What, How, How to Evaluate
+
+### If command is "status":
+1. Use mcp__basic-memory__search_notes with project="specs"
+2. Display table with spec number, title, and progress
+3. Show completion status from checkboxes in content
+
+### If command is "show":
+1. Use mcp__basic-memory__read_note with project="specs"
+2. Display the full spec content
+
+### If command is "review":
+1. Read the specified spec and its "How to Evaluate" section
+2. Review current implementation against success criteria with careful evaluation of:
+   - **Functional completeness** - All specified features working
+   - **Test coverage analysis** - Actual test files and coverage percentage
+     - Count existing test files vs required components/APIs/composables
+     - Verify unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests
+     - Check for missing test categories (component, API, workflow)
+   - **Code quality metrics** - TypeScript compilation, linting, performance
+   - **Architecture compliance** - Component isolation, state management patterns
+   - **Documentation completeness** - Implementation matches specification
+3. Provide honest, accurate assessment - do not overstate completeness
+4. Document findings and update spec with review results using mcp__basic-memory__edit_note
+5. If gaps found, clearly identify what still needs to be implemented/tested

.claude/commands/test-live.md

@@ -0,0 +1,622 @@
+# /project:test-live - Live Basic Memory Testing Suite
+
+Execute comprehensive real-world testing of Basic Memory using the installed version. 
+All test results are recorded as notes in a dedicated test project.
+
+## Usage
+```
+/project:test-live [phase]
+```
+
+**Parameters:**
+- `phase` (optional): Specific test phase to run (`recent`, `core`, `features`, `edge`, `workflows`, `stress`, or `all`)
+- `recent` - Focus on recent changes and new features (recommended for regular testing)
+- `core` - Essential tools only (Tier 1: write_note, read_note, search_notes, edit_note, list_memory_projects, recent_activity)
+- `features` - Core + important workflows (Tier 1 + Tier 2)
+- `all` - Comprehensive testing of all tools and scenarios
+
+## Implementation
+
+You are an expert QA engineer conducting live testing of Basic Memory. 
+When the user runs `/project:test-live`, execute comprehensive test plan:
+
+## Tool Testing Priority
+
+### **Tier 1: Critical Core (Always Test)**
+1. **write_note** - Foundation of all knowledge creation
+2. **read_note** - Primary knowledge retrieval mechanism
+3. **search_notes** - Essential for finding information
+4. **edit_note** - Core content modification capability
+5. **list_memory_projects** - Project discovery and session guidance
+6. **recent_activity** - Project discovery mode and activity analysis
+
+### **Tier 2: Important Workflows (Usually Test)**
+7. **build_context** - Conversation continuity via memory:// URLs
+8. **create_memory_project** - Essential for project setup
+9. **move_note** - Knowledge organization
+10. **sync_status** - Understanding system state
+11. **delete_project** - Project lifecycle management
+
+### **Tier 3: Enhanced Functionality (Sometimes Test)**
+12. **view_note** - Claude Desktop artifact display
+13. **read_content** - Raw content access
+14. **delete_note** - Content removal
+15. **list_directory** - File system exploration
+16. **edit_note** (advanced modes) - Complex find/replace operations
+
+### **Tier 4: Specialized (Rarely Test)**
+17. **canvas** - Obsidian visualization (specialized use case)
+18. **MCP Prompts** - Enhanced UX tools (ai_assistant_guide, continue_conversation)
+
+## Stateless Architecture Testing
+
+### **Project Discovery Workflow (CRITICAL)**
+Test the new stateless project selection flow:
+
+1. **Initial Discovery**
+   - Call `list_memory_projects()` without knowing which project to use
+   - Verify clear session guidance appears: "Next: Ask which project to use"
+   - Confirm removal of CLI-specific references
+
+2. **Activity-Based Discovery**
+   - Call `recent_activity()` without project parameter (discovery mode)
+   - Verify intelligent project suggestions based on activity
+   - Test guidance: "Should I use [most-active-project] for this task?"
+
+3. **Session Tracking Validation**
+   - Verify all tool responses include `[Session: Using project 'name']`
+   - Confirm guidance reminds about session-wide project tracking
+
+4. **Single Project Constraint Mode**
+   - Test MCP server with `--project` parameter
+   - Verify all operations constrained to specified project
+   - Test project override behavior in constrained mode
+
+### **Explicit Project Parameters (CRITICAL)**
+All tools must require explicit project parameters:
+
+1. **Parameter Validation**
+   - Test all Tier 1 tools require `project` parameter
+   - Verify clear error messages for missing project
+   - Test invalid project name handling
+
+2. **No Session State Dependencies**
+   - Confirm no tool relies on "current project" concept
+   - Test rapid project switching within conversation
+   - Verify each call is truly independent
+
+### Pre-Test Setup
+
+1. **Environment Verification**
+   - Verify basic-memory is installed and accessible via MCP
+   - Check version and confirm it's the expected release
+   - Test MCP connection and tool availability
+
+2. **Recent Changes Analysis** (if phase includes 'recent' or 'all')
+   - Run `git log --oneline -20` to examine recent commits
+   - Identify new features, bug fixes, and enhancements
+   - Generate targeted test scenarios for recent changes
+   - Prioritize regression testing for recently fixed issues
+
+3. **Test Project Creation**
+
+Run the bash `date` command to get the current date/time. 
+
+   ```
+   Create project: "basic-memory-testing-[timestamp]"
+   Location: ~/basic-memory-testing-[timestamp]
+   Purpose: Record all test observations and results
+   ```
+
+Make sure to use the newly created project for all subsequent test operations by specifying it in the `project` parameter of each tool call.
+
+4. **Baseline Documentation**
+   Create initial test session note with:
+   - Test environment details
+   - Version being tested
+   - Recent changes identified (if applicable)
+   - Test objectives and scope
+   - Start timestamp
+
+### Phase 0: Recent Changes Validation (if 'recent' or 'all' phase)
+
+Based on recent commit analysis, create targeted test scenarios:
+
+**Recent Changes Test Protocol:**
+1. **Feature Addition Tests** - For each new feature identified:
+   - Test basic functionality
+   - Test integration with existing tools
+   - Verify documentation accuracy
+   - Test edge cases and error handling
+
+2. **Bug Fix Regression Tests** - For each recent fix:
+   - Recreate the original problem scenario
+   - Verify the fix works as expected
+   - Test related functionality isn't broken
+   - Document the verification in test notes
+
+3. **Performance/Enhancement Validation** - For optimizations:
+   - Establish baseline timing
+   - Compare with expected improvements
+   - Test under various load conditions
+   - Document performance observations
+
+**Example Recent Changes (Update based on actual git log):**
+- Watch Service Restart (#156): Test project creation → file modification → automatic restart
+- Cross-Project Moves (#161): Test move_note with cross-project detection
+- Docker Environment Support (#174): Test BASIC_MEMORY_HOME behavior
+- MCP Server Logging (#164): Verify log level configurations
+
+### Phase 1: Core Functionality Validation (Tier 1 Tools)
+
+Test essential MCP tools that form the foundation of Basic Memory:
+
+**1. write_note Tests (Critical):**
+- ✅ Basic note creation with frontmatter
+- ✅ Special characters and Unicode in titles
+- ✅ Various content types (lists, headings, code blocks)
+- ✅ Empty notes and minimal content edge cases
+- ⚠️ Error handling for invalid parameters
+
+**2. read_note Tests (Critical):**
+- ✅ Read by title, permalink, memory:// URLs
+- ✅ Non-existent notes (error handling)
+- ✅ Notes with complex markdown formatting
+- ⚠️ Performance with large notes (>10MB)
+
+**3. search_notes Tests (Critical):**
+- ✅ Simple text queries across content
+- ✅ Tag-based searches with multiple tags
+- ✅ Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)
+- ✅ Empty/no results scenarios
+- ⚠️ Performance with 100+ notes
+
+**4. edit_note Tests (Critical):**
+- ✅ Append operations preserving frontmatter
+- ✅ Prepend operations
+- ✅ Find/replace with validation
+- ✅ Section replacement under headers
+- ⚠️ Error scenarios (invalid operations)
+
+**5. list_memory_projects Tests (Critical):**
+- ✅ Display all projects with clear session guidance
+- ✅ Project discovery workflow prompts
+- ✅ Removal of CLI-specific references
+- ✅ Empty project list handling
+- ✅ Single project constraint mode display
+
+**6. recent_activity Tests (Critical - Discovery Mode):**
+- ✅ Discovery mode without project parameter
+- ✅ Intelligent project suggestions based on activity
+- ✅ Guidance prompts for project selection
+- ✅ Session tracking reminders in responses
+- ⚠️ Performance with multiple projects
+
+### Phase 2: Important Workflows (Tier 2 Tools)
+
+**7. build_context Tests (Important):**
+- ✅ Different depth levels (1, 2, 3+)
+- ✅ Various timeframes for context
+- ✅ memory:// URL navigation
+- ⚠️ Performance with complex relation graphs
+
+**8. create_memory_project Tests (Important):**
+- ✅ Create projects dynamically
+- ✅ Set default during creation
+- ✅ Path validation and creation
+- ⚠️ Invalid paths and names
+- ✅ Integration with existing projects
+
+**9. move_note Tests (Important):**
+- ✅ Move within same project
+- ✅ Cross-project moves with detection (#161)
+- ✅ Automatic folder creation
+- ✅ Database consistency validation
+- ⚠️ Special characters in paths
+
+**10. sync_status Tests (Important):**
+- ✅ Background operation monitoring
+- ✅ File synchronization status
+- ✅ Project sync state reporting
+- ⚠️ Error state handling
+
+### Phase 3: Enhanced Functionality (Tier 3 Tools)
+
+**11. view_note Tests (Enhanced):**
+- ✅ Claude Desktop artifact display
+- ✅ Title extraction from frontmatter
+- ✅ Unicode and emoji content rendering
+- ⚠️ Error handling for non-existent notes
+
+**12. read_content Tests (Enhanced):**
+- ✅ Raw file content access
+- ✅ Binary file handling
+- ✅ Image file reading
+- ⚠️ Large file performance
+
+**13. delete_note Tests (Enhanced):**
+- ✅ Single note deletion
+- ✅ Database consistency after deletion
+- ⚠️ Non-existent note handling
+- ✅ Confirmation of successful deletion
+
+**14. list_directory Tests (Enhanced):**
+- ✅ Directory content listing
+- ✅ Depth control and filtering
+- ✅ File name globbing
+- ⚠️ Empty directory handling
+
+**15. delete_project Tests (Enhanced):**
+- ✅ Project removal from config
+- ✅ Database cleanup
+- ⚠️ Default project protection
+- ⚠️ Non-existent project handling
+
+### Phase 4: Edge Case Exploration
+
+**Boundary Testing:**
+- Very long titles and content (stress limits)
+- Empty projects and notes
+- Unicode, emojis, special symbols
+- Deeply nested folder structures
+- Circular relations and self-references
+- Maximum relation depths
+
+**Error Scenarios:**
+- Invalid memory:// URLs
+- Missing files referenced in database
+- Invalid project names and paths
+- Malformed note structures
+- Concurrent operation conflicts
+
+**Performance Testing:**
+- Create 100+ notes rapidly
+- Complex search queries
+- Deep relation chains (5+ levels)
+- Rapid successive operations
+- Memory usage monitoring
+
+### Phase 5: Real-World Workflow Scenarios
+
+**Meeting Notes Pipeline:**
+1. Create meeting notes with action items
+2. Extract action items using edit_note
+3. Build relations to project documents
+4. Update progress incrementally
+5. Search and track completion
+
+**Research Knowledge Building:**
+1. Create research topic hierarchy
+2. Build complex relation networks
+3. Add incremental findings over time
+4. Search for connections and patterns
+5. Reorganize as knowledge evolves
+
+**Multi-Project Workflow:**
+1. Technical documentation project
+2. Personal recipe collection project
+3. Learning/course notes project
+4. Specify different projects for different operations
+5. Cross-reference related concepts
+
+**Content Evolution:**
+1. Start with basic notes
+2. Enhance with relations and observations
+3. Reorganize file structure using moves
+4. Update content with edit operations
+5. Validate knowledge graph integrity
+
+### Phase 6: Specialized Tools Testing (Tier 4)
+
+**16. canvas Tests (Specialized):**
+- ✅ JSON Canvas generation
+- ✅ Node and edge creation
+- ✅ Obsidian compatibility
+- ⚠️ Complex graph handling
+
+**17. MCP Prompts Tests (Specialized):**
+- ✅ ai_assistant_guide output
+- ✅ continue_conversation functionality
+- ✅ Formatted search results
+- ✅ Enhanced activity reports
+
+### Phase 7: Integration & File Watching Tests
+
+**File System Integration:**
+- ✅ Watch service behavior with file changes
+- ✅ Project creation → watch restart (#156)
+- ✅ Multi-project synchronization
+- ⚠️ MCP→API→DB→File stack validation
+
+**Real Integration Testing:**
+- ✅ End-to-end file watching vs manual operations
+- ✅ Cross-session persistence
+- ✅ Database consistency across operations
+- ⚠️ Performance under real file system changes
+
+### Phase 8: Creative Stress Testing
+
+**Creative Exploration:**
+- Rapid project creation/switching patterns
+- Unusual but valid markdown structures
+- Creative observation categories
+- Novel relation types and patterns
+- Unexpected tool combinations
+
+**Stress Scenarios:**
+- Bulk operations (many notes quickly)
+- Complex nested moves and edits
+- Deep context building
+- Complex boolean search expressions
+- Resource constraint testing
+
+## Test Execution Guidelines
+
+### Quick Testing (core/features phases)
+- Focus on Tier 1 tools (core) or Tier 1+2 (features)
+- Test essential functionality and common edge cases
+- Record critical issues immediately
+- Complete in 15-20 minutes
+
+### Comprehensive Testing (all phase)
+- Cover all tiers systematically
+- Include specialized tools and stress testing
+- Document performance baselines
+- Complete in 45-60 minutes
+
+### Recent Changes Focus (recent phase)
+- Analyze git log for recent commits
+- Generate targeted test scenarios
+- Focus on regression testing for fixes
+- Validate new features thoroughly
+
+## Test Observation Format
+
+Record ALL observations immediately as Basic Memory notes:
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Test Session [Phase] YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM
+tags: [testing, v0.13.0, live-testing, [phase]]
+permalink: test-session-[phase]-[timestamp]
+---
+
+# Test Session [Phase] - [Date/Time]
+
+## Environment
+- Basic Memory version: [version]
+- MCP connection: [status]
+- Test project: [name]
+- Phase focus: [description]
+
+## Test Results
+
+### ✅ Successful Operations
+- [timestamp] ✅ write_note: Created note with emoji title 📝 #tier1 #functionality
+- [timestamp] ✅ search_notes: Boolean query returned 23 results in 0.4s #tier1 #performance  
+- [timestamp] ✅ edit_note: Append operation preserved frontmatter #tier1 #reliability
+
+### ⚠️ Issues Discovered
+- [timestamp] ⚠️ move_note: Slow with deep folder paths (2.1s) #tier2 #performance
+- [timestamp] 🚨 search_notes: Unicode query returned unexpected results #tier1 #bug #critical
+- [timestamp] ⚠️ build_context: Context lost for memory:// URLs #tier2 #issue
+
+### 🚀 Enhancements Identified
+- edit_note could benefit from preview mode #ux-improvement
+- search_notes needs fuzzy matching for typos #feature-idea
+- move_note could auto-suggest folder creation #usability
+
+### 📊 Performance Metrics
+- Average write_note time: 0.3s
+- Search with 100+ notes: 0.6s
+- Project parameter overhead: <0.1s
+- Memory usage: [observed levels]
+
+## Relations
+- tests [[Basic Memory v0.13.0]]
+- part_of [[Live Testing Suite]]
+- found_issues [[Bug Report: Unicode Search]]
+- discovered [[Performance Optimization Opportunities]]
+```
+
+## Quality Assessment Areas
+
+**User Experience & Usability:**
+- Tool instruction clarity and examples
+- Error message actionability
+- Response time acceptability
+- Tool consistency and discoverability
+- Learning curve and intuitiveness
+
+**System Behavior:**
+- Stateless operation independence
+- memory:// URL navigation reliability
+- Multi-step workflow cohesion
+- Edge case graceful handling
+- Recovery from user errors
+
+**Documentation Alignment:**
+- Tool output clarity and helpfulness
+- Behavior vs. documentation accuracy
+- Example validity and usefulness
+- Real-world vs. documented workflows
+
+**Mental Model Validation:**
+- Natural user expectation alignment
+- Surprising behavior identification
+- Mistake recovery ease
+- Knowledge graph concept naturalness
+
+**Performance & Reliability:**
+- Operation completion times
+- Consistency across sessions
+- Scaling behavior with growth
+- Unexpected slowness identification
+
+## Error Documentation Protocol
+
+For each error discovered:
+
+1. **Immediate Recording**
+   - Create dedicated error note
+   - Include exact reproduction steps
+   - Capture error messages verbatim
+   - Note system state when error occurred
+
+2. **Error Note Format**
+   ```markdown
+   ---
+   title: Bug Report - [Short Description]
+   tags: [bug, testing, v0.13.0, [severity]]
+   ---
+   
+   # Bug Report: [Description]
+   
+   ## Reproduction Steps
+   1. [Exact steps to reproduce]
+   2. [Include all parameters used]
+   3. [Note any special conditions]
+   
+   ## Expected Behavior
+   [What should have happened]
+   
+   ## Actual Behavior  
+   [What actually happened]
+   
+   ## Error Messages
+   ```
+   [Exact error text]
+   ```
+   
+   ## Environment
+   - Version: [version]
+   - Project: [name]
+   - Timestamp: [when]
+   
+   ## Severity
+   - [ ] Critical (blocks major functionality)
+   - [ ] High (impacts user experience)
+   - [ ] Medium (workaround available)
+   - [ ] Low (minor inconvenience)
+   
+   ## Relations
+   - discovered_during [[Test Session [Phase]]]
+   - affects [[Feature Name]]
+   ```
+
+## Success Metrics Tracking
+
+**Quantitative Measures:**
+- Test scenario completion rate
+- Bug discovery count with severity
+- Performance benchmark establishment
+- Tool coverage completeness
+
+**Qualitative Measures:**
+- Conversation flow naturalness
+- Knowledge graph quality
+- User experience insights
+- System reliability assessment
+
+## Test Execution Flow
+
+1. **Setup Phase** (5 minutes)
+   - Verify environment and create test project
+   - Record baseline system state
+   - Establish performance benchmarks
+
+2. **Core Testing** (15-20 minutes per phase)
+   - Execute test scenarios systematically
+   - Record observations immediately
+   - Note timestamps for performance tracking
+   - Explore variations when interesting behaviors occur
+
+3. **Documentation** (5 minutes per phase)
+   - Create phase summary note
+   - Link related test observations
+   - Update running issues list
+   - Record enhancement ideas
+
+4. **Analysis Phase** (10 minutes)
+   - Review all observations across phases
+   - Identify patterns and trends
+   - Create comprehensive summary report
+   - Generate development recommendations
+
+## Testing Success Criteria
+
+### Core Testing (Tier 1) - Must Pass
+- All 6 critical tools function correctly
+- No critical bugs in essential workflows
+- Acceptable performance for basic operations
+- Error handling works as expected
+
+### Feature Testing (Tier 1+2) - Should Pass
+- All 11 core + important tools function
+- Workflow scenarios complete successfully
+- Performance meets baseline expectations
+- Integration points work correctly
+
+### Comprehensive Testing (All Tiers) - Complete Coverage
+- All tools tested across all scenarios
+- Edge cases and stress testing completed
+- Performance baselines established
+- Full documentation of issues and enhancements
+
+## Expected Outcomes
+
+**System Validation:**
+- Feature verification prioritized by tier importance
+- Recent changes validated for regression
+- Performance baseline establishment
+- Bug identification with severity assessment
+
+**Knowledge Base Creation:**
+- Prioritized testing documentation
+- Real usage examples for user guides
+- Recent changes validation records
+- Performance insights for optimization
+
+**Development Insights:**
+- Tier-based bug priority list
+- Recent changes impact assessment
+- Enhancement ideas from real usage
+- User experience improvement areas
+
+## Post-Test Deliverables
+
+1. **Test Summary Note**
+   - Overall results and findings
+   - Critical issues requiring immediate attention
+   - Enhancement opportunities discovered
+   - System readiness assessment
+
+2. **Bug Report Collection**
+   - All discovered issues with reproduction steps
+   - Severity and impact assessments
+   - Suggested fixes where applicable
+
+3. **Performance Baseline**
+   - Timing data for all operations
+   - Scaling behavior observations
+   - Resource usage patterns
+
+4. **UX Improvement Recommendations**
+   - Usability enhancement suggestions
+   - Documentation improvement areas
+   - Tool design optimization ideas
+
+5. **Updated TESTING.md**
+   - Incorporate new test scenarios discovered
+   - Update based on real execution experience
+   - Add performance benchmarks and targets
+
+## Context
+- Uses real installed basic-memory version 
+- Tests complete MCP→API→DB→File stack
+- Creates living documentation in Basic Memory itself
+- Follows integration over isolation philosophy
+- Prioritizes testing by tool importance and usage frequency
+- Adapts to recent development changes dynamically
+- Focuses on real usage patterns over checklist validation
+- Generates actionable insights prioritized by impact

.claude/settings.json

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/claude-code-settings.json",
+  "env": {
+    "CLAUDE_BASH_MAINTAIN_PROJECT_WORKING_DIR": "1",
+    "CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_FEEDBACK_SURVEY": "1",
+    "CLAUDE_CODE_NO_FLICKER": "1",
+    "CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ADAPTIVE_THINKING": "1"
+  },
+  "permissions": {
+    "allow": [
+      "Bash(just fast-check)",
+      "Bash(just check)",
+      "Bash(just fix)",
+      "Bash(just typecheck)",
+      "Bash(just lint)",
+      "Bash(just test)"
+    ],
+    "deny": []
+  },
+  "enableAllProjectMcpServers": true
+}

.claude/skills/adversarial-review

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../.agents/skills/adversarial-review

.claude/skills/instrumentation

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../.agents/skills/instrumentation

.dockerignore

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+# Git files
+.git/
+.gitignore
+.gitattributes
+
+# Development files
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+*.swp
+*.swo
+*~
+
+# Testing files
+tests/
+test-int/
+.pytest_cache/
+.coverage
+htmlcov/
+
+# Build artifacts
+build/
+dist/
+*.egg-info/
+__pycache__/
+*.pyc
+*.pyo
+*.pyd
+.Python
+
+# Virtual environments (uv creates these during build)
+.venv/
+venv/
+.env
+
+# CI/CD files
+.github/
+
+# Documentation (keep README.md and pyproject.toml)
+docs/
+CHANGELOG.md
+CLAUDE.md
+CONTRIBUTING.md
+
+# Example files not needed for runtime
+examples/
+
+# Local development files
+.basic-memory/
+*.db
+*.sqlite3
+
+# OS files
+.DS_Store
+Thumbs.db
+
+# Temporary files
+tmp/
+temp/
+*.tmp
+*.log

.env.example

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Basic Memory Environment Variables Example
+# Copy this file to .env and customize as needed
+# Note: .env files are gitignored and should never be committed
+
+# ============================================================================
+# PostgreSQL Test Database Configuration
+# ============================================================================
+# These variables allow you to override the default test database credentials
+# Default values match docker-compose-postgres.yml for local development
+#
+# Only needed if you want to use different credentials or a remote test database
+# By default, tests use: postgresql://basic_memory_user:dev_password@localhost:5433/basic_memory_test
+
+# Full PostgreSQL test database URL (used by tests and migrations)
+# POSTGRES_TEST_URL=postgresql+asyncpg://basic_memory_user:dev_password@localhost:5433/basic_memory_test
+
+# Individual components (used by justfile postgres-reset command)
+# POSTGRES_USER=basic_memory_user
+# POSTGRES_TEST_DB=basic_memory_test
+
+# ============================================================================
+# Production Database Configuration
+# ============================================================================
+# For production use, set these in your deployment environment
+# DO NOT use the test credentials above in production!
+
+# BASIC_MEMORY_DATABASE_BACKEND=postgres  # or "sqlite"
+# BASIC_MEMORY_DATABASE_URL=postgresql+asyncpg://user:password@host:port/database

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+---
+name: Bug report
+about: Create a report to help us improve Basic Memory
+title: '[BUG] '
+labels: bug
+assignees: ''
+---
+
+## Bug Description
+A clear and concise description of what the bug is.
+
+## Steps To Reproduce
+Steps to reproduce the behavior:
+1. Install version '...'
+2. Run command '...'
+3. Use tool/feature '...'
+4. See error
+
+## Expected Behavior
+A clear and concise description of what you expected to happen.
+
+## Actual Behavior
+What actually happened, including error messages and output.
+
+## Environment
+- OS: [e.g. macOS 14.2, Ubuntu 22.04]
+- Python version: [e.g. 3.12.1]
+- Basic Memory version: [e.g. 0.1.0]
+- Installation method: [e.g. pip, uv, source]
+- Claude Desktop version (if applicable):
+
+## Additional Context
+- Configuration files (if relevant)
+- Logs or screenshots
+- Any special configuration or environment variables
+
+## Possible Solution
+If you have any ideas on what might be causing the issue or how to fix it, please share them here.

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+blank_issues_enabled: false
+contact_links:
+  - name: Basic Memory Discussions
+    url: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/discussions
+    about: For questions, ideas, or more open-ended discussions
+  - name: Documentation
+    url: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory#readme
+    about: Please check the documentation first before reporting an issue

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/documentation.md

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+name: Documentation improvement
+about: Suggest improvements or report issues with documentation
+title: '[DOCS] '
+labels: documentation
+assignees: ''
+---
+
+## Documentation Issue
+Describe what's missing, unclear, or incorrect in the current documentation.
+
+## Location
+Where is the problematic documentation? (URL, file path, or section)
+
+## Suggested Improvement
+How would you improve this documentation? Please be as specific as possible.
+
+## Additional Context
+Any additional information or screenshots that might help explain the issue or improvement.

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.md

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+name: Feature request
+about: Suggest an idea for Basic Memory
+title: '[FEATURE] '
+labels: enhancement
+assignees: ''
+---
+
+## Feature Description
+A clear and concise description of the feature you'd like to see implemented.
+
+## Problem This Feature Solves
+Describe the problem or limitation you're experiencing that this feature would address.
+
+## Proposed Solution
+Describe how you envision this feature working. Include:
+- User workflow
+- Interface design (if applicable)
+- Technical approach (if you have ideas)
+
+## Alternative Solutions
+Have you considered any alternative solutions or workarounds?
+
+## Additional Context
+Add any other context, screenshots, or examples about the feature request here.
+
+## Impact
+How would this feature benefit you and other users of Basic Memory?

.github/dependabot.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# To get started with Dependabot version updates, you'll need to specify which
+# package ecosystems to update and where the package manifests are located.
+# Please see the documentation for all configuration options:
+# https://docs.github.com/code-security/dependabot/dependabot-version-updates/configuration-options-for-the-dependabot.yml-file
+
+version: 2
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: "" # See documentation for possible values
+    directory: "/" # Location of package manifests
+    schedule:
+      interval: "weekly"
+      

.github/workflows/claude-code-review.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+name: Claude Code Review
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, synchronize]
+    # Optional: Only run on specific file changes
+    # paths:
+    #   - "src/**/*.ts"
+    #   - "src/**/*.tsx"
+    #   - "src/**/*.js"
+    #   - "src/**/*.jsx"
+
+env:
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
+
+jobs:
+  claude-review:
+    # Only run for organization members and collaborators
+    if: |
+      github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'OWNER' ||
+      github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'MEMBER' ||
+      github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'COLLABORATOR'
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: write
+      issues: read
+      id-token: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 1
+
+      - name: Run Claude Code Review
+        id: claude-review
+        uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
+        with:
+          claude_code_oauth_token: ${{ secrets.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN }}
+          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          track_progress: true  # Enable visual progress tracking
+          allowed_bots: '*'
+          prompt: |
+            Review this Basic Memory PR against our team checklist:
+
+            ## Code Quality & Standards
+            - [ ] Follows Basic Memory's coding conventions in CLAUDE.md
+            - [ ] Python 3.12+ type annotations and async patterns
+            - [ ] SQLAlchemy 2.0 best practices
+            - [ ] FastAPI and Typer conventions followed
+            - [ ] 100-character line length limit maintained
+            - [ ] No commented-out code blocks
+
+            ## Testing & Documentation
+            - [ ] Unit tests for new functions/methods
+            - [ ] Integration tests for new MCP tools
+            - [ ] Test coverage for edge cases
+            - [ ] **100% test coverage maintained** (use `# pragma: no cover` only for truly hard-to-test code)
+            - [ ] Documentation updated (README, docstrings)
+            - [ ] CLAUDE.md updated if conventions change
+
+            ## Basic Memory Architecture
+            - [ ] MCP tools follow atomic, composable design
+            - [ ] Database changes include Alembic migrations
+            - [ ] Preserves local-first architecture principles
+            - [ ] Knowledge graph operations maintain consistency
+            - [ ] Markdown file handling preserves integrity
+            - [ ] AI-human collaboration patterns followed
+
+            ## Security & Performance
+            - [ ] No hardcoded secrets or credentials
+            - [ ] Input validation for MCP tools
+            - [ ] Proper error handling and logging
+            - [ ] Performance considerations addressed
+            - [ ] No sensitive data in logs or commits
+            
+            ## Compatability
+            - [ ] File path comparisons must be windows compatible
+            - [ ] Avoid using emojis and unicode characters in console and log output
+
+            Read the CLAUDE.md file for detailed project context. For each checklist item, verify if it's satisfied and comment on any that need attention. Use inline comments for specific code issues and post a summary with checklist results.
+
+          # Allow broader tool access for thorough code review
+          claude_args: '--allowed-tools "Bash(gh pr:*),Bash(gh issue:*),Bash(gh api:*),Bash(git log:*),Bash(git show:*),Read,Grep,Glob"'

.github/workflows/claude-issue-triage.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+name: Claude Issue Triage
+
+on:
+  issues:
+    types: [opened]
+
+env:
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
+
+jobs:
+  triage:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      issues: write
+      id-token: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 1
+
+      - name: Run Claude Issue Triage
+        uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
+        with:
+          claude_code_oauth_token: ${{ secrets.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN }}
+          track_progress: true  # Show triage progress
+          prompt: |
+            Analyze this new Basic Memory issue and perform triage:
+
+            **Issue Analysis:**
+            1. **Type Classification:**
+               - Bug report (code defect)
+               - Feature request (new functionality)
+               - Enhancement (improvement to existing feature)
+               - Documentation (docs improvement)
+               - Question/Support (user help)
+               - MCP tool issue (specific to MCP functionality)
+
+            2. **Priority Assessment:**
+               - Critical: Security issues, data loss, complete breakage
+               - High: Major functionality broken, affects many users
+               - Medium: Minor bugs, usability issues
+               - Low: Nice-to-have improvements, cosmetic issues
+
+            3. **Component Classification:**
+               - CLI commands
+               - MCP tools
+               - Database/sync
+               - Cloud functionality
+               - Documentation
+               - Testing
+
+            4. **Complexity Estimate:**
+               - Simple: Quick fix, documentation update
+               - Medium: Requires some investigation/testing
+               - Complex: Major feature work, architectural changes
+
+            **Actions to Take:**
+            1. Add appropriate labels using: `gh issue edit ${{ github.event.issue.number }} --add-label "label1,label2"`
+            2. Check for duplicates using: `gh search issues`
+            3. If duplicate found, comment mentioning the original issue
+            4. For feature requests, ask clarifying questions if needed
+            5. For bugs, request reproduction steps if missing
+
+            **Available Labels:**
+            - Type: bug, enhancement, feature, documentation, question, mcp-tool
+            - Priority: critical, high, medium, low
+            - Component: cli, mcp, database, cloud, docs, testing
+            - Complexity: simple, medium, complex
+            - Status: needs-reproduction, needs-clarification, duplicate
+
+            Read the issue carefully and provide helpful triage with appropriate labels.
+
+          claude_args: '--allowed-tools "Bash(gh issue:*),Bash(gh search:*),Read"'

.github/workflows/claude.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+name: Claude Code
+
+on:
+  issue_comment:
+    types: [created]
+  pull_request_review_comment:
+    types: [created]
+  issues:
+    types: [opened, assigned]
+  pull_request_review:
+    types: [submitted]
+  pull_request_target:
+    types: [opened, synchronize]
+
+env:
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
+
+jobs:
+  claude:
+    if: |
+      (
+        (github.event_name == 'issue_comment' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude')) ||
+        (github.event_name == 'pull_request_review_comment' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude')) ||
+        (github.event_name == 'pull_request_review' && contains(github.event.review.body, '@claude')) ||
+        (github.event_name == 'issues' && (contains(github.event.issue.body, '@claude') || contains(github.event.issue.title, '@claude'))) ||
+        (github.event_name == 'pull_request_target' && contains(github.event.pull_request.body, '@claude'))
+      ) && (
+        github.event.comment.author_association == 'OWNER' ||
+        github.event.comment.author_association == 'MEMBER' ||
+        github.event.comment.author_association == 'COLLABORATOR' ||
+        github.event.sender.author_association == 'OWNER' ||
+        github.event.sender.author_association == 'MEMBER' ||
+        github.event.sender.author_association == 'COLLABORATOR' ||
+        github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'OWNER' ||
+        github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'MEMBER' ||
+        github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'COLLABORATOR'
+      )
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
+      issues: read
+      id-token: write
+      actions: read # Required for Claude to read CI results on PRs
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          # For pull_request_target, checkout the PR head to review the actual changes
+          ref: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request_target' && github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
+          fetch-depth: 1
+
+      - name: Run Claude Code
+        id: claude
+        uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
+        with:
+          claude_code_oauth_token: ${{ secrets.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN }}
+          track_progress: true  # Enable visual progress tracking
+          
+          # This is an optional setting that allows Claude to read CI results on PRs
+          additional_permissions: |
+            actions: read
+
+          # Optional: Give a custom prompt to Claude. If this is not specified, Claude will perform the instructions specified in the comment that tagged it.
+          # prompt: 'Update the pull request description to include a summary of changes.'
+
+          # Optional: Add claude_args to customize behavior and configuration
+          # See https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code-action/blob/main/docs/usage.md
+          # or https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/sdk#command-line for available options
+          # claude_args: '--model claude-opus-4-1-20250805 --allowed-tools Bash(gh pr:*)'

.github/workflows/consolidated-packages.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+name: Consolidated Packages
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - ".claude-plugin/**"
+      - "plugins/**"
+      - "skills/**"
+      - "integrations/**"
+      - "scripts/update_versions.py"
+      - "scripts/validate_*.py"
+      - "justfile"
+      - ".github/workflows/consolidated-packages.yml"
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+    paths:
+      - ".claude-plugin/**"
+      - "plugins/**"
+      - "skills/**"
+      - "integrations/**"
+      - "scripts/update_versions.py"
+      - "scripts/validate_*.py"
+      - "justfile"
+      - ".github/workflows/consolidated-packages.yml"
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  claude-code:
+    name: Claude Code marketplace
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Validate manifests, agent, and bundled skills
+        run: just --justfile plugins/claude-code/justfile --working-directory plugins/claude-code ci-check
+
+      - name: Verify shared version dry run
+        run: just release-dry-run v0.99.0
+
+  skills:
+    name: Shared skills
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Validate SKILL.md source
+        run: just --justfile skills/justfile --working-directory skills check
+
+  hermes:
+    name: Hermes unit tests
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: integrations/hermes
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v3
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        run: uv python install 3.12
+
+      - name: Validate manifest and run unit tests
+        run: just check
+
+  openclaw:
+    name: OpenClaw package
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: integrations/openclaw
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Setup Bun
+        uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: "1.3.8"
+
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: "24"
+          registry-url: "https://registry.npmjs.org"
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: bun install --frozen-lockfile
+
+      - name: Release readiness
+        run: just release-check

.github/workflows/dev-release.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+name: Dev Release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:  # Allow manual triggering
+
+env:
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
+
+jobs:
+  dev-release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      id-token: write
+      contents: write
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        run: |
+          pip install uv
+
+      - name: Install dependencies and build
+        run: |
+          uv venv
+          uv sync
+          uv build
+
+      - name: Check if this is a dev version
+        id: check_version
+        run: |
+          VERSION=$(uv run python -c "import basic_memory; print(basic_memory.__version__)")
+          echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          if [[ "$VERSION" == *"dev"* ]]; then
+            echo "is_dev=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            echo "Dev version detected: $VERSION"
+          else
+            echo "is_dev=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            echo "Release version detected: $VERSION, skipping dev release"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Publish dev version to PyPI
+        if: steps.check_version.outputs.is_dev == 'true'
+        uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
+        with:
+          password: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
+          skip-existing: true  # Don't fail if version already exists

.github/workflows/docker.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+name: Docker Image CI
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'v*'  # Trigger on version tags like v1.0.0, v0.13.0, etc.
+  workflow_dispatch:  # Allow manual triggering for testing
+
+env:
+  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
+  IMAGE_NAME: basicmachines-co/basic-memory
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
+
+jobs:
+  docker:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v4
+        with:
+          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
+
+      - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v4
+        with:
+          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Extract metadata
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v6
+        with:
+          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
+          tags: |
+            type=ref,event=branch
+            type=ref,event=pr
+            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
+            type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}
+            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
+
+      - name: Build and push Docker image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v7
+        with:
+          context: .
+          file: ./Dockerfile
+          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
+          push: true
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max

.github/workflows/pr-title.yml

@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@ on:
       - edited
       - synchronize
 
+env:
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
+
 jobs:
   main:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: amannn/action-semantic-pull-request@v5
+      - uses: amannn/action-semantic-pull-request@v6
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         with:
@@ -37,5 +40,8 @@ jobs:
             ui
             deps
             installer
+            plugins
+            skills
+            integrations
           # Allow breaking changes (needs "!" after type/scope)
-          requireScopeForBreakingChange: true
+          requireScopeForBreakingChange: true

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -1,101 +1,165 @@
 name: Release
 
 on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      version_type:
-        description: 'Type of version bump (major, minor, patch)'
-        required: true
-        default: 'patch'
-        type: choice
-        options:
-          - patch
-          - minor
-          - major
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'v*'  # Trigger on version tags like v1.0.0, v0.13.0, etc.
+
+env:
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
 
 jobs:
   release:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    concurrency: release
     permissions:
       id-token: write
       contents: write
-    outputs:
-      released: ${{ steps.release.outputs.released }}
-      tag: ${{ steps.release.outputs.tag }}
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - name: Python Semantic Release
-        id: release
-        uses: python-semantic-release/python-semantic-release@master
-        with:
-          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-
-      - name: Publish to PyPI
-        uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
-        if: steps.release.outputs.released == 'true'
-        with:
-          password: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
-
-      - name: Publish to GitHub Release Assets
-        uses: python-semantic-release/publish-action@v9.8.9
-        if: steps.release.outputs.released == 'true'
-        with:
-          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          tag: ${{ steps.release.outputs.tag }}
-
-  build-macos:
-    needs: release
-    if: needs.release.outputs.released == 'true'
-    runs-on: macos-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ needs.release.outputs.tag }}
-
       - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
-          python-version: '3.12'
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install uv
         run: |
           pip install uv
 
-      - name: Create virtual env
+      - name: Install dependencies and build
         run: |
           uv venv
+          uv sync
+          uv build
+
+      - name: Verify build succeeded
+        run: |
+          # Verify that build artifacts exist
+          ls -la dist/
+          echo "Build completed successfully"
+
+      - name: Create GitHub Release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v3
+        with:
+          files: |
+            dist/*.whl
+            dist/*.tar.gz
+          generate_release_notes: true
+          tag_name: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Publish to PyPI
+        uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
+        with:
+          password: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
+
+  openclaw:
+    name: Publish OpenClaw npm Package
+    needs: release
+    # npm publishes only for stable product tags. Pre-release Python tags use
+    # versions like 0.21.3b1, which are not valid npm pre-release semver.
+    if: ${{ !contains(github.ref_name, 'dev') && !contains(github.ref_name, 'b') && !contains(github.ref_name, 'rc') }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      id-token: write
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: integrations/openclaw
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Setup Bun
+        uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: "1.3.8"
+
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: "24"
+          registry-url: "https://registry.npmjs.org"
 
       - name: Install dependencies
+        run: bun install --frozen-lockfile
+
+      - name: Release readiness
+        run: just release-check
+
+      - name: Publish to npm
+        run: npm publish --access public --provenance
+        env:
+          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
+
+  homebrew:
+    name: Update Homebrew Formula
+    needs: release
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Only run for stable releases (not dev, beta, or rc versions)
+    if: ${{ !contains(github.ref_name, 'dev') && !contains(github.ref_name, 'b') && !contains(github.ref_name, 'rc') }}
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    steps:
+      # Inline bump replaces mislav/bump-homebrew-formula-action@v4.x.
+      # The action does a HEAD request to api.github.com /repos/.../tarball/<ref>
+      # with the bearer token and expects a 302 redirect. GitHub now returns
+      # 303 on that endpoint when authenticated, which the action treats as a
+      # fatal error. Re-implementing the bump as plain git+sed keeps the same
+      # contract (update url + sha256, commit, push) with no third-party action.
+      - name: Update Homebrew formula
+        env:
+          HOMEBREW_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.HOMEBREW_TOKEN }}
+          REF: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+          RUN_URL: https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}
         run: |
-          uv pip install -e .[dev]
+          set -euo pipefail
 
-      - name: Install librsvg
-        run: brew install librsvg
+          VERSION="${REF#v}"
+          ARCHIVE_URL="https://github.com/${REPO}/archive/refs/tags/${REF}.tar.gz"
 
-      - name: Create icon
-        run: |
-          cd installer
-          chmod +x make_icons.sh
-          ./make_icons.sh
+          echo "::group::Compute tarball sha256"
+          SHA256="$(curl --fail --silent --location "$ARCHIVE_URL" | sha256sum | awk '{print $1}')"
+          test -n "$SHA256"
+          echo "sha256: $SHA256"
+          echo "::endgroup::"
 
-      - name: Build macOS installer
-        run: |
-          make installer-mac
-          xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "build/Basic Memory Installer.app"
+          echo "::group::Clone tap"
+          git clone \
+            --depth 1 \
+            "https://x-access-token:${HOMEBREW_TOKEN}@github.com/basicmachines-co/homebrew-basic-memory.git" \
+            tap
+          cd tap
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          echo "::endgroup::"
 
-      - name: Zip macOS installer
-        run: |
-          cd installer/build
-          zip -r "Basic-Memory-Installer-${{ needs.release.outputs.tag }}.zip" "Basic Memory Installer.app"
+          echo "::group::Patch Formula/basic-memory.rb"
+          # Pipe-delimited sed because the URL contains slashes. The Formula
+          # only has one `url` and one `sha256` directive, so a first-match
+          # replacement is unambiguous. POSIX character classes ([[:space:]])
+          # keep this portable across BSD and GNU sed.
+          sed -i -E \
+            -e "s|^([[:space:]]*url[[:space:]]+)\"[^\"]+\"|\1\"${ARCHIVE_URL}\"|" \
+            -e "s|^([[:space:]]*sha256[[:space:]]+)\"[^\"]+\"|\1\"${SHA256}\"|" \
+            Formula/basic-memory.rb
+          git --no-pager diff Formula/basic-memory.rb
+          echo "::endgroup::"
 
-      - name: Upload macOS installer
-        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
-        with:
-          files: installer/build/Basic-Memory-Installer-${{ needs.release.outputs.tag }}.zip
-          tag_name: ${{ needs.release.outputs.tag }}
-          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          if git diff --quiet Formula/basic-memory.rb; then
+            echo "Formula already at ${REF}; nothing to do."
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          echo "::group::Commit & push"
+          git add Formula/basic-memory.rb
+          git commit -m "basic-memory ${VERSION}
+
+          Created by ${RUN_URL}"
+          git push origin HEAD:main
+          echo "::endgroup::"

.github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -1,26 +1,82 @@
 name: Tests
 
+concurrency:
+  group: bm-ci-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.repository }}-${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 on:
+  # Trigger: PR branch pushes already publish commit statuses that show up on the PR.
+  # Why: running the full matrix on both push and pull_request doubles CI time for the
+  #      exact same branch head commit.
+  # Outcome: each branch push runs the test suite once, including PR updates.
   push:
-    branches: [ "main" ]
-  pull_request:
-    branches: [ "main" ]
+
+env:
+  FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24: "true"
 
 jobs:
-  test:
+  static-checks:
+    name: Static Checks (Python 3.12)
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+          cache: "pip"
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        run: |
+          pip install uv
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Create virtual env
+        run: |
+          uv venv
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
+
+      - name: Run type checks
+        run: |
+          just typecheck
+
+      - name: Run linting
+        run: |
+          just lint
+
+  test-sqlite-unit:
+    name: Test SQLite Unit (${{ matrix.os }}, Python ${{ matrix.python-version }})
+    timeout-minutes: 45
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: [ "3.12" ]
+        include:
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            python-version: "3.12"
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            python-version: "3.13"
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            python-version: "3.14"
+          - os: windows-latest
+            python-version: "3.12"
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
           submodules: true
 
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
           cache: 'pip'
@@ -29,19 +85,210 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           pip install uv
 
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
       - name: Create virtual env
         run: |
           uv venv
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
-          uv pip install -e .[dev]
-
-      - name: Run type checks
-        run: |
-          uv run make type-check
+          uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
 
       - name: Run tests
         run: |
-          uv pip install pytest pytest-cov
-          uv run make test
+          just test-unit-sqlite
+
+  test-sqlite-integration:
+    name: Test SQLite Integration (${{ matrix.os }}, Python ${{ matrix.python-version }})
+    timeout-minutes: 45
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            python-version: "3.12"
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            python-version: "3.13"
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            python-version: "3.14"
+          - os: windows-latest
+            python-version: "3.12"
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+
+      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          cache: 'pip'
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        run: |
+          pip install uv
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Create virtual env
+        run: |
+          uv venv
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: |
+          just test-int-sqlite
+
+  test-postgres-unit:
+    name: Test Postgres Unit (Python ${{ matrix.python-version }})
+    timeout-minutes: 60
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - python-version: "3.12"
+          - python-version: "3.13"
+          - python-version: "3.14"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    services:
+      postgres:
+        image: pgvector/pgvector:pg16
+        env:
+          POSTGRES_USER: basic_memory_user
+          POSTGRES_PASSWORD: dev_password
+          POSTGRES_DB: basic_memory_test
+        ports:
+          - 5432:5432
+        options: >-
+          --health-cmd "pg_isready -U basic_memory_user -d basic_memory_test"
+          --health-interval 10s
+          --health-timeout 5s
+          --health-retries 5
+    env:
+      BASIC_MEMORY_TEST_POSTGRES_URL: postgresql://basic_memory_user:dev_password@127.0.0.1:5432/basic_memory_test
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+
+      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          cache: 'pip'
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        run: |
+          pip install uv
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Create virtual env
+        run: |
+          uv venv
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: |
+          just test-unit-postgres
+
+  test-postgres-integration:
+    name: Test Postgres Integration (Python ${{ matrix.python-version }})
+    timeout-minutes: 45
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - python-version: "3.12"
+          - python-version: "3.13"
+          - python-version: "3.14"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    services:
+      postgres:
+        image: pgvector/pgvector:pg16
+        env:
+          POSTGRES_USER: basic_memory_user
+          POSTGRES_PASSWORD: dev_password
+          POSTGRES_DB: basic_memory_test
+        ports:
+          - 5432:5432
+        options: >-
+          --health-cmd "pg_isready -U basic_memory_user -d basic_memory_test"
+          --health-interval 10s
+          --health-timeout 5s
+          --health-retries 5
+    env:
+      BASIC_MEMORY_TEST_POSTGRES_URL: postgresql://basic_memory_user:dev_password@127.0.0.1:5432/basic_memory_test
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+
+      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          cache: 'pip'
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        run: |
+          pip install uv
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Create virtual env
+        run: |
+          uv venv
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: |
+          just test-int-postgres
+
+  test-semantic:
+    name: Test Semantic (Python 3.12)
+    timeout-minutes: 45
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+          cache: "pip"
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        run: |
+          pip install uv
+
+      - uses: extractions/setup-just@v4
+
+      - name: Create virtual env
+        run: |
+          uv venv
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: |
+          just test-semantic

.gitignore

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 *.py[cod]
 __pycache__/
 .pytest_cache/
+.testmondata*
 .coverage
 htmlcov/
 
@@ -42,3 +43,24 @@ ENV/
 
 # macOS
 .DS_Store
+.coverage.*
+
+# obsidian docs:
+/docs/.obsidian/
+/examples/.obsidian/
+/examples/.basic-memory/
+
+
+# claude action
+claude-output
+**/.claude/settings.local.json
+.mcp.json
+.mcpregistry_*
+/.testmondata
+.benchmarks/
+
+# Consolidated package build artifacts
+/integrations/openclaw/node_modules/
+/integrations/openclaw/dist/
+/integrations/openclaw/skills/
+/integrations/openclaw/*.tgz

.python-version

@@ -1 +1 @@
-3.12
+3.14

AGENTS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,512 @@
+# AGENTS.md - Basic Memory Project Guide
+
+## Project Overview
+
+Basic Memory is a local-first knowledge management system built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It enables
+bidirectional communication between LLMs (like Claude) and markdown files, creating a personal knowledge graph that can
+be traversed using links between documents.
+
+## CODEBASE DEVELOPMENT
+
+### Project information
+
+See the [README.md](README.md) file for a project overview.
+
+### Build and Test Commands
+
+- Install: `just install` or `pip install -e ".[dev]"`
+- Run all tests (SQLite + Postgres): `just test`
+- Run all tests against SQLite: `just test-sqlite`
+- Run all tests against Postgres: `just test-postgres` (uses testcontainers)
+- Run unit tests (SQLite): `just test-unit-sqlite`
+- Run unit tests (Postgres): `just test-unit-postgres`
+- Run integration tests (SQLite): `just test-int-sqlite`
+- Run integration tests (Postgres): `just test-int-postgres`
+- Run impacted tests: `just testmon` (pytest-testmon; only tests affected by changed code)
+- Run MCP smoke test: `just test-smoke`
+- Fast local loop: `just fast-check` (default iteration flow)
+- Local consistency check: `just doctor`
+- Run all consolidated agent package checks: `just package-check`
+- Run Claude Code plugin checks: `just package-check-claude-code`
+- Run shared skills checks: `just package-check-skills`
+- Run Hermes plugin checks: `just package-check-hermes`
+- Run OpenClaw plugin checks: `just package-check-openclaw`
+- Run host-native agent harness checks: `just agent-harness-check`
+- Generate HTML coverage: `just coverage`
+- Single test: `pytest tests/path/to/test_file.py::test_function_name`
+- Run benchmarks: `pytest test-int/test_sync_performance_benchmark.py -v -m "benchmark and not slow"`
+- Lint: `just lint` or `ruff check . --fix`
+- Type check: `just typecheck` or `uv run ty check src tests test-int`
+- Type check (pyright): `just typecheck-pyright` or `uv run pyright`
+- Format: `just format` or `uv run ruff format .`
+- Run all code checks: `just check` (runs lint, format, typecheck, test)
+- Create db migration: `just migration "Your migration message"`
+- Run development MCP Inspector: `just run-inspector`
+
+**Note:** Project requires Python 3.12+ (uses type parameter syntax and `type` aliases introduced in 3.12)
+
+**Postgres Testing:** Uses [testcontainers](https://testcontainers-python.readthedocs.io/) which automatically spins up a Postgres instance in Docker. No manual database setup required - just have Docker running.
+
+**Doctor Note:** `just doctor` runs with a temporary HOME/config so it won't touch your local Basic Memory settings. It leaves temp dirs in `/tmp` (safe to ignore or remove).
+
+**Testmon Note:** When no files have changed, `just testmon` may collect 0 tests. That's expected and means no impacted tests were detected.
+
+### Code/Test/Verify Loop (fast path)
+
+1) **Code:** make changes.
+2) **Test:** `just fast-check` (lint/format/typecheck + pytest-testmon impacted tests for changed code).
+3) **Verify:** `just doctor` (end-to-end file ↔ DB loop in a temp project).
+4) **Package verify:** `just package-check` when changes touch `plugins/`, `skills/`, `integrations/`, package metadata, or release wiring.
+5) **Full gate (when needed):** `just test` or `just check` for SQLite + Postgres.
+
+Run `just test-smoke` when you specifically need the MCP smoke flow.
+
+If testmon is “cold,” the first run may be long. Subsequent runs get much faster.
+
+### Consolidated Agent Package Checks
+
+The monorepo ships several host-native packages alongside the Python core. Use the root justfile as the canonical entry point:
+
+- `just package-check` — validates every copied package and generated bundle path.
+- `just package-check-claude-code` — validates the root and plugin-local Claude marketplace manifests, the SessionStart/PreCompact hooks, the bundled output style, and the seed schemas, then runs `claude plugin validate . --strict`.
+- `just package-check-skills` — validates every top-level `skills/memory-*/SKILL.md` frontmatter block.
+- `just package-check-hermes` — validates `integrations/hermes/plugin.yaml`, the Hermes provider entrypoint, bundled skill, and runs the hermetic unit suite.
+- `just package-check-openclaw` — runs the OpenClaw package install, copies top-level skills into the generated bundle, typechecks, lints, builds `dist/`, runs Bun tests, and performs `npm pack --dry-run`.
+- `just agent-harness-check` — checks the host-specific harnesses without the shared markdown-only skills target.
+
+Package-local justfiles live in `plugins/claude-code/`, `skills/`, `integrations/hermes/`, and `integrations/openclaw/`. Prefer the root targets for PR verification so command names stay stable as package internals evolve.
+
+### PR CI Gate
+
+Before opening or updating a PR, run the checks that mirror the common required CI failures:
+
+- Run `just typecheck` in addition to targeted `ruff` and `pytest` commands when tests were added or changed.
+- Sign commits with `git commit -s` so DCO passes. If a PR branch already has unsigned commits, rewrite the branch with signed-off commits before asking for review.
+- Use a semantic PR title accepted by `.github/workflows/pr-title.yml`: `type(scope): summary`.
+- Use one of the allowed scopes: `core`, `cli`, `api`, `mcp`, `sync`, `ui`, `deps`, `installer`, `plugins`, `skills`, `integrations`.
+
+### Test Structure
+
+- `tests/` - Unit tests for individual components (mocked, fast)
+- `test-int/` - Integration tests for real-world scenarios (no mocks, realistic)
+- Both directories are covered by unified coverage reporting
+- Benchmark tests in `test-int/` are marked with `@pytest.mark.benchmark`
+- Slow tests are marked with `@pytest.mark.slow`
+- Smoke tests are marked with `@pytest.mark.smoke`
+
+### Code Style Guidelines
+
+- Line length: 100 characters max
+- Python 3.12+ with full type annotations (uses type parameters and type aliases)
+- Format with ruff (consistent styling)
+- Import order: standard lib, third-party, local imports
+- Naming: snake_case for functions/variables, PascalCase for classes
+- Prefer async patterns with SQLAlchemy 2.0
+- Use Pydantic v2 for data validation and schemas
+- CLI uses Typer for command structure
+- API uses FastAPI for endpoints
+- Follow the repository pattern for data access
+- Tools communicate to api routers via the httpx ASGI client (in process)
+
+### Code Change Guidelines
+
+- **Full file read before edits**: Before editing any file, read it in full first to ensure complete context; partial reads lead to corrupted edits
+- **Minimize diffs**: Prefer the smallest change that satisfies the request. Avoid unrelated refactors or style rewrites unless necessary for correctness
+- **No speculative getattr**: Never use `getattr(obj, "attr", default)` when unsure about attribute names. Check the class definition or source code first
+- **Fail fast**: Write code with fail-fast logic by default. Do not swallow exceptions with errors or warnings
+- **No fallback logic**: Do not add fallback logic unless explicitly told to and agreed with the user
+- **No guessing**: Do not say "The issue is..." before you actually know what the issue is. Investigate first.
+
+### Literate Programming Style
+
+Code should tell a story. Comments must explain the "why" and narrative flow, not just the "what".
+
+**Section Headers:**
+For files with multiple phases of logic, add section headers so the control flow reads like chapters:
+```python
+# --- Authentication ---
+# ... auth logic ...
+
+# --- Data Validation ---
+# ... validation logic ...
+
+# --- Business Logic ---
+# ... core logic ...
+```
+
+**Decision Point Comments:**
+For conditionals that materially change behavior (gates, fallbacks, retries, feature flags), add comments with:
+- **Trigger**: what condition causes this branch
+- **Why**: the rationale (cost, correctness, UX, determinism)
+- **Outcome**: what changes downstream
+
+```python
+# Trigger: project has no active sync watcher
+# Why: avoid duplicate file system watchers consuming resources
+# Outcome: starts new watcher, registers in active_watchers dict
+if project_id not in active_watchers:
+    start_watcher(project_id)
+```
+
+**Constraint Comments:**
+If code exists because of a constraint (async requirements, rate limits, schema compatibility), explain the constraint near the code:
+```python
+# SQLite requires WAL mode for concurrent read/write access
+connection.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL")
+```
+
+**What NOT to Comment:**
+Avoid comments that restate obvious code:
+```python
+# Bad - restates code
+counter += 1  # increment counter
+
+# Good - explains why
+counter += 1  # track retries for backoff calculation
+```
+
+### Codebase Architecture
+
+See [docs/ARCHITECTURE.md](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) for detailed architecture documentation.
+
+**Directory Structure:**
+- `/alembic` - Alembic db migrations
+- `/api` - FastAPI REST endpoints + `container.py` composition root
+- `/cli` - Typer CLI + `container.py` composition root
+- `/deps` - Feature-scoped FastAPI dependencies (config, db, projects, repositories, services, importers)
+- `/importers` - Import functionality for Claude, ChatGPT, and other sources
+- `/markdown` - Markdown parsing and processing
+- `/mcp` - MCP server + `container.py` composition root + `clients/` typed API clients
+- `/models` - SQLAlchemy ORM models
+- `/repository` - Data access layer
+- `/schemas` - Pydantic models for validation
+- `/services` - Business logic layer
+- `/sync` - File synchronization services + `coordinator.py` for lifecycle management
+- `/plugins/claude-code` - Claude Code plugin marketplace package, hooks, skills, and agent harness
+- `/skills` - Canonical framework-agnostic Basic Memory `SKILL.md` source
+- `/integrations/hermes` - Hermes memory-provider plugin
+- `/integrations/openclaw` - OpenClaw npm/TypeScript plugin
+
+**Composition Roots:**
+Each entrypoint (API, MCP, CLI) has a composition root that:
+- Reads `ConfigManager` (the only place that reads global config)
+- Resolves runtime mode via `RuntimeMode` enum (TEST > CLOUD > LOCAL)
+- Provides dependencies to downstream code explicitly
+
+**Typed API Clients (MCP):**
+MCP tools use typed clients in `mcp/clients/` to communicate with the API:
+- `KnowledgeClient` - Entity CRUD operations
+- `SearchClient` - Search operations
+- `MemoryClient` - Context building
+- `DirectoryClient` - Directory listing
+- `ResourceClient` - Resource reading
+- `ProjectClient` - Project management
+
+Flow: MCP Tool → Typed Client → HTTP API → Router → Service → Repository
+
+### Development Notes
+
+- MCP tools are defined in src/basic_memory/mcp/tools/
+- MCP prompts are defined in src/basic_memory/mcp/prompts/
+- MCP tools should be atomic, composable operations
+- Use `textwrap.dedent()` for multi-line string formatting in prompts and tools
+- MCP Prompts are used to invoke tools and format content with instructions for an LLM
+- Schema changes require Alembic migrations
+- SQLite is used for indexing and full text search, files are source of truth
+- Testing uses pytest with asyncio support (strict mode)
+- Unit tests (`tests/`) use mocks when necessary; integration tests (`test-int/`) use real implementations
+- By default, tests run against SQLite (fast, no Docker needed)
+- Set `BASIC_MEMORY_TEST_POSTGRES=1` to run against Postgres (uses testcontainers - Docker required)
+- Each test runs in a standalone environment with isolated database and tmp_path directory
+- CI runs SQLite and Postgres tests in parallel for faster feedback
+- Performance benchmarks are in `test-int/test_sync_performance_benchmark.py`
+- Use pytest markers: `@pytest.mark.benchmark` for benchmarks, `@pytest.mark.slow` for slow tests
+- **Coverage must stay at 100%**: Write tests for new code. Only use `# pragma: no cover` when tests would require excessive mocking (e.g., TYPE_CHECKING blocks, error handlers that need failure injection, runtime-mode-dependent code paths)
+
+### Async Client Pattern (Important!)
+
+**MCP tools use `get_project_client()` for per-project routing:**
+
+```python
+from basic_memory.mcp.project_context import get_project_client
+
+@mcp.tool()
+async def my_tool(project: str | None = None, context: Context | None = None):
+    async with get_project_client(project, context) as (client, active_project):
+        # client is routed based on project's mode (local ASGI or cloud HTTP)
+        response = await call_get(client, "/path")
+        return response
+```
+
+**CLI commands and non-project-scoped code use `get_client()` directly:**
+
+```python
+from basic_memory.mcp.async_client import get_client
+
+async def my_cli_command():
+    async with get_client() as client:
+        response = await call_get(client, "/path")
+        return response
+
+# Per-project routing (when project name is known):
+async with get_client(project_name="research") as client:
+    ...
+```
+
+**Do NOT use:**
+- ❌ `from basic_memory.mcp.async_client import client` (deprecated module-level client)
+- ❌ Manual auth header management
+- ❌ `inject_auth_header()` (deleted)
+- ❌ Separate `get_client()` + `get_active_project()` in MCP tools (use `get_project_client()` instead)
+
+**Key principles:**
+- Auth happens at client creation, not per-request
+- Proper resource management via context managers
+- Per-project routing: each project can be LOCAL or CLOUD independently
+- Cloud projects use API key (`cloud_api_key` in config) as Bearer token
+- Routing priority: factory injection > force-local > per-project cloud > global cloud > local ASGI
+- Factory pattern enables dependency injection for cloud consolidation
+
+**For cloud app integration:**
+```python
+from basic_memory.mcp import async_client
+
+# Set custom factory before importing tools
+async_client.set_client_factory(your_custom_factory)
+```
+
+See SPEC-16 for full context manager refactor details.
+
+### Release Process
+
+Releases are driven by `just release` / `just beta` — never by a bare `git tag`. The recipes bump version metadata, run pre-flight checks, commit, tag, and push. GitHub Actions then publishes to PyPI and updates the Homebrew formula.
+
+**Stable release:**
+
+```
+just release v0.21.3
+```
+
+The recipe runs `just lint` + `just typecheck`, then updates every release manifest through `scripts/update_versions.py`: `src/basic_memory/__init__.py`, `server.json`, the root Claude marketplace, the Claude Code plugin manifest and local marketplace, the Hermes `plugin.yaml`, and the OpenClaw `package.json`. It commits as `chore: update version to X.Y.Z for vX.Y.Z release`, creates the `vX.Y.Z` tag, and pushes both the commit and the tag to `origin/main`. After the tag lands, the `Release` workflow builds the Python package, publishes to PyPI, creates the GitHub release with auto-generated notes, publishes the OpenClaw npm package, and updates the Homebrew formula. The recipe finishes by printing the post-release tasks the workflow doesn't cover.
+
+**Beta release:** `just beta v0.21.3b1` — same flow with a beta-suffixed tag. PyPI consumers install with `pip install basic-memory --pre`.
+
+**Release dry run:** `just release-dry-run v0.21.4` previews the consolidated version update without writing files.
+
+**Development builds:** every commit to `main` publishes a `0.21.3.dev26+468a22f`-style version to PyPI automatically via `.github/workflows/dev-release.yml`. No human action.
+
+**Do not tag releases by hand.** A bare `git tag vX.Y.Z` skips the in-code version bump. Package metadata is still correct (uv-dynamic-versioning derives it from the git tag) but `basic-memory --version` reports the previous release, which is what happened with v0.21.2 → v0.21.3.
+
+**Post-release tasks** the recipe surfaces but doesn't run:
+- `docs.basicmemory.com` — add notes to `src/pages/latest-releases.mdx`
+- `basicmachines.co` — bump version in `src/components/sections/hero.tsx`
+- MCP Registry — `mcp-publisher publish` from the repo root
+
+See `.claude/commands/release/release.md` (and `beta.md`, `release-check.md`, `changelog.md` alongside it) for the full release + post-release runbook, including the slash commands.
+
+## BASIC MEMORY PRODUCT USAGE
+
+### Knowledge Structure
+
+- Entity: Any concept, document, or idea represented as a markdown file
+- Observation: A categorized fact about an entity (`- [category] content`)
+- Relation: A directional link between entities (`- relation_type [[Target]]`)
+- Frontmatter: YAML metadata at the top of markdown files
+- Knowledge representation follows precise markdown format:
+    - Observations with [category] prefixes
+    - Relations with WikiLinks [[Entity]]
+    - Frontmatter with metadata
+
+### Basic Memory Commands
+
+**Local Commands:**
+- Check sync status: `basic-memory status`
+- Doctor check (file <-> DB loop): `basic-memory doctor`
+- Import from Claude: `basic-memory import claude conversations`
+- Import from ChatGPT: `basic-memory import chatgpt`
+- Import from Memory JSON: `basic-memory import memory-json`
+- Tool access: `basic-memory tool` (provides CLI access to MCP tools)
+    - Continue: `basic-memory tool continue-conversation --topic="search"`
+
+**Project Management:**
+- List projects: `basic-memory project list`
+- Add project: `basic-memory project add "name" ~/path`
+- Project info: `basic-memory project info`
+- Set cloud mode: `basic-memory project set-cloud "name"`
+- Set local mode: `basic-memory project set-local "name"`
+- One-way sync (local -> cloud): `basic-memory project sync`
+- Bidirectional sync: `basic-memory project bisync`
+- Integrity check: `basic-memory project check`
+
+**Cloud Commands (requires subscription):**
+- Authenticate (global): `basic-memory cloud login`
+- Logout (global): `basic-memory cloud logout`
+- Check cloud status: `basic-memory cloud status`
+- Setup cloud sync: `basic-memory cloud setup`
+- Save API key: `basic-memory cloud set-key bmc_...`
+- Create API key: `basic-memory cloud create-key "name"`
+- Manage snapshots: `basic-memory cloud snapshot [create|list|delete|show|browse]`
+- Restore from snapshot: `basic-memory cloud restore <path> --snapshot <id>`
+
+### MCP Capabilities
+
+- Basic Memory exposes these MCP tools to LLMs:
+
+  **Content Management:**
+    - `write_note(title, content, directory, tags)` - Create/update markdown notes with semantic observations and relations
+    - `read_note(identifier, page, page_size)` - Read notes by title, permalink, or memory:// URL with knowledge graph awareness
+    - `read_content(path)` - Read raw file content (text, images, binaries) without knowledge graph processing
+    - `view_note(identifier, page, page_size)` - View notes as formatted artifacts for better readability
+    - `edit_note(identifier, operation, content)` - Edit notes incrementally (append, prepend, find/replace, replace_section)
+    - `move_note(identifier, destination_path, is_directory)` - Move notes or directories to new locations, updating database and maintaining links
+    - `delete_note(identifier, is_directory)` - Delete notes or directories from the knowledge base
+
+  **Knowledge Graph Navigation:**
+    - `build_context(url, depth, timeframe)` - Navigate the knowledge graph via memory:// URLs for conversation continuity
+    - `recent_activity(type, depth, timeframe)` - Get recently updated information with specified timeframe (e.g., "1d", "1 week")
+    - `list_directory(dir_name, depth, file_name_glob)` - Browse directory contents with filtering and depth control
+
+  **Search & Discovery:**
+    - `search_notes(query, page, page_size, search_type, types, entity_types, after_date)` - Full-text search across all content with advanced filtering options
+
+  **Project Management:**
+    - `list_memory_projects()` - List all available projects with their status
+    - `create_memory_project(project_name, project_path, set_default)` - Create new Basic Memory projects
+    - `delete_project(project_name)` - Delete a project from configuration
+
+  **Visualization:**
+    - `canvas(nodes, edges, title, directory)` - Generate Obsidian canvas files for knowledge graph visualization
+
+  **ChatGPT-Compatible Tools:**
+    - `search(query)` - Search across knowledge base (OpenAI actions compatible)
+    - `fetch(id)` - Fetch full content of a search result document
+
+- MCP Prompts for better AI interaction:
+    - `ai_assistant_guide()` - Guidance on effectively using Basic Memory tools for AI assistants
+    - `continue_conversation(topic, timeframe)` - Continue previous conversations with relevant historical context
+    - `search(query, after_date)` - Search with detailed, formatted results for better context understanding
+    - `recent_activity(timeframe)` - View recently changed items with formatted output
+
+### Cloud Features (v0.15.0+)
+
+Basic Memory now supports cloud synchronization and storage (requires active subscription):
+
+**Authentication:**
+- JWT-based authentication with subscription validation
+- Secure session management with token refresh
+- Support for multiple cloud projects
+
+**Bidirectional Sync:**
+- rclone bisync integration for two-way synchronization
+- Conflict resolution and integrity verification
+- Real-time sync with change detection
+- Mount/unmount cloud storage for direct file access
+
+**Cloud Project Management:**
+- Create and manage projects in the cloud
+- Toggle between local and cloud modes
+- Per-project sync configuration
+- Subscription-based access control
+
+**Security & Performance:**
+- Removed .env file loading for improved security
+- .gitignore integration (respects gitignored files)
+- WAL mode for SQLite performance
+- Background relation resolution (non-blocking startup)
+- API performance optimizations (SPEC-11)
+
+**Per-Project Cloud Routing:**
+
+Individual projects can be routed through the cloud while others stay local, using an API key:
+
+```bash
+# Save API key and set project to cloud mode
+basic-memory cloud set-key bmc_abc123...
+basic-memory project set-cloud research    # route through cloud
+basic-memory project set-local research    # revert to local
+```
+
+MCP tools use `get_project_client()` which automatically routes based on the project's mode. Cloud projects use the `cloud_api_key` from config as Bearer token.
+
+**CLI Routing Flags (Global Cloud Mode):**
+
+When global cloud mode is enabled, CLI commands route to the cloud API by default. Use `--local` and `--cloud` flags to override:
+
+```bash
+# Force local routing (ignore cloud mode)
+basic-memory status --local
+basic-memory project list --local
+
+# Force cloud routing (when cloud mode is disabled)
+basic-memory status --cloud
+basic-memory project info my-project --cloud
+```
+
+Key behaviors:
+- The local MCP server (`basic-memory mcp`) automatically uses local routing
+- This allows simultaneous use of local Claude Desktop and cloud-based clients
+- Some commands (like `project default`, `project sync-config`, `project move`) require `--local` in cloud mode since they modify local configuration
+- Environment variable `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_LOCAL=true` forces local routing globally
+- Per-project cloud routing via API key works independently of global cloud mode
+
+## AI-Human Collaborative Development
+
+Basic Memory emerged from and enables a new kind of development process that combines human and AI capabilities. Instead
+of using AI just for code generation, we've developed a true collaborative workflow:
+
+1. AI (LLM) writes initial implementation based on specifications and context
+2. Human reviews, runs tests, and commits code with any necessary adjustments
+3. Knowledge persists across conversations using Basic Memory's knowledge graph
+4. Development continues seamlessly across different AI sessions with consistent context
+5. Results improve through iterative collaboration and shared understanding
+
+This approach has allowed us to tackle more complex challenges and build a more robust system than either humans or AI
+could achieve independently.
+
+**Problem-Solving Guidance:**
+- If a solution isn't working after reasonable effort, suggest alternative approaches
+- Don't persist with a problematic library or pattern when better alternatives exist
+- Example: When py-pglite caused cascading test failures, switching to testcontainers-postgres was the right call
+
+## GitHub Integration
+
+Basic Memory has taken AI-Human collaboration to the next level by integrating Claude directly into the development workflow through GitHub:
+
+### GitHub MCP Tools
+
+Using the GitHub Model Context Protocol server, Claude can now:
+
+- **Repository Management**:
+  - View repository files and structure
+  - Read file contents
+  - Create new branches
+  - Create and update files
+
+- **Issue Management**:
+  - Create new issues
+  - Comment on existing issues
+  - Close and update issues
+  - Search across issues
+
+- **Pull Request Workflow**:
+  - Create pull requests
+  - Review code changes
+  - Add comments to PRs
+
+This integration enables Claude to participate as a full team member in the development process, not just as a code generation tool. Claude's GitHub account ([bm-claudeai](https://github.com/bm-claudeai)) is a member of the Basic Machines organization with direct contributor access to the codebase.
+
+### Collaborative Development Process
+
+With GitHub integration, the development workflow includes:
+
+1. **Direct code review** - Claude can analyze PRs and provide detailed feedback
+2. **Contribution tracking** - All of Claude's contributions are properly attributed in the Git history
+3. **Branch management** - Claude can create feature branches for implementations
+4. **Documentation maintenance** - Claude can keep documentation updated as the code evolves
+5. **Code Commits**: ALWAYS sign off commits with `git commit -s`
+6. **Pull Request Titles**: PR titles must follow the semantic format enforced by `.github/workflows/pr-title.yml`: `type(scope): summary`
+   - Allowed types: `feat`, `fix`, `chore`, `docs`, `style`, `refactor`, `perf`, `test`, `build`, `ci`
+   - Allowed scopes: `core`, `cli`, `api`, `mcp`, `sync`, `ui`, `deps`, `installer`, `plugins`, `skills`, `integrations`
+   - Example: `fix(cli): propagate cloud workspace routing`
+
+This level of integration represents a new paradigm in AI-human collaboration, where the AI assistant becomes a full-fledged team member rather than just a tool for generating code snippets.

CLA.md

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+# Contributor License Agreement
+
+## Copyright Assignment and License Grant
+
+By signing this Contributor License Agreement ("Agreement"), you accept and agree to the following terms and conditions
+for your present and future Contributions submitted
+to Basic Machines LLC. Except for the license granted herein to Basic Machines LLC and recipients of software
+distributed by Basic Machines LLC, you reserve all right,
+title, and interest in and to your Contributions.
+
+### 1. Definitions
+
+"You" (or "Your") shall mean the copyright owner or legal entity authorized by the copyright owner that is making this
+Agreement with Basic Machines LLC.
+
+"Contribution" shall mean any original work of authorship, including any modifications or additions to an existing work,
+that is intentionally submitted by You to Basic
+Machines LLC for inclusion in, or documentation of, any of the products owned or managed by Basic Machines LLC (the "
+Work").
+
+### 2. Grant of Copyright License
+
+Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, You hereby grant to Basic Machines LLC and to recipients of
+software distributed by Basic Machines LLC a perpetual,
+worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the
+Work, and to permit persons to whom the Work is furnished to do so.
+
+### 3. Assignment of Copyright
+
+You hereby assign to Basic Machines LLC all right, title, and interest worldwide in all Copyright covering your
+Contributions. Basic Machines LLC may license the
+Contributions under any license terms, including copyleft, permissive, commercial, or proprietary licenses.
+
+### 4. Grant of Patent License
+
+Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, You hereby grant to Basic Machines LLC and to recipients of
+software distributed by Basic Machines LLC a perpetual,
+worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable (except as stated in this section) patent license to
+make, have made, use, offer to sell, sell, import, and
+otherwise transfer the Work.
+
+### 5. Developer Certificate of Origin
+
+By making a Contribution to this project, You certify that:
+
+(a) The Contribution was created in whole or in part by You and You have the right to submit it under this Agreement; or
+
+(b) The Contribution is based upon previous work that, to the best of Your knowledge, is covered under an appropriate
+open source license and You have the right under that
+license to submit that work with modifications, whether created in whole or in part by You, under this Agreement; or
+
+(c) The Contribution was provided directly to You by some other person who certified (a), (b) or (c) and You have not
+modified it.
+
+(d) You understand and agree that this project and the Contribution are public and that a record of the Contribution (
+including all personal information You submit with
+it, including Your sign-off) is maintained indefinitely and may be redistributed consistent with this project or the
+open source license(s) involved.
+
+### 6. Representations
+
+You represent that you are legally entitled to grant the above license and assignment. If your employer(s) has rights to
+intellectual property that you create that
+includes your Contributions, you represent that you have received permission to make Contributions on behalf of that
+employer, or that your employer has waived such rights
+for your Contributions to Basic Machines LLC.
+
+---
+
+This Agreement is effective as of the date you first submit a Contribution to Basic Machines LLC.

CLAUDE.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+AGENTS.md

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -1,17 +1,243 @@
 # Contributing to Basic Memory
 
-Thank you for considering contributing to Basic Memory! Your help is greatly appreciated to improve this project.
+Thank you for considering contributing to Basic Memory! This document outlines the process for contributing to the
+project and how to get started as a developer.
 
-## How to Contribute
+## Getting Started
 
-1. **Fork the Repo**: Fork the repository and clone your copy.
-1. **Create a Branch**: Create a new branch for your feature or fix.
-1. **Test Your Changes**: Ensure tests pass locally and include new tests when necessary to ensure 100& test coverage.
-1. **Format Your Code**: Run `make format` to ensure code is formatted appropriately.
-4. **Submit a PR**: Submit a pull request with a detailed description of your changes.
+### Development Environment
 
-Thank You!
+1. **Clone the Repository**:
+   ```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory.git
+   cd basic-memory
+   ```
+
+2. **Install Dependencies**:
+   ```bash
+   # Using just (recommended)
+   just install
+   
+   # Or using uv
+   uv install -e ".[dev]"
+   
+   # Or using pip
+   pip install -e ".[dev]"
+   ```
+
+   > **Note**: Basic Memory uses [just](https://just.systems) as a modern command runner. Install with `brew install just` or `cargo install just`.
+
+3. **Activate the Virtual Environment**
+   ```bash
+   source .venv/bin/activate
+   ```
+
+4. **Run the Tests**:
+   ```bash
+   # Run all tests with unified coverage (unit + integration)
+   just test
+
+   # Run unit tests only (fast, no coverage)
+   just test-unit
+
+   # Run integration tests only (fast, no coverage)
+   just test-int
+
+   # Generate HTML coverage report
+   just coverage
+
+   # Run a specific test
+   pytest tests/path/to/test_file.py::test_function_name
+   ```
+
+### Development Workflow
+
+1. **Fork the Repo**: Fork the repository on GitHub and clone your copy.
+2. **Create a Branch**: Create a new branch for your feature or fix.
+   ```bash
+   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
+   # or
+   git checkout -b fix/issue-you-are-fixing
+   ```
+3. **Make Your Changes**: Implement your changes with appropriate test coverage.
+4. **Check Code Quality**:
+   ```bash
+   # Run all checks at once
+   just check
+   
+   # Or run individual checks
+   just lint      # Run linting
+   just format    # Format code
+   just type-check  # Type checking
+   ```
+5. **Test Your Changes**: Ensure all tests pass locally and maintain 100% test coverage.
+   ```bash
+   just test
+   ```
+6. **Submit a PR**: Submit a pull request with a detailed description of your changes.
+
+## LLM-Assisted Development
+
+This project is designed for collaborative development between humans and LLMs (Large Language Models):
+
+1. **CLAUDE.md**: The repository includes a `CLAUDE.md` file that serves as a project guide for both humans and LLMs.
+   This file contains:
+    - Key project information and architectural overview
+    - Development commands and workflows
+    - Code style guidelines
+    - Documentation standards
+
+2. **AI-Human Collaborative Workflow**:
+    - We encourage using LLMs like Claude for code generation, reviews, and documentation
+    - When possible, save context in markdown files that can be referenced later
+    - This enables seamless knowledge transfer between different development sessions
+    - Claude can help with implementation details while you focus on architecture and design
+
+3. **Adding to CLAUDE.md**:
+    - If you discover useful project information or common commands, consider adding them to CLAUDE.md
+    - This helps all contributors (human and AI) maintain consistent knowledge of the project
+
+## Pull Request Process
+
+1. **Create a Pull Request**: Open a PR against the `main` branch with a clear title and description.
+2. **Sign the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO)**: All contributions require signing our DCO, which certifies that
+   you have the right to submit your contributions. This will be automatically checked by our CLA assistant when you
+   create a PR.
+3. **PR Description**: Include:
+    - What the PR changes
+    - Why the change is needed
+    - How you tested the changes
+    - Any related issues (use "Fixes #123" to automatically close issues)
+4. **Code Review**: Wait for code review and address any feedback.
+5. **CI Checks**: Ensure all CI checks pass.
+6. **Merge**: Once approved, a maintainer will merge your PR.
+
+## Developer Certificate of Origin
+
+By contributing to this project, you agree to the [Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO)](CLA.md). This means you
+certify that:
+
+- You have the right to submit your contributions
+- You're not knowingly submitting code with patent or copyright issues
+- Your contributions are provided under the project's license (AGPL-3.0)
+
+This is a lightweight alternative to a Contributor License Agreement and helps ensure that all contributions can be
+properly incorporated into the project and potentially used in commercial applications.
+
+### Signing Your Commits
+
+Sign your commit:
+
+**Using the `-s` or `--signoff` flag**:
+
+```bash
+git commit -s -m "Your commit message"
+```
+
+This adds a `Signed-off-by` line to your commit message, certifying that you adhere to the DCO.
+
+The sign-off certifies that you have the right to submit your contribution under the project's license and verifies your
+agreement to the DCO.
+
+## Code Style Guidelines
+
+- **Python Version**: Python 3.12+ with full type annotations (3.12+ required for type parameter syntax)
+- **Line Length**: 100 characters maximum
+- **Formatting**: Use ruff for consistent styling
+- **Import Order**: Standard lib, third-party, local imports
+- **Naming**: Use snake_case for functions/variables, PascalCase for classes
+- **Documentation**: Add docstrings to public functions, classes, and methods
+- **Type Annotations**: Use type hints for all functions and methods
+
+## Testing Guidelines
+
+### Test Structure
+
+Basic Memory uses two test directories with unified coverage reporting:
+
+- **`tests/`**: Unit tests that test individual components in isolation
+  - Fast execution with extensive mocking
+  - Test individual functions, classes, and modules
+  - Run with: `just test-unit` (no coverage, fast)
+
+- **`test-int/`**: Integration tests that test real-world scenarios
+  - Test full workflows with real database and file operations
+  - Include performance benchmarks
+  - More realistic but slower than unit tests
+  - Run with: `just test-int` (no coverage, fast)
+
+### Running Tests
+
+```bash
+# Run all tests with unified coverage report
+just test
+
+# Run only unit tests (fast iteration)
+just test-unit
+
+# Run only integration tests
+just test-int
+
+# Generate HTML coverage report
+just coverage
+
+# Run specific test
+pytest tests/path/to/test_file.py::test_function_name
+
+# Run tests excluding benchmarks
+pytest -m "not benchmark"
+
+# Run only benchmark tests
+pytest -m benchmark test-int/test_sync_performance_benchmark.py
+```
+
+### Performance Benchmarks
+
+The `test-int/test_sync_performance_benchmark.py` file contains performance benchmarks that measure sync and indexing speed:
+
+- `test_benchmark_sync_100_files` - Small repository performance
+- `test_benchmark_sync_500_files` - Medium repository performance
+- `test_benchmark_sync_1000_files` - Large repository performance (marked slow)
+- `test_benchmark_resync_no_changes` - Re-sync performance baseline
+
+Run benchmarks with:
+```bash
+# Run all benchmarks (excluding slow ones)
+pytest test-int/test_sync_performance_benchmark.py -v -m "benchmark and not slow"
+
+# Run all benchmarks including slow ones
+pytest test-int/test_sync_performance_benchmark.py -v -m benchmark
+
+# Run specific benchmark
+pytest test-int/test_sync_performance_benchmark.py::test_benchmark_sync_100_files -v
+```
+
+See `test-int/BENCHMARKS.md` for detailed benchmark documentation.
+
+### Testing Best Practices
+
+- **Coverage Target**: We aim for high test coverage for all code
+- **Test Framework**: Use pytest for unit and integration tests
+- **Mocking**: Avoid mocking in integration tests; use sparingly in unit tests
+- **Edge Cases**: Test both normal operation and edge cases
+- **Database Testing**: Use in-memory SQLite for testing database operations
+- **Fixtures**: Use async pytest fixtures for setup and teardown
+- **Markers**: Use `@pytest.mark.benchmark` for benchmarks, `@pytest.mark.slow` for slow tests
+
+## Creating Issues
+
+If you're planning to work on something, please create an issue first to discuss the approach. Include:
+
+- A clear title and description
+- Steps to reproduce if reporting a bug
+- Expected behavior vs. actual behavior
+- Any relevant logs or screenshots
+- Your proposed solution, if you have one
 
 ## Code of Conduct
 
 All contributors must follow the [Code of Conduct](CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).
+
+## Thank You!
+
+Your contributions help make Basic Memory better. We appreciate your time and effort!

Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+FROM python:3.12-slim-bookworm
+
+# Build arguments for user ID and group ID (defaults to 1000)
+ARG UID=1000
+ARG GID=1000
+
+# Copy uv from official image
+COPY --from=ghcr.io/astral-sh/uv:latest /uv /uvx /bin/
+
+# Set environment variables
+# UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR ensures Python is installed to a persistent location
+# that survives in the final image (not in /root/.local which gets lost)
+# UV_PYTHON_PREFERENCE=only-managed tells uv to use its managed Python version
+ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 \
+    PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 \
+    UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=/python \
+    UV_PYTHON_PREFERENCE=only-managed
+
+# Create a group and user with the provided UID/GID
+# Check if the GID already exists, if not create appgroup
+RUN (getent group ${GID} || groupadd --gid ${GID} appgroup) && \
+    useradd --uid ${UID} --gid ${GID} --create-home --shell /bin/bash appuser
+
+# Copy the project into the image
+ADD . /app
+
+# Install Python 3.13 explicitly and sync the project
+WORKDIR /app
+RUN uv python install 3.13
+RUN uv sync --locked --python 3.13
+
+# Create necessary directories and set ownership
+RUN mkdir -p /app/data/basic-memory /app/.basic-memory && \
+    chown -R appuser:${GID} /app
+
+# Set default data directory and add venv to PATH
+ENV BASIC_MEMORY_HOME=/app/data/basic-memory \
+    BASIC_MEMORY_PROJECT_ROOT=/app/data \
+    PATH="/app/.venv/bin:$PATH"
+
+# Switch to the non-root user
+USER appuser
+
+# Expose port
+EXPOSE 8000
+
+# Health check
+HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=5s --retries=3 \
+    CMD basic-memory --version || exit 1
+
+# Use the basic-memory entrypoint to run the MCP server with default SSE transport
+CMD ["basic-memory", "mcp", "--transport", "sse", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8000"]

Makefile

@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-.PHONY: install test lint clean format type-check installer-mac installer-win
-
-install:
-	pip install -e ".[dev]"
-
-test:
-	pytest -p pytest_mock -v
-
-lint:
-	ruff check . --fix
-
-type-check:
-	uv run pyright
-
-clean:
-	find . -type f -name '*.pyc' -delete
-	find . -type d -name '__pycache__' -exec rm -r {} +
-	rm -rf installer/build/
-	rm -rf installer/dist/
-	rm -f rw.*.dmg
-	rm -rf dist
-	rm -rf installer/build
-	rm -rf installer/dist
-	rm -f .coverage.*
-
-format:
-	uv run ruff format .
-
-# run inspector tool
-run-dev:
-	uv run mcp dev src/basic_memory/mcp/main.py
-
-# Build app installer
-installer-mac:
-	cd installer && uv run python setup.py bdist_mac
-
-installer-win:
-	cd installer && uv run python setup.py bdist_win32
-
-
-update-deps:
-	uv lock f--upgrade

NOTE-FORMAT.md

@@ -0,0 +1,494 @@
+# Note Format Reference
+
+Every document in Basic Memory is a plain Markdown file. Files are the source of truth — changes to files automatically update the knowledge graph in the database. You maintain complete ownership, files work with git, and knowledge persists independently of any AI conversation.
+
+## Document Structure
+
+A note has three parts: YAML frontmatter, content (observations), and relations.
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Coffee Brewing Methods
+type: note
+tags: [coffee, brewing]
+permalink: coffee-brewing-methods
+---
+
+# Coffee Brewing Methods
+
+## Observations
+- [method] Pour over provides more flavor clarity than French press
+- [technique] Water temperature at 205°F extracts optimal compounds #brewing
+- [preference] Ethiopian beans work well with lighter roasts (personal experience)
+
+## Relations
+- relates_to [[Coffee Bean Origins]]
+- requires [[Proper Grinding Technique]]
+- contrasts_with [[Tea Brewing Methods]]
+```
+
+The `## Observations` and `## Relations` headings are conventional but not required — the parser detects observations and relations by their syntax patterns anywhere in the document.
+
+## Frontmatter
+
+YAML metadata between `---` fences at the top of the file.
+
+| Field | Required | Default | Description |
+|-------|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `title` | No | filename stem | Used for linking and references. Auto-set from filename if missing. |
+| `type` | No | `note` | Entity type. Used for schema resolution and filtering. |
+| `tags` | No | `[]` | List or comma-separated string. Used for organization and search. |
+| `permalink` | No | generated from title | Stable identifier. Persists even if the file moves. |
+| `schema` | No | none | Schema attachment — dict (inline), string (reference), or omitted (implicit). |
+
+Custom fields are allowed. Any key not in the standard set is stored as `entity_metadata` and indexed for search and filtering.
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Paul Graham
+type: Person
+tags: [startups, essays, lisp]
+permalink: paul-graham
+status: active
+source: wikipedia
+---
+```
+
+Here `status` and `source` are custom fields stored in `entity_metadata`.
+
+### Frontmatter Value Handling
+
+YAML automatically converts some values to native types. Basic Memory normalizes them:
+
+- Date strings (`2025-10-24`) → kept as ISO format strings
+- Numbers (`1.0`) → converted to strings
+- Booleans (`true`) → converted to strings (`"True"`)
+- Lists and dicts → preserved, items normalized recursively
+
+This prevents errors when downstream code expects string values.
+
+## Observations
+
+An observation is a categorized fact about the entity. Written as a Markdown list item.
+
+**Syntax:**
+
+```
+- [category] content text #tag1 #tag2 (context)
+```
+
+| Part | Required | Description |
+|------|----------|-------------|
+| `[category]` | Yes | Classification in square brackets. Any text except `[]()` chars. |
+| content | Yes | The fact or statement. |
+| `#tags` | No | Inline tags. Space-separated, each starting with `#`. |
+| `(context)` | No | Parenthesized text at end of line. Supporting details or source. |
+
+### Examples
+
+```markdown
+- [tech] Uses SQLite for storage #database
+- [design] Follows local-first architecture #architecture
+- [decision] Selected bcrypt for passwords #security (based on OWASP audit)
+- [name] Paul Graham
+- [expertise] Startups
+- [expertise] Lisp
+- [expertise] Essay writing
+```
+
+Array-like fields use repeated categories — multiple `[expertise]` observations above.
+
+### What Is Not an Observation
+
+The parser excludes these list item patterns:
+
+| Pattern | Example | Reason |
+|---------|---------|--------|
+| Checkboxes | `- [ ] Todo item`, `- [x] Done`, `- [-] Cancelled` | Task list syntax |
+| Markdown links | `- [text](url)` | URL link syntax |
+| Bare wiki links | `- [[Target]]` | Treated as a relation instead |
+
+A list item with `#tags` but no `[category]` is still parsed — the tags are extracted and the category defaults to `Note`.
+
+## Relations
+
+Relations connect documents to form the knowledge graph. There are two kinds.
+
+### Explicit Relations
+
+Written as list items with a relation type and a `[[wiki link]]` target.
+
+**Syntax:**
+
+```
+- relation_type [[Target Entity]] (context)
+```
+
+| Part | Required | Description |
+|------|----------|-------------|
+| `relation_type` | No | Text before `[[`. Defaults to `relates_to` if omitted. |
+| `[[Target]]` | Yes | Wiki link to the target entity. Matched by title or permalink. |
+| `(context)` | No | Parenthesized text after `]]`. Supporting details. |
+
+### Examples
+
+```markdown
+- implements [[Search Design]]
+- depends_on [[Database Schema]]
+- works_at [[Y Combinator]] (co-founder)
+- [[Some Entity]]
+```
+
+The last example — a bare `[[wiki link]]` in a list item — gets relation type `relates_to`.
+
+Common relation types:
+- `implements`, `depends_on`, `relates_to`, `inspired_by`
+- `extends`, `part_of`, `contains`, `pairs_with`
+- `works_at`, `authored`, `collaborated_with`
+
+Any text works as a relation type. These are conventions, not a fixed set.
+
+### Inline References
+
+Wiki links appearing in regular prose (not as list items) create implicit `links_to` relations.
+
+```markdown
+This builds on [[Core Design]] and uses [[Utility Functions]].
+```
+
+This creates two relations: `links_to [[Core Design]]` and `links_to [[Utility Functions]]`.
+
+### Forward References
+
+Relations can link to entities that don't exist yet. Basic Memory resolves them when the target is created.
+
+## Permalinks and memory:// URLs
+
+Every document has a unique **permalink** — a stable identifier derived from its title. You can set one explicitly in frontmatter, or let the system generate it.
+
+```yaml
+permalink: auth-approaches-2024
+```
+
+Permalinks form the basis of `memory://` URLs:
+
+```
+memory://auth-approaches-2024        # By permalink
+memory://Authentication Approaches   # By title (auto-resolves)
+memory://project/auth-approaches     # By path
+```
+
+Pattern matching is supported:
+
+```
+memory://auth*                       # Starts with "auth"
+memory://*/approaches                # Ends with "approaches"
+memory://project/*/requirements      # Nested wildcard
+```
+
+## Schemas
+
+Schemas declare the expected structure of a note — which observation categories and relation types a well-formed note should have. They use Picoschema, a compact notation from Google's Dotprompt that fits naturally in YAML frontmatter.
+
+### Picoschema Syntax
+
+```yaml
+schema:
+  name: string, full name              # required field with description
+  email?: string, contact email        # ? = optional
+  role?: string, job title
+  works_at?: Organization, employer    # capitalized type = entity reference
+  tags?(array): string, categories     # array of type
+  status?(enum): [active, inactive]    # enum with allowed values
+  metadata?(object):                   # nested object
+    updated_at?: string
+    source?: string
+```
+
+| Notation | Meaning | Example |
+|----------|---------|---------|
+| `field: type` | Required field | `name: string` |
+| `field?: type` | Optional field | `role?: string` |
+| `field(array): type` | Array of values | `expertise(array): string` |
+| `field?(enum): [vals]` | Enum with allowed values | `status?(enum): [active, inactive]` |
+| `field?(object):` | Nested object with sub-fields | `metadata?(object):` |
+| `, description` | Description after comma | `name: string, full name` |
+| `EntityName` | Capitalized type = entity reference | `works_at?: Organization` |
+
+**Scalar types:** `string`, `integer`, `number`, `boolean`, `any`
+
+Any type not in that set whose first letter is uppercase is treated as an entity reference (a relation target).
+
+### Schema-to-Note Mapping
+
+Schemas validate against existing observation/relation syntax. Note authors don't learn new syntax.
+
+| Schema Declaration | Maps To | Example in Note |
+|--------------------|---------|-----------------|
+| `field: string` | Observation `[field] value` | `- [name] Paul Graham` |
+| `field?(array): string` | Multiple `[field]` observations | `- [expertise] Lisp` (repeated) |
+| `field?: EntityType` | Relation `field [[Target]]` | `- works_at [[Y Combinator]]` |
+| `field?(array): EntityType` | Multiple `field` relations | `- authored [[Book]]` (repeated) |
+| `tags` | Frontmatter `tags` array | `tags: [startups, essays]` |
+| `field?(enum): [vals]` | Observation `[field] value` where value is in the set | `- [status] active` |
+
+Observations and relations not covered by the schema are valid — schemas describe a subset, not a straitjacket.
+
+### Schema Attachment
+
+Three ways to attach a schema to a note, resolved in priority order:
+
+**1. Inline schema** — `schema` is a dict in frontmatter:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Team Standup 2024-01-15
+type: meeting
+schema:
+  attendees(array): string, who was there
+  decisions(array): string, what was decided
+  action_items(array): string, follow-ups
+  blockers?(array): string, anything stuck
+---
+```
+
+Good for one-off structured notes or prototyping a schema before extracting it.
+
+**2. Explicit reference** — `schema` is a string naming a schema note:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Basic Memory
+schema: SoftwareProject
+---
+```
+
+or by permalink:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: LLM Memory Patterns
+schema: schema/research-project
+---
+```
+
+Use when the note's `type` differs from the schema it should validate against, or when multiple schema variants exist.
+
+**3. Implicit by type** — no `schema` field, resolved by matching `type`:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Paul Graham
+type: Person
+---
+```
+
+The system looks up a schema note where `entity: Person`. If found, it applies. If not, no validation occurs.
+
+**4. No schema** — perfectly fine. Most notes don't need one.
+
+### Schema Notes
+
+A schema is itself a Basic Memory note with `type: schema`. It lives anywhere (though `schema/` is the conventional directory).
+
+```yaml
+# schema/Person.md
+---
+title: Person
+type: schema
+entity: Person
+version: 1
+schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title or position
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+  email?: string, contact email
+settings:
+  validation: warn
+---
+
+# Person
+
+A human individual in the knowledge graph.
+```
+
+| Field | Required | Description |
+|-------|----------|-------------|
+| `type` | Yes | Must be `schema` |
+| `entity` | Yes | The entity type this schema describes (e.g., `Person`) |
+| `version` | No | Schema version number (default: `1`) |
+| `schema` | Yes | Picoschema dict defining the fields |
+| `settings.validation` | No | Validation mode (default: `warn`) |
+
+Schema notes are regular notes — they show up in search, can have observations and relations, and participate in the knowledge graph.
+
+### Validation Modes
+
+| Mode | Behavior |
+|------|----------|
+| `warn` | Warnings in output, doesn't block (default) |
+| `strict` | Errors that block sync, for CI/CD enforcement |
+| `off` | No validation |
+
+### Validation Output
+
+```
+$ bm schema validate people/ada-lovelace.md
+
+⚠ Person schema validation:
+  - Missing required field: name (expected [name] observation)
+  - Missing optional field: role
+  - Missing optional field: works_at (no relation found)
+
+ℹ Unmatched observations: [fact] ×2, [born] ×1
+ℹ Unmatched relations: collaborated_with
+```
+
+"Unmatched" items are informational — observations and relations the schema doesn't cover.
+
+### Schema Inference
+
+Generate schemas from existing notes by analyzing observation and relation frequency:
+
+```
+$ bm schema infer Person
+
+Analyzing 30 notes with type: Person...
+
+Observations found:
+  [name]        30/30  100%  → name: string
+  [role]        27/30   90%  → role?: string
+  [expertise]   18/30   60%  → expertise?(array): string
+  [email]        8/30   27%  → email?: string
+
+Relations found:
+  works_at      22/30   73%  → works_at?: Organization
+
+Suggested schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+  email?: string, contact email
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+
+Save to schema/Person.md? [y/n]
+```
+
+Frequency thresholds:
+- **100% present** → required field
+- **25%+ present** → optional field
+- **Below 25%** → excluded from suggestion
+
+### Schema Drift Detection
+
+Track how usage patterns shift over time:
+
+```
+$ bm schema diff Person
+
+Schema drift detected:
+
++ expertise: now in 81% of notes (was 12%)
+- department: dropped to 3% of notes
+~ works_at: cardinality changed (one → many)
+
+Update schema? [y/n/review]
+```
+
+## Complete Examples
+
+### Simple Note (No Schema)
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Project Ideas
+type: note
+tags: [ideas, brainstorm]
+---
+
+# Project Ideas
+
+## Observations
+- [idea] Build a CLI tool for markdown linting #tooling
+- [idea] Create a recipe knowledge base #cooking
+- [priority] Focus on developer tools first (Q1 goal)
+
+## Relations
+- inspired_by [[Developer Workflow Research]]
+- part_of [[Q1 Planning]]
+```
+
+### Schema-Validated Note
+
+Schema at `schema/Person.md`:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Person
+type: schema
+entity: Person
+version: 1
+schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title or position
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+  email?: string, contact email
+settings:
+  validation: warn
+---
+
+# Person
+
+A human individual in the knowledge graph.
+```
+
+Note at `people/paul-graham.md`:
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Paul Graham
+type: Person
+tags: [startups, essays, lisp]
+---
+
+# Paul Graham
+
+## Observations
+- [name] Paul Graham
+- [role] Essayist and investor
+- [expertise] Startups
+- [expertise] Lisp
+- [expertise] Essay writing
+- [fact] Created Viaweb, the first web app
+
+## Relations
+- works_at [[Y Combinator]]
+- authored [[Hackers and Painters]]
+```
+
+The `[fact]` observation and `authored` relation are not in the schema — they're valid, just unmatched. The schema only checks that `[name]` exists (required) and looks for optional fields like `[role]`, `[expertise]`, and `works_at`.
+
+### Inline Schema Note
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Team Standup 2024-01-15
+type: meeting
+schema:
+  attendees(array): string, who was there
+  decisions(array): string, what was decided
+  action_items(array): string, follow-ups
+  blockers?(array): string, anything stuck
+---
+
+# Team Standup 2024-01-15
+
+## Observations
+- [attendees] Paul
+- [attendees] Sarah
+- [decisions] Ship v2 by Friday
+- [action_items] Paul to review PR #42
+- [blockers] Waiting on API credentials
+```

README.md

@@ -1,258 +1,637 @@
+<!-- mcp-name: io.github.basicmachines-co/basic-memory -->
+[![License: AGPL v3](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-AGPL_v3-blue.svg)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0)
+[![PyPI version](https://badge.fury.io/py/basic-memory.svg)](https://badge.fury.io/py/basic-memory)
+[![Python 3.12+](https://img.shields.io/badge/python-3.12+-blue.svg)](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
+[![Tests](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/workflows/Tests/badge.svg)](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/actions)
+[![Ruff](https://img.shields.io/endpoint?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/astral-sh/ruff/main/assets/badge/v2.json)](https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff)
+![](https://badge.mcpx.dev?type=server 'MCP Server')
+![](https://badge.mcpx.dev?type=dev 'MCP Dev')
+
+## Skip the install — try Basic Memory in the cloud
+
+Claude, Codex, or Cursor connected in 30 seconds. No Python, no JSON, no
+terminal. **$15.00/mo locked in for life** (12.50/mo yearly pricing). 7-day free
+trial — cancel any time before day 7 if it's not for you. Beta pricing —
+sign up now and your rate never goes up. OSS users: code `BMFOSS` takes
+another 20% off for 3 months.
+
+[Start free trial →](https://basicmemory.com?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme&utm_content=banner)
+
+### Basic Memory Teams is now available!
+
+Give your team a single, shared cloud workspace. Knowledge isn't confined to one person — anything a teammate writes is immediately available to everyone else and to their AI assistants. 
+Edit a note together in real time, hand work off between humans and agents, and build one connected knowledge base instead of scattered copies. Same pricing - start with one user and add more as needed. 
+
+---
+
 # Basic Memory
 
-Basic Memory lets you build persistent knowledge through natural conversations with Large Language Models (LLMs) like
-Claude, while keeping everything in simple markdown files on your computer. It uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to
-enable any compatible LLM to read and write to your local knowledge base.
+### Your AI never forgets again.
 
-## What is Basic Memory?
+Pick up right where you left off — in Claude, Codex, Cursor, ChatGPT, or
+anything that speaks [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io). Your knowledge
+lives as Markdown files that both you and your AI can read, write, and
+search.
 
-Most people use LLMs like calculators - paste in some text, expect to get an answer back, repeat. Each conversation
-starts fresh,
-and any knowledge or context is lost. Some try to work around this by:
+- **Local-first.** Plain text on your disk. Forever.
+- **Two-way.** AI and humans write to the same files; sync keeps them in step.
+- **A real knowledge graph.** Observations and wikilinks compound into context.
+- **Semantic search.** Find notes by meaning, not just keywords.
+- **MCP-native.** Works with every major AI client and IDE.
+- **Progressive tool discovery.** Every tool is tagged with behavior hints
+  (read-only, destructive, idempotent) so agents pick the right tool on
+  demand — no wasted context trying things to see what they do.
+- **Cloud, optional.** Sync across devices when you want — never required.
 
-- Saving chat histories (but they're hard to reference)
-- Copying and pasting previous conversations (messy and repetitive)
-- Using RAG systems to query documents (complex and often cloud-based)
+## Get started
 
-Basic Memory takes a different approach by letting both humans and LLMs read and write knowledge naturally using
-standard markdown files. This means:
+Pick the path that fits you. Both run the same product on the same Markdown.
 
-- Your knowledge stays in files you control
-- Both you and the LLM can read and write notes
-- Context persists across conversations
-- Context stays local and user controlled
+<table>
+<tr>
+<th width="50%">☁️ &nbsp; Cloud</th>
+<th width="50%">💻 &nbsp; Local install</th>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td valign="top">
 
-## How It Works in Practice
+**30 seconds.** Sign up, connect your AI client, done.
 
-Let's say you're working on a new project and want to capture design decisions. Here's how it works:
+- Works in any browser
+- Mobile, web, desktop
+- Cross-device sync built in
+- We handle hosting, backups, snapshots
 
-1. Start by chatting normally:
+**$15.00/mo locked for life** · 7-day free trial · cancel any time
 
-```markdown
-We need to design a new auth system, some key features:
+[**Start free trial →**](https://basicmemory.com?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme&utm_content=quickstart)
 
-- local first, don't delegate users to third party system
-- support multiple platforms via jwt
-- want to keep it simple but secure
-```
+</td>
+<td valign="top">
 
-... continue conversation.
+**2 minutes.** Install, configure your AI client, run.
 
-2. Ask Claude to help structure this knowledge:
-
-```
-"Lets write a note about the auth system design."
-```
-
-Claude creates a new markdown file on your system (which you can see instantly in Obsidian or your editor):
-
-```markdown
----
-title: Auth System Design
-permalink: auth-system-design
-tags
-- design
-- auth
----
-
-# Auth System Design
-
-## Observations
-
-- [requirement] Local-first authentication without third party delegation
-- [tech] JWT-based auth for cross-platform support
-- [principle] Balance simplicity with security
-
-## Relations
-
-- implements [[Security Requirements]]
-- relates_to [[Platform Support]]
-- referenced_by [[JWT Implementation]]
-```
-
-The note embeds semantic content (Observations) and links to other topics (Relations) via simple markdown formatting.
-
-3. You can edit this file directly in your editor in real time:
-
-```markdown
-# Auth System Design
-
-## Observations
-
-- [requirement] Local-first authentication without third party delegation
-- [tech] JWT-based auth for cross-platform support
-- [principle] Balance simplicity with security
-- [decision] Will use bcrypt for password hashing # Added by you
-
-## Relations
-
-- implements [[Security Requirements]]
-- relates_to [[Platform Support]]
-- referenced_by [[JWT Implementation]]
-- blocks [[User Service]]  # Added by you
-```
-
-4. In a new chat with Claude, you can reference this knowledge:
-
-```
-"Claude, look at memory://auth-system-design for context about our auth system"
-```
-
-Claude can now build rich context from the knowledge graph. For example:
-
-```
-Following relation 'implements [[Security Requirements]]':
-- Found authentication best practices
-- OWASP guidelines for JWT
-- Rate limiting requirements
-
-Following relation 'relates_to [[Platform Support]]':
-- Mobile auth requirements 
-- Browser security considerations
-- JWT storage strategies
-```
-
-Each related document can lead to more context, building a rich semantic understanding of your knowledge base. All of
-this context comes from standard markdown files that both humans and LLMs can read and write.
-
-Everything stays in local markdown files that you can:
-
-- Edit in any text editor
-- Version via git
-- Back up normally
-- Share when you want to
-
-## Technical Implementation
-
-Under the hood, Basic Memory:
-
-1. Stores everything in markdown files
-2. Uses a SQLite database just for searching and indexing
-3. Extracts semantic meaning from simple markdown patterns
-4. Maintains a local knowledge graph from file content
-
-The file format is just markdown with some simple markup:
-
-Frontmatter
-
-- title
-- type
-- permalink
-- optional metadata
-
-Observations
-
-- facts about a topic
-
-```markdown
-- [category] content #tag (optional context)
-```
-
-Relations
-
-- links to other topics
-
-```markdown
-- relation_type [[WikiLink]] (optional context)
-```
-
-Example:
-
-```markdown
----
-title: Note tile
-type: note
-permalink: unique/stable/id  # Added automatically
-tags
-- tag1
-- tag2
----
-
-# Note Title
-
-Regular markdown content...
-
-## Observations
-
-- [category] Structured knowledge #tag (optional context)
-- [idea] Another observation
-
-## Relations
-
-- links_to [[Other Note]]
-- implements [[Some Spec]]
-```
-
-Basic Memory will parse the markdown and derive the semantic relationships in the content. When you run
-`basic-memory sync`:
-
-1. New and changed files are detected
-2. Markdown patterns become semantic knowledge:
-
-- `[tech]` becomes a categorized observation
-- `[[WikiLink]]` creates a relation in the knowledge graph
-- Tags and metadata are indexed for search
-
-3. A SQLite database maintains these relationships for fast querying
-4. Claude and other MCP-compatible LLMs can access this knowledge via memory:// URLs
-
-This creates a two-way flow where:
-
-- Humans write and edit markdown files
-- LLMs read and write through the MCP protocol
-- Sync keeps everything consistent
-- All knowledge stays in local files.
-
-## Using with Claude
-
-Basic Memory works with the Claude desktop app (https://claude.ai/):
-
-1. Install Basic Memory locally:
+- Free forever (AGPL-3.0)
+- All data on your disk
+- Air-gapped friendly
+- Requires Python via [`uv`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)
 
 ```bash
+uv tool install basic-memory
+```
+
+[**Configure your client ↓**](#connect-your-ai-client)
+
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+## What people are saying
+
+> Basic Memory changed my whole relationship with LLMs. I switched from GPT
+> and Gemini to exclusively Claude and Claude Code because of this
+> integration and am completely revamping all our company's processes around
+> a Basic Memory workflow.
+>
+> — **Alex**, TrainerDay
+
+> Basic Memory is the missing 'wow' factor in AI chatbots. Now I can't
+> imagine Claude or Claude Code without it.
+>
+> — **Caleb**, Caleb Picker Consulting
+
+> I don't code without Basic Memory anymore. It's such a time saver to be
+> able to refer to projects I don't currently have active and keep a running
+> log of all my learnings and ProTips.
+>
+> — **@groksrc**, Developer
+
+More on [basicmemory.com](https://basicmemory.com?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme).
+
+## Basic Memory Cloud
+
+The hosted version of Basic Memory. Same product, same Markdown files, same
+MCP tools — we just host the database, run the sync, and put it on your
+phone.
+
+### What you get
+
+- **Every device, same brain.** Your knowledge graph on web, mobile, and
+  desktop. No copy-paste between machines.
+- **Connect any MCP client.** Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor,
+  ChatGPT (Custom GPTs), VS Code — one-click connect from the web app.
+- **Bidirectional sync to local.** Edit on your phone, see it in Obsidian on
+  your laptop. rclone-powered with conflict resolution.
+- **Snapshots and backups.** Point-in-time restore. Browse history. Never
+  lose a note.
+- **No lock-in.** Your notes are plain Markdown. Export to local Markdown any
+  time — same files, same format, same wikilinks. Cancel anytime, your data
+  stays yours.
+
+Built on WorkOS AuthKit, Neon Postgres, and Tigris S3.
+
+### Pricing
+
+**$15.00/mo, locked in for the life of your subscription** (regular price
+$19). Sign up during beta and the rate never goes up — as long as you stay
+subscribed, you keep the price. One plan, no tiers, no surprise upgrades.
+Unlimited notes, unlimited projects, every feature.
+
+- 7-day free trial. Cancel any time before day 7 if it's not for you.
+- Cancel anytime after that too — export your notes whenever you want.
+- OSS users: code `BMFOSS` for another 20% off for 3 months (~$11.40/mo).
+
+[**Start your 7-day free trial →**](https://basicmemory.com?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme&utm_content=cloud-section)
+
+## Cloud vs. local
+
+|  | Cloud | Local |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Setup time** | 30 seconds | 2 minutes (requires Python) |
+| **Cost** | $15.00/mo, locked for life (7-day trial) | Free |
+| **Storage** | We host (Tigris S3) | Your disk |
+| **Cross-device sync** | Built in | Manual (Git, Syncthing, etc.) |
+| **Mobile access** | Yes (web + app) | No |
+| **Air-gapped** | No | Yes |
+| **Your data stays yours** | Yes — export anytime | Yes — already there |
+| **Source code** | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
+| **Snapshots & backups** | Built in | Roll your own |
+
+Both paths use the same OSS engine and the same Markdown files. There's no
+lock-in either way — flip between them when your needs change.
+
+## Works with the tools you already use
+
+| Client | Transport | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| Cloud web app | https | Sign in at basicmemory.com — no install |
+| [Claude Desktop](#claude-desktop) | stdio/https | macOS / Windows / Linux |
+| [Claude Code](#claude-code) | stdio/https | `claude mcp add` |
+| [Codex](#codex-cli) | stdio/https | OpenAI's coding agent |
+| [Cursor](#cursor) | stdio/https | `.cursor/mcp.json` |
+| [VS Code](#vs-code) | stdio/https | Native MCP support |
+| [ChatGPT](#chatgpt) | https | Custom GPT actions (`search` / `fetch`) |
+| [Obsidian](#obsidian) | — | Reads/writes the same Markdown directly |
+| Anything MCP | stdio/https | If it speaks MCP, it works |
+
+## Official agent packages
+
+This repository is also the canonical home for Basic Memory's host-native
+agent packages. The core Python package, Claude Code plugin, shared skills,
+Hermes plugin, and OpenClaw plugin all ship from the same source tree.
+
+Maintainers can verify the whole consolidated surface from the repo root:
+
+```bash
+just package-check
+```
+
+Package-local justfiles are also available when working inside one host:
+
+```bash
+just package-check-claude-code
+just package-check-skills
+just package-check-hermes
+just package-check-openclaw
+```
+
+### Claude Code plugin
+
+The Claude Code plugin is the bridge between Claude's working memory and Basic
+Memory — session-start briefings, pre-compaction checkpoints, an opt-in capture
+output style, and `/basic-memory:setup` · `:remember` · `:share` · `:status`.
+
+**Connect the Basic Memory MCP server first** — see [Connect your AI
+client](#connect-your-ai-client). The plugin's hooks and skills call it, so it's a
+hard prerequisite. Then add the marketplace and install:
+
+```bash
+claude plugin marketplace add basicmachines-co/basic-memory \
+  --sparse .claude-plugin plugins/claude-code
+claude plugin install basic-memory@basicmachines-co
+```
+
+Source: [`plugins/claude-code`](plugins/claude-code).
+
+### Shared skills
+
+Framework-agnostic `SKILL.md` files live in [`skills/`](skills). If your
+Skills CLI supports subpath installs:
+
+```bash
+npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory --path skills
+```
+
+If it does not, copy the `memory-*` directories from `skills/` into your
+agent's skills directory as a temporary Phase 1 install path.
+
+### Hermes
+
+Hermes keeps its native plugin shape under [`integrations/hermes`](integrations/hermes):
+
+```bash
+hermes plugins install basicmachines-co/basic-memory --path integrations/hermes
+```
+
+If your Hermes build lacks subpath installs, use the final deprecated
+`basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory` pointer release until host support
+lands.
+
+### OpenClaw
+
+OpenClaw stays package-native and publishes from
+[`integrations/openclaw`](integrations/openclaw):
+
+```bash
+openclaw plugins install @basicmemory/openclaw-basic-memory
+```
+
+## Pick up where you left off
+
+https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a55d8238-8dd0-454a-be4c-8860dbbd0ddc
+
+## Connect your AI client
+
+If you went the [Cloud](#get-started) route, the web app walks you through
+client connect. The snippets below are for local installs.
+
+### Claude Desktop
+
+Edit `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`:
+
+```json
 {
   "mcpServers": {
     "basic-memory": {
       "command": "uvx",
-      "args": [
-        "basic-memory"
-      ]
+      "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
     }
+  }
 }
 ```
 
-2. Add to Claude Desktop:
+Restart Claude Desktop. Notes live in `~/basic-memory` by default.
 
-```
-Basic Memory is available with these tools:
-- write_note() for creating/updating notes
-- read_note() for loading notes
-- build_context() to load notes via memory:// URLs
-- recent_activity() to find recently updated information
-- search() to search infomation in the knowledge base
-```
+<details>
+<summary><b>Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, VS Code, ChatGPT, Obsidian</b></summary>
 
-3. Install via uv
+### Claude Code
 
 ```bash
-uv add  basic-memory
-
-# sync local knowledge updates
-basic-memory sync
-
-# run realtime sync process
-basic-memory sync --watch
+claude mcp add basic-memory -- uvx basic-memory mcp
 ```
 
-## Design Philosophy
+For the full memory bridge — session briefings, pre-compaction checkpoints, and
+the `/basic-memory:*` commands — also install the [Claude Code
+plugin](#claude-code-plugin) on top of this.
 
-Basic Memory is built on some key ideas:
+### Codex CLI
 
-- Your knowledge should stay in files you control
-- Both humans and AI should use natural formats
-- Simple text patterns can capture rich meaning
-- Local-first doesn't mean feature-poor
+Add to `~/.codex/config.toml`:
+
+```toml
+[mcp_servers.basic-memory]
+command = "uvx"
+args = ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
+```
+
+### Cursor
+
+Add to `.cursor/mcp.json` (project) or `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (global):
+
+```json
+{
+  "mcpServers": {
+    "basic-memory": {
+      "command": "uvx",
+      "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+### VS Code
+
+Add to your User Settings (JSON):
+
+```json
+{
+  "mcp": {
+    "servers": {
+      "basic-memory": {
+        "command": "uvx",
+        "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+### ChatGPT
+
+Basic Memory exposes OpenAI-compatible `search` and `fetch` tools for Custom
+GPT actions. See the [ChatGPT integration
+guide](https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/chatgpt/?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme).
+
+### Obsidian
+
+No setup. Point Obsidian at `~/basic-memory` (or your project folder) and the
+same wikilinks, frontmatter, and Markdown your AI writes appear in your graph
+view. Edit either side — sync handles the rest.
+
+</details>
+
+Try a prompt:
+
+```
+"Create a note about our project architecture decisions."
+"Find information about JWT auth in my notes."
+"What have I been working on this week?"
+```
+
+## What's New
+
+- **Automatic updates.** Basic Memory keeps itself up to date for `uv tool`
+  and Homebrew installs; `bm update` triggers a manual check.
+- **Semantic vector search.** Find notes by meaning, not just keywords.
+  Hybrid full-text + vector ranking with FastEmbed embeddings, on SQLite or
+  Postgres.
+- **Schema system.** Infer, validate, and diff the structure of your
+  knowledge base with `schema_infer`, `schema_validate`, `schema_diff`.
+- **Per-project cloud routing.** Route individual projects through the cloud
+  while others stay local, via API key (`bm project set-cloud`).
+- **Smarter editing.** `edit_note` append/prepend auto-creates notes when
+  missing; `write_note` guards against accidental overwrites.
+- **Richer search results.** Matched chunk text is included so the LLM gets
+  context, not just hits.
+- **FastMCP 3.0 + tool annotations.** Every tool ships with MCP behavior
+  hints (`readOnlyHint`, `destructiveHint`, `idempotentHint`,
+  `openWorldHint`) so agents can discover capabilities progressively at
+  runtime instead of guessing or burning tokens.
+- **CLI overhaul.** `--json` output for scripting, workspace-aware commands,
+  and an htop-inspired project dashboard.
+
+Full [CHANGELOG](CHANGELOG.md) for v0.18 → v0.20.
+
+## Why Basic Memory
+
+Most LLM conversations are ephemeral. You ask a question, get an answer, then
+everything is forgotten. Workarounds have limits:
+
+- **Chat history** captures conversations but isn't structured knowledge.
+- **RAG** lets the LLM query your documents but not write back to them.
+- **Vector DBs** need complex infra and usually live in someone else's cloud.
+- **Knowledge graphs** need specialized tooling to maintain.
+
+Basic Memory takes a simpler path: **structured Markdown files that humans
+and LLMs both read and write.**
+
+- All knowledge stays in plain files you control.
+- Both sides read and write to the same files.
+- Familiar Markdown with semantic patterns — no new format to learn.
+- A traversable graph the LLM can follow link by link.
+- Works with the editors you already use (Obsidian, VS Code, anything).
+- Just files plus a local SQLite index. No servers required.
+
+## How it works
+
+You're chatting normally about coffee:
+
+> I've been experimenting with brewing methods. Pour over gives more clarity
+> than French press, water at 205°F seems best, and freshly ground beans
+> make a huge difference.
+
+Ask the LLM to capture it:
+
+> "Make a note on coffee brewing methods."
+
+A Markdown file appears in your project directory in real time:
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Coffee Brewing Methods
+permalink: coffee-brewing-methods
+tags: [coffee, brewing]
+---
+
+# Coffee Brewing Methods
+
+## Observations
+- [method] Pour over highlights subtle flavors over body
+- [technique] Water at 205°F (96°C) extracts optimal compounds
+- [principle] Freshly ground beans preserve aromatics
+
+## Relations
+- relates_to [[Coffee Bean Origins]]
+- requires [[Proper Grinding Technique]]
+- affects [[Flavor Extraction]]
+```
+
+Next session, the LLM picks up the thread. It follows the relations to
+surface what you already know about Ethiopian beans and burr grinders, and
+builds on it instead of starting over. You see the same files in Obsidian or
+your editor. Edit them by hand — the AI sees your changes too.
+
+Real two-way flow: humans edit Markdown, LLMs read/write through MCP, sync
+keeps everything consistent, and the source of truth is always your files.
+
+## The Markdown format
+
+Each file is an `Entity`. Entities have `Observations` (facts about them) and
+`Relations` (links to other entities). That's the whole grammar.
+
+### Frontmatter
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: <Entity title>
+type: note
+permalink: <uri-slug>
+tags: [optional, list]
+---
+```
+
+### Observations
+
+Facts about the entity. Categories in `[brackets]`, tags with `#`, optional
+context in parens.
+
+```markdown
+- [method] Pour over highlights subtle flavors
+- [tip] Grind medium-fine for V60 #brewing
+- [fact] Lighter roasts contain more caffeine than dark
+- [resource] James Hoffmann's V60 technique on YouTube
+- [question] How does temperature affect compound extraction?
+```
+
+### Relations
+
+Wiki-style links that form the graph. Single-token relation types, or quote
+multi-word ones.
+
+```markdown
+- pairs_well_with [[Chocolate Desserts]]
+- grown_in [[Ethiopia]]
+- requires [[Burr Grinder]]
+- "pairs well with" [[Dark Chocolate]]
+```
+
+Bare `- [[Target]]` and prose `- Worth checking out [[Target]]` index as
+`links_to`. Full reference in the
+[docs](https://docs.basicmemory.com/getting-started/note-formatting/?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme).
+
+## MCP tools
+
+Basic Memory exposes these tools to any MCP client. Every tool is annotated
+with MCP behavior hints (read-only, destructive, idempotent, open-world) so
+agents can pick the right one without trial-and-error:
+
+- **Content:** `write_note`, `read_note`, `edit_note`, `move_note`,
+  `delete_note`, `read_content`, `view_note`
+- **Search & discovery:** `search`, `search_notes`, `recent_activity`,
+  `list_directory`
+- **Knowledge graph:** `build_context` (navigates `memory://` URLs),
+  `canvas` (Obsidian canvas generation)
+- **Projects:** `list_memory_projects`, `create_memory_project`,
+  `get_current_project`, `sync_status`
+- **Schema:** `schema_infer`, `schema_validate`, `schema_diff`
+- **Cloud:** `cloud_info`, `release_notes`
+
+All MCP tools default to text output; pass `output_format="json"` for
+structured responses. Full tool reference in the
+[docs](https://docs.basicmemory.com/?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme).
+
+## CLI essentials
+
+```bash
+# Projects
+basic-memory project list
+basic-memory project add research ~/research
+basic-memory project set-cloud research   # route through cloud
+basic-memory project set-local research   # revert
+
+# Health & maintenance
+basic-memory status
+basic-memory doctor              # file <-> DB consistency check
+basic-memory tool edit-note ...  # CLI access to MCP tools
+basic-memory update              # check for and install updates
+
+# Imports
+basic-memory import claude conversations
+basic-memory import chatgpt
+basic-memory import memory-json
+```
+
+Routing flags (`--local` / `--cloud`) force a target when you're in mixed
+mode. Full CLI reference in the
+[docs](https://docs.basicmemory.com/guides/cli-reference/?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme).
+
+## Auto-updates
+
+CLI installs check for updates every 24 hours by default and apply them
+silently (so the MCP server keeps responding).
+
+- Supported install sources: `uv tool`, Homebrew
+- Skipped for `uvx` (ephemeral runtime managed by uv)
+- Manual: `bm update` (check + apply) or `bm update --check` (check only)
+
+Disable in `~/.basic-memory/config.json`:
+
+```json
+{ "auto_update": false }
+```
+
+## Telemetry
+
+Minimal, anonymous events to understand the CLI-to-cloud conversion funnel.
+
+**What we collect:** cloud promo impressions, cloud login attempts and
+outcomes, promo opt-out events.
+
+**What we don't:** file contents, note titles, knowledge base data, PII, IP
+addresses, per-command or per-tool tracking.
+
+Events go to our [Umami Cloud](https://umami.is) instance (open-source,
+privacy-focused) on a background thread — never blocks the CLI.
+
+Opt out:
+
+```bash
+export BASIC_MEMORY_NO_PROMOS=1
+```
+
+This disables promos and all telemetry.
+
+## Logging
+
+Basic Memory uses [Loguru](https://github.com/Delgan/loguru). Defaults vary
+by entry point:
+
+| Entry point | Default | Why |
+|---|---|---|
+| CLI commands | File only | Doesn't interfere with command output |
+| MCP server | File only | Stdout would corrupt JSON-RPC |
+| API server | File (local) or stdout (cloud) | Docker/cloud uses stdout |
+
+Log file: `~/.basic-memory/basic-memory.log` (10MB rotation, 10 days
+retention).
+
+### Environment variables
+
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|---|---|---|
+| `BASIC_MEMORY_LOG_LEVEL` | `INFO` | DEBUG / INFO / WARNING / ERROR |
+| `BASIC_MEMORY_CLOUD_MODE` | `false` | API logs to stdout with structured context |
+| `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_LOCAL` | `false` | Force local API routing |
+| `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_CLOUD` | `false` | Force cloud API routing |
+| `BASIC_MEMORY_EXPLICIT_ROUTING` | `false` | Mark route selection as explicit |
+| `BASIC_MEMORY_ENV` | `dev` | Set to `test` for test mode (stderr only) |
+| `BASIC_MEMORY_NO_PROMOS` | `false` | Disable cloud promos and telemetry |
+| `BASIC_MEMORY_IMPORT_UPLOAD_MAX_BYTES` | `104857600` | Max uploaded import size |
+
+```bash
+BASIC_MEMORY_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG basic-memory sync
+tail -f ~/.basic-memory/basic-memory.log
+```
+
+## Development
+
+Basic Memory supports SQLite (default, fast, no Docker) and Postgres
+(via testcontainers — Docker required).
+
+```bash
+just install          # Install with dev dependencies
+just test-sqlite      # All tests, SQLite
+just test-postgres    # All tests, Postgres (testcontainers)
+just test             # Both backends
+just fast-check       # fix/format/typecheck + impacted tests
+just doctor           # File <-> DB consistency check (temp config)
+just package-check    # Claude Code, skills, Hermes, OpenClaw package checks
+just lint
+just typecheck        # Pyright (primary)
+just typecheck-ty     # ty (supplemental)
+just format
+just check            # All quality checks
+just migration "msg"  # New Alembic migration
+```
+
+Tests use pytest markers: `windows`, `benchmark`, `smoke`. See
+[justfile](justfile) for the full list.
+
+Contributions welcome — see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).
 
 ## License
 
-AGPL-3.0
+[AGPL-3.0](LICENSE).
+
+## Star History
+
+<a href="https://www.star-history.com/#basicmachines-co/basic-memory&Date">
+ <picture>
+   <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://api.star-history.com/svg?repos=basicmachines-co/basic-memory&type=Date&theme=dark" />
+   <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://api.star-history.com/svg?repos=basicmachines-co/basic-memory&type=Date" />
+   <img alt="Star History Chart" src="https://api.star-history.com/svg?repos=basicmachines-co/basic-memory&type=Date" />
+ </picture>
+</a>
+
+Built with ♥️ by [Basic Machines](https://basicmachines.co?utm_source=github&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=readme)

SECURITY.md

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# Security Policy
+
+## Supported Versions
+
+| Version | Supported          |
+| ------- | ------------------ |
+| 0.x.x   | :white_check_mark: |
+
+## Reporting a Vulnerability
+
+If you find a vulnerability, please contact hello@basicmachines.co.
+
+Please do not open a public GitHub issue for security vulnerabilities. We aim
+to respond within 72 hours and will coordinate a fix and disclosure timeline
+with you.
+
+## Threat Model
+
+Basic Memory is a local-first MCP server that reads and writes markdown files
+inside configured project directories. It runs on your machine with your user
+permissions, so local configuration deserves the same care as any other
+developer tool that can access your files.
+
+### What Basic Memory Controls
+
+- Filesystem-touching tools validate paths against the configured project root
+  with `validate_project_path()`, resolved paths, and `Path.is_relative_to()`.
+  Path traversal attempts such as `../../etc/passwd` are blocked at this layer.
+- Scan optimizations in `sync_service.py` call `find` through
+  `asyncio.create_subprocess_exec()` with explicit argument lists. Project paths
+  are passed as data, not interpolated into shell strings.
+- Auto-update code uses hardcoded commands, list-form arguments, and
+  `stdin=DEVNULL`. User-controlled strings do not reach a shell there.
+
+### MCP Client-Side Risk
+
+Recent MCP ecosystem research has highlighted a client-side pattern where an
+MCP host can be configured to run arbitrary commands as "servers." That risk is
+in the host configuration, not in notes or Basic Memory tool input.
+
+The recommended Basic Memory MCP configuration uses a known command with
+explicit arguments:
+
+```json
+{
+  "mcpServers": {
+    "basic-memory": {
+      "command": "uvx",
+      "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Only add MCP server entries from sources you trust. Avoid inline shell scripts
+or command strings copied from untrusted sources. Treat third-party MCP server
+configuration with the same scrutiny as any locally executed program.
+
+Related ecosystem context:
+
+- OX Security: The Mother of All AI Supply Chains
+- CSO Online: RCE by design: MCP architectural choice haunts AI agent ecosystem
+
+### Out Of Scope
+
+- Basic Memory does not execute note content as code. Notes are returned as
+  data to the LLM.
+- Basic Memory does not open network ports by default. The MCP server uses
+  stdio; the optional REST API is intended for localhost use.
+- Basic Memory is designed for single-user local knowledge bases and does not
+  implement access controls between operating-system users.
+
+## Secure Configuration Checklist
+
+- MCP config `command` points to `uvx` or a trusted binary, not a shell string.
+- Project paths in Basic Memory config come from trusted local configuration.
+- If exposing the REST API, bind it only to localhost.
+- Review any third-party MCP servers before adding them to your host config.

docker-compose-postgres.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# Docker Compose configuration for Basic Memory with PostgreSQL
+# Use this for local development and testing with Postgres backend.
+#
+# The Postgres backend requires the pgvector extension (semantic search).
+# This image bundles pgvector; plain postgres:17 will not work for vector search.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   docker-compose -f docker-compose-postgres.yml up -d
+#   docker-compose -f docker-compose-postgres.yml down
+
+services:
+  postgres:
+    image: pgvector/pgvector:pg17
+    container_name: basic-memory-postgres
+    environment:
+      # Local development/test credentials - NOT for production
+      # These values are referenced by tests and justfile commands
+      POSTGRES_DB: basic_memory
+      POSTGRES_USER: basic_memory_user
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: dev_password  # Simple password for local testing only
+    ports:
+      - "5433:5432"
+    volumes:
+      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U basic_memory_user -d basic_memory"]
+      interval: 10s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 5
+    restart: unless-stopped
+
+volumes:
+  # Named volume for Postgres data
+  postgres_data:
+    driver: local
+
+  # Named volume for persistent configuration
+  # Database will be stored in Postgres, not in this volume
+  basic-memory-config:
+    driver: local
+
+# Network configuration (optional)
+# networks:
+#   basic-memory-net:
+#     driver: bridge

docker-compose.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# Docker Compose configuration for Basic Memory
+# See docs/Docker.md for detailed setup instructions
+
+version: '3.8'
+
+services:
+  basic-memory:
+    # Use pre-built image (recommended for most users)
+    image: ghcr.io/basicmachines-co/basic-memory:latest
+    
+    # Uncomment to build locally instead:
+    # build: .
+    
+    container_name: basic-memory-server
+    
+    # Volume mounts for knowledge directories and persistent data
+    volumes:
+
+      # Persistent storage for configuration and database
+      # Container runs as `appuser` (Dockerfile USER directive), so the CLI
+      # config dir lives under /home/appuser, not /root.
+      - basic-memory-config:/home/appuser/.basic-memory:rw
+
+      # Mount your knowledge directory (required)
+      # Change './knowledge' to your actual Obsidian vault or knowledge directory
+      - ./knowledge:/app/data:rw
+
+      # OPTIONAL: Mount additional knowledge directories for multiple projects
+      # - ./work-notes:/app/data/work:rw
+      # - ./personal-notes:/app/data/personal:rw
+
+      # You can edit the project config manually in the mounted config volume
+      # The default project will be configured to use /app/data
+    environment:
+      # Project configuration
+      - BASIC_MEMORY_DEFAULT_PROJECT=main
+      
+      # Enable real-time file synchronization (recommended for Docker)
+      - BASIC_MEMORY_SYNC_CHANGES=true
+      
+      # Logging configuration
+      - BASIC_MEMORY_LOG_LEVEL=INFO
+      
+      # Sync delay in milliseconds (adjust for performance vs responsiveness)
+      - BASIC_MEMORY_SYNC_DELAY=1000
+    
+    # Port exposure for HTTP transport (only needed if not using STDIO)
+    ports:
+      - "8000:8000"
+    
+    # Command with SSE transport (configurable via environment variables above)
+    # IMPORTANT: The SSE and streamable-http endpoints are not secured
+    command: ["basic-memory", "mcp", "--transport", "sse", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8000"]
+    
+    # Container management
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    
+    # Health monitoring
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "basic-memory", "--version"]
+      interval: 30s
+      timeout: 10s
+      retries: 3
+      start_period: 30s
+    
+    # Optional: Resource limits
+    # deploy:
+    #   resources:
+    #     limits:
+    #       memory: 512M
+    #       cpus: '0.5'
+    #     reservations:
+    #       memory: 256M
+    #       cpus: '0.25'
+
+volumes:
+  # Named volume for persistent configuration and database
+  # This ensures your configuration and knowledge graph persist across container restarts
+  basic-memory-config:
+    driver: local
+
+# Network configuration (optional)
+# networks:
+#   basic-memory-net:
+#     driver: bridge

docs/ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,442 @@
+# Basic Memory Architecture
+
+This document describes the architectural patterns and composition structure of Basic Memory.
+
+## Overview
+
+Basic Memory is a local-first knowledge management system with three entrypoints:
+- **API** - FastAPI REST server for HTTP access
+- **MCP** - Model Context Protocol server for LLM integration
+- **CLI** - Typer command-line interface
+
+Each entrypoint uses a **composition root** pattern to manage configuration and dependencies.
+
+## Composition Roots
+
+### What is a Composition Root?
+
+A composition root is the single place in an application where dependencies are wired together. In Basic Memory, each entrypoint has its own composition root that:
+
+1. Reads configuration from `ConfigManager`
+2. Resolves runtime mode (local/test)
+3. Creates and provides dependencies to downstream code
+
+**Key principle**: Only composition roots read global configuration. All other modules receive configuration explicitly.
+
+### Container Structure
+
+Each entrypoint has a container dataclass in its package:
+
+```
+src/basic_memory/
+├── api/
+│   └── container.py      # ApiContainer
+├── mcp/
+│   └── container.py      # McpContainer
+├── cli/
+│   └── container.py      # CliContainer
+└── runtime.py            # RuntimeMode enum and resolver
+```
+
+### Container Pattern
+
+All containers follow the same structure:
+
+```python
+@dataclass
+class Container:
+    config: BasicMemoryConfig
+    mode: RuntimeMode
+
+    @classmethod
+    def create(cls) -> "Container":
+        """Create container by reading ConfigManager."""
+        config = ConfigManager().config
+        mode = resolve_runtime_mode(is_test_env=config.is_test_env)
+        return cls(config=config, mode=mode)
+
+    @property
+    def some_computed_property(self) -> bool:
+        """Derived values based on config and mode."""
+        return self.mode.is_local and self.config.some_setting
+
+# Module-level singleton
+_container: Container | None = None
+
+def get_container() -> Container:
+    if _container is None:
+        raise RuntimeError("Container not initialized")
+    return _container
+
+def set_container(container: Container) -> None:
+    global _container
+    _container = container
+```
+
+### Runtime Mode Resolution
+
+The `RuntimeMode` enum centralizes mode detection:
+
+```python
+class RuntimeMode(Enum):
+    LOCAL = "local"
+    CLOUD = "cloud"
+    TEST = "test"
+
+    @property
+    def is_cloud(self) -> bool:
+        return self == RuntimeMode.CLOUD
+
+    @property
+    def is_local(self) -> bool:
+        return self == RuntimeMode.LOCAL
+
+    @property
+    def is_test(self) -> bool:
+        return self == RuntimeMode.TEST
+```
+
+Resolution follows this precedence in local app flows: **TEST > LOCAL**
+
+```python
+def resolve_runtime_mode(is_test_env: bool) -> RuntimeMode:
+    if is_test_env:
+        return RuntimeMode.TEST
+    return RuntimeMode.LOCAL
+```
+
+**Note**: `RuntimeMode` determines global behavior (e.g., whether to start file sync).
+Per-project routing is orthogonal: individual projects can be set to `cloud` mode via `ProjectMode`,
+which affects client routing in `get_client(project_name=...)` without changing global runtime mode.
+`RuntimeMode.CLOUD` may remain for compatibility, but standard local runtime resolution does not select it.
+
+## Dependencies Package
+
+### Structure
+
+The `deps/` package provides FastAPI dependencies organized by feature:
+
+```
+src/basic_memory/deps/
+├── __init__.py       # Re-exports for backwards compatibility
+├── config.py         # Configuration access
+├── db.py             # Database/session management
+├── projects.py       # Project resolution
+├── repositories.py   # Data access layer
+├── services.py       # Business logic layer
+└── importers.py      # Import functionality
+```
+
+### Usage in Routers
+
+```python
+from basic_memory.deps.services import get_entity_service
+from basic_memory.deps.projects import get_project_config
+
+@router.get("/entities/{id}")
+async def get_entity(
+    id: int,
+    entity_service: EntityService = Depends(get_entity_service),
+    project: ProjectConfig = Depends(get_project_config),
+):
+    return await entity_service.get(id)
+```
+
+### Backwards Compatibility
+
+The old `deps.py` file still exists as a thin re-export shim:
+
+```python
+# deps.py - backwards compatibility shim
+from basic_memory.deps import *
+```
+
+New code should import from specific submodules (`basic_memory.deps.services`) for clarity.
+
+## MCP Tools Architecture
+
+### Typed API Clients
+
+MCP tools communicate with the API through typed clients that encapsulate HTTP paths and response validation:
+
+```
+src/basic_memory/mcp/clients/
+├── __init__.py       # Re-exports all clients
+├── base.py           # BaseClient with common logic
+├── knowledge.py      # KnowledgeClient - entity CRUD
+├── search.py         # SearchClient - search operations
+├── memory.py         # MemoryClient - context building
+├── directory.py      # DirectoryClient - directory listing
+├── resource.py       # ResourceClient - resource reading
+└── project.py        # ProjectClient - project management
+```
+
+### Client Pattern
+
+Each client encapsulates API paths and validates responses:
+
+```python
+class KnowledgeClient(BaseClient):
+    """Client for knowledge/entity operations."""
+
+    async def resolve_entity(self, identifier: str) -> int:
+        """Resolve identifier to entity ID."""
+        response = await call_get(
+            self.http_client,
+            f"{self._base_path}/resolve/{identifier}",
+        )
+        return int(response.text)
+
+    async def get_entity(self, entity_id: int) -> EntityResponse:
+        """Get entity by ID."""
+        response = await call_get(
+            self.http_client,
+            f"{self._base_path}/entities/{entity_id}",
+        )
+        return EntityResponse.model_validate(response.json())
+```
+
+### Tool → Client → API Flow
+
+```
+MCP Tool (thin adapter)
+    ↓
+Typed Client (encapsulates paths, validates responses)
+    ↓
+HTTP API (FastAPI router)
+    ↓
+Service Layer (business logic)
+    ↓
+Repository Layer (data access)
+```
+
+Example tool using typed client:
+
+```python
+@mcp.tool()
+async def search_notes(
+    query: str,
+    project: str | None = None,
+    metadata_filters: dict | None = None,
+    tags: list[str] | None = None,
+    status: str | None = None,
+) -> SearchResponse:
+    async with get_project_client(project, context) as (client, active_project):
+        # Import client inside function to avoid circular imports
+        from basic_memory.mcp.clients import SearchClient
+        from basic_memory.schemas.search import SearchQuery
+
+        search_query = SearchQuery(
+            text=query,
+            metadata_filters=metadata_filters,
+            tags=tags,
+            status=status,
+        )
+        search_client = SearchClient(client, active_project.external_id)
+        return await search_client.search(search_query.model_dump())
+```
+
+### Per-Project Client Routing
+
+`get_project_client()` from `mcp/project_context.py` is an async context manager that:
+1. Resolves the project name from config (no network call)
+2. Creates the correctly-routed client based on the project's mode (local ASGI or cloud HTTP with API key)
+3. Validates the project via the API
+4. Yields `(client, active_project)` tuple
+
+This solves the bootstrap problem: you need the project name to choose the right client (local vs cloud), but you need the client to validate the project exists.
+
+```python
+from basic_memory.mcp.project_context import get_project_client
+
+async with get_project_client(project, context) as (client, active_project):
+    # client is routed based on project's mode (local or cloud)
+    # active_project is validated via the API
+    ...
+```
+
+## Sync Coordination
+
+### SyncCoordinator
+
+The `SyncCoordinator` centralizes sync/watch lifecycle management:
+
+```python
+@dataclass
+class SyncCoordinator:
+    """Coordinates file sync and watch operations."""
+
+    status: SyncStatus = SyncStatus.NOT_STARTED
+    sync_task: asyncio.Task | None = None
+    watch_service: WatchService | None = None
+
+    async def start(self, ...):
+        """Start sync and watch operations."""
+
+    async def stop(self):
+        """Stop all sync operations gracefully."""
+
+    def get_status_info(self) -> dict:
+        """Get current sync status for observability."""
+```
+
+### Status Enum
+
+```python
+class SyncStatus(Enum):
+    NOT_STARTED = "not_started"
+    STARTING = "starting"
+    RUNNING = "running"
+    STOPPING = "stopping"
+    STOPPED = "stopped"
+    ERROR = "error"
+```
+
+## Project Resolution
+
+### ProjectResolver
+
+Unified project selection across all entrypoints:
+
+```python
+class ProjectResolver:
+    """Resolves which project to use based on context."""
+
+    def resolve(
+        self,
+        explicit_project: str | None = None,
+    ) -> ResolvedProject:
+        """Resolve project using three-tier hierarchy:
+        1. Explicit project parameter
+        2. Default project from config
+        3. Single available project
+        """
+```
+
+### Resolution Modes
+
+```python
+class ResolutionMode(Enum):
+    EXPLICIT = "explicit"           # User specified project
+    DEFAULT = "default"             # Using configured default
+    SINGLE_PROJECT = "single"       # Only one project exists
+    FALLBACK = "fallback"           # Using first available
+```
+
+## Testing Patterns
+
+### Container Testing
+
+Each container has corresponding tests:
+
+```
+tests/
+├── api/test_api_container.py
+├── mcp/test_mcp_container.py
+└── cli/test_cli_container.py
+```
+
+Tests verify:
+- Container creation from config
+- Runtime mode properties
+- Container accessor functions (get/set)
+
+### Mocking Typed Clients
+
+When testing MCP tools, mock at the client level:
+
+```python
+def test_search_notes(monkeypatch):
+    import basic_memory.mcp.clients as clients_mod
+
+    class MockSearchClient:
+        async def search(self, query):
+            return SearchResponse(results=[...])
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(clients_mod, "SearchClient", MockSearchClient)
+```
+
+## Design Principles
+
+### 1. Explicit Dependencies
+
+Modules receive configuration explicitly rather than reading globals:
+
+```python
+# Good - explicit injection
+async def sync_files(config: BasicMemoryConfig):
+    ...
+
+# Avoid - hidden global access
+async def sync_files():
+    config = ConfigManager().config  # Hidden coupling
+```
+
+### 2. Single Responsibility
+
+Each layer has a clear responsibility:
+- **Containers**: Wire dependencies
+- **Clients**: Encapsulate HTTP communication
+- **Services**: Business logic
+- **Repositories**: Data access
+- **Tools/Routers**: Thin adapters
+
+### 3. Deferred Imports
+
+To avoid circular imports, typed clients are imported inside functions:
+
+```python
+async def my_tool():
+    async with get_client() as client:
+        # Import here to avoid circular dependency
+        from basic_memory.mcp.clients import KnowledgeClient
+
+        knowledge_client = KnowledgeClient(client, project_id)
+```
+
+### 4. Backwards Compatibility
+
+When refactoring, maintain backwards compatibility via shims:
+
+```python
+# Old module becomes a shim
+from basic_memory.new_location import *
+
+# Docstring explains migration path
+"""
+DEPRECATED: Import from basic_memory.new_location instead.
+This shim will be removed in a future version.
+"""
+```
+
+## File Organization
+
+```
+src/basic_memory/
+├── api/
+│   ├── container.py          # API composition root
+│   ├── routers/              # FastAPI routers
+│   └── ...
+├── mcp/
+│   ├── container.py          # MCP composition root
+│   ├── clients/              # Typed API clients
+│   ├── tools/                # MCP tool definitions
+│   └── server.py             # MCP server setup
+├── cli/
+│   ├── container.py          # CLI composition root
+│   ├── app.py                # Typer app
+│   └── commands/             # CLI command groups
+├── deps/
+│   ├── config.py             # Config dependencies
+│   ├── db.py                 # Database dependencies
+│   ├── projects.py           # Project dependencies
+│   ├── repositories.py       # Repository dependencies
+│   ├── services.py           # Service dependencies
+│   └── importers.py          # Importer dependencies
+├── sync/
+│   ├── coordinator.py        # SyncCoordinator
+│   └── ...
+├── runtime.py                # RuntimeMode resolution
+├── project_resolver.py       # Unified project selection
+└── config.py                 # Configuration management
+```

docs/Docker.md

@@ -0,0 +1,365 @@
+# Docker Setup Guide
+
+Basic Memory can be run in Docker containers to provide a consistent, isolated environment for your knowledge management
+system. This is particularly useful for integrating with existing Dockerized MCP servers or for deployment scenarios.
+
+## Quick Start
+
+### Option 1: Using Pre-built Images (Recommended)
+
+Basic Memory provides pre-built Docker images on GitHub Container Registry that are automatically updated with each release.
+
+1. **Use the official image directly:**
+   ```bash
+   docker run -d \
+     --name basic-memory-server \
+     -p 8000:8000 \
+     -v /path/to/your/obsidian-vault:/app/data:rw \
+     -v basic-memory-config:/app/.basic-memory:rw \
+     ghcr.io/basicmachines-co/basic-memory:latest
+   ```
+
+2. **Or use Docker Compose with the pre-built image:**
+   ```yaml
+   version: '3.8'
+   services:
+     basic-memory:
+       image: ghcr.io/basicmachines-co/basic-memory:latest
+       container_name: basic-memory-server
+       ports:
+         - "8000:8000"
+       volumes:
+         - /path/to/your/obsidian-vault:/app/data:rw
+         - basic-memory-config:/app/.basic-memory:rw
+       environment:
+         - BASIC_MEMORY_DEFAULT_PROJECT=main
+       restart: unless-stopped
+   ```
+
+### Option 2: Using Docker Compose (Building Locally)
+
+1. **Clone the repository:**
+   ```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory.git
+   cd basic-memory
+   ```
+
+2. **Update the docker-compose.yml:**
+   Edit the volume mount to point to your Obsidian vault:
+   ```yaml
+   volumes:
+     # Change './obsidian-vault' to your actual directory path
+     - /path/to/your/obsidian-vault:/app/data:rw
+   ```
+
+3. **Start the container:**
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose up -d
+   ```
+
+### Option 3: Using Docker CLI
+
+```bash
+# Build the image
+docker build -t basic-memory .
+
+# Run with volume mounting
+docker run -d \
+  --name basic-memory-server \
+  -v /path/to/your/obsidian-vault:/app/data:rw \
+  -v basic-memory-config:/app/.basic-memory:rw \
+  -e BASIC_MEMORY_DEFAULT_PROJECT=main \
+  basic-memory
+```
+
+## Configuration
+
+### Volume Mounts
+
+Basic Memory requires several volume mounts for proper operation:
+
+1. **Knowledge Directory** (Required):
+   ```yaml
+   - /path/to/your/obsidian-vault:/app/data:rw
+   ```
+   Mount your Obsidian vault or knowledge base directory.
+
+2. **Configuration and Database** (Recommended):
+   ```yaml
+   - basic-memory-config:/app/.basic-memory:rw
+   ```
+   Persistent storage for configuration and SQLite database.
+
+You can edit the basic-memory config.json file located in the /app/.basic-memory/config.json after Basic Memory starts.
+
+3. **Multiple Projects** (Optional):
+   ```yaml
+   - /path/to/project1:/app/data/project1:rw
+   - /path/to/project2:/app/data/project2:rw
+   ```
+
+You can edit the basic-memory config.json file located in the /app/.basic-memory/config.json
+
+## CLI Commands via Docker
+
+You can run Basic Memory CLI commands inside the container using `docker exec`:
+
+### Basic Commands
+
+```bash
+# Check status
+docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory status
+
+# Sync files
+docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory sync
+
+# Show help
+docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory --help
+```
+
+### Managing Projects with Volume Mounts
+
+When using Docker volumes, you'll need to configure projects to point to your mounted directories:
+
+1. **Check current configuration:**
+   ```bash
+   docker exec basic-memory-server cat /app/.basic-memory/config.json
+   ```
+
+2. **Add a project for your mounted volume:**
+   ```bash
+   # If you mounted /path/to/your/vault to /app/data
+   docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory project create my-vault /app/data
+   
+   # Set it as default
+   docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory project set-default my-vault
+   ```
+
+3. **Sync the new project:**
+   ```bash
+   docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory sync
+   ```
+
+### Example: Setting up an Obsidian Vault
+
+If you mounted your Obsidian vault like this in docker-compose.yml:
+```yaml
+volumes:
+  - /Users/yourname/Documents/ObsidianVault:/app/data:rw
+```
+
+Then configure it:
+```bash
+# Create project pointing to mounted vault
+docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory project create obsidian /app/data
+
+# Set as default
+docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory project set-default obsidian
+
+# Sync to index all files
+docker exec basic-memory-server basic-memory sync
+```
+
+### Environment Variables
+
+Configure Basic Memory using environment variables:
+
+```yaml
+environment:
+
+  # Default project
+  - BASIC_MEMORY_DEFAULT_PROJECT=main
+
+  # Enable real-time sync
+  - BASIC_MEMORY_SYNC_CHANGES=true
+
+  # Logging level
+  - BASIC_MEMORY_LOG_LEVEL=INFO
+
+  # Sync delay in milliseconds
+  - BASIC_MEMORY_SYNC_DELAY=1000
+```
+
+## File Permissions
+
+### Linux/macOS
+
+The Docker container now runs as a non-root user to avoid file ownership issues. By default, the container uses UID/GID 1000, but you can customize this to match your user:
+
+```bash
+# Build with custom UID/GID to match your user
+docker build --build-arg UID=$(id -u) --build-arg GID=$(id -g) -t basic-memory .
+
+# Or use docker-compose with build args
+```
+
+**Example docker-compose.yml with custom user:**
+```yaml
+version: '3.8'
+services:
+  basic-memory:
+    build:
+      context: .
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile
+      args:
+        UID: 1000  # Replace with your UID
+        GID: 1000  # Replace with your GID
+    container_name: basic-memory-server
+    ports:
+      - "8000:8000"
+    volumes:
+      - /path/to/your/obsidian-vault:/app/data:rw
+      - basic-memory-config:/app/.basic-memory:rw
+    environment:
+      - BASIC_MEMORY_DEFAULT_PROJECT=main
+    restart: unless-stopped
+```
+
+**Using pre-built images:**
+If using the pre-built image from GitHub Container Registry, files will be created with UID/GID 1000. You can either:
+
+1. Change your local directory ownership to match:
+   ```bash
+   sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /path/to/your/obsidian-vault
+   ```
+
+2. Or build your own image with custom UID/GID as shown above.
+
+### Windows
+
+When using Docker Desktop on Windows, ensure the directories are shared:
+
+1. Open Docker Desktop
+2. Go to Settings → Resources → File Sharing
+3. Add your knowledge directory path
+4. Apply & Restart
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Common Issues
+
+1. **File Watching Not Working:**
+    - Ensure volume mounts are read-write (`:rw`)
+    - Check directory permissions
+    - On Linux, may need to increase inotify limits:
+      ```bash
+      echo fs.inotify.max_user_watches=524288 | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
+      sudo sysctl -p
+      ```
+
+2. **Configuration Not Persisting:**
+    - Use named volumes for `/app/.basic-memory`
+    - Check volume mount permissions
+
+3. **Network Connectivity:**
+    - For HTTP transport, ensure port 8000 is exposed
+    - Check firewall settings
+
+### Debug Mode
+
+Run with debug logging:
+
+```yaml
+environment:
+  - BASIC_MEMORY_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG
+```
+
+View logs:
+
+```bash
+docker-compose logs -f basic-memory
+```
+
+
+## Security Considerations
+
+1. **Docker Security:**
+   The container runs as a non-root user (UID/GID 1000 by default) for improved security. You can customize the user ID using build arguments to match your local user.
+
+2. **Volume Permissions:**
+   Ensure mounted directories have appropriate permissions and don't expose sensitive data. With the non-root container, files will be created with the specified user ownership.
+
+3. **Network Security:**
+   If using HTTP transport, consider using reverse proxy with SSL/TLS and authentication if the endpoint is available on
+   a network.
+
+4. **IMPORTANT:** The HTTP endpoints have no authorization. They should not be exposed on a public network.  
+
+## Integration Examples
+
+### Claude Desktop with Docker
+
+The recommended way to connect Claude Desktop to the containerized Basic Memory is using `mcp-proxy`, which converts the HTTP transport to STDIO that Claude Desktop expects:
+
+1. **Start the Docker container:**
+   ```bash
+   docker-compose up -d
+   ```
+
+2. **Configure Claude Desktop** to use mcp-proxy:
+   ```json
+   {
+     "mcpServers": {
+       "basic-memory": {
+         "command": "uvx",
+         "args": [
+           "mcp-proxy",
+           "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
+         ]
+       }
+     }
+   }
+   ```
+
+
+## Support
+
+For Docker-specific issues:
+
+1. Check the [troubleshooting section](#troubleshooting) above
+2. Review container logs: `docker-compose logs basic-memory`
+3. Verify volume mounts: `docker inspect basic-memory-server`
+4. Test file permissions: `docker exec basic-memory-server ls -la /app`
+
+For general Basic Memory support, see the main [README](../README.md)
+and [documentation](https://memory.basicmachines.co/).
+
+## GitHub Container Registry Images
+
+### Available Images
+
+Pre-built Docker images are available on GitHub Container Registry at [`ghcr.io/basicmachines-co/basic-memory`](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/pkgs/container/basic-memory).
+
+**Supported architectures:**
+- `linux/amd64` (Intel/AMD x64)
+- `linux/arm64` (ARM64, including Apple Silicon)
+
+**Available tags:**
+- `latest` - Latest stable release
+- `v0.13.8`, `v0.13.7`, etc. - Specific version tags
+- `v0.13`, `v0.12`, etc. - Major.minor tags
+
+### Automated Builds
+
+Docker images are automatically built and published when new releases are tagged:
+
+1. **Release Process:** When a git tag matching `v*` (e.g., `v0.13.8`) is pushed, the CI workflow automatically:
+   - Builds multi-platform Docker images
+   - Pushes to GitHub Container Registry with appropriate tags
+   - Uses native GitHub integration for seamless publishing
+
+2. **CI/CD Pipeline:** The Docker workflow includes:
+   - Multi-platform builds (AMD64 and ARM64)
+   - Layer caching for faster builds
+   - Automatic tagging with semantic versioning
+   - Security scanning and optimization
+
+### Setup Requirements (For Maintainers)
+
+GitHub Container Registry integration is automatic for this repository:
+
+1. **No external setup required** - GHCR is natively integrated with GitHub
+2. **Automatic permissions** - Uses `GITHUB_TOKEN` with `packages: write` permission
+3. **Public by default** - Images are automatically public for public repositories
+
+The Docker CI workflow (`.github/workflows/docker.yml`) handles everything automatically when version tags are pushed.

docs/NOTE-FORMAT.md

@@ -0,0 +1,512 @@
+# Note Format Reference
+
+Every document in Basic Memory is a plain Markdown file. Files are the source of truth — changes to files automatically update the knowledge graph in the database. You maintain complete ownership, files work with git, and knowledge persists independently of any AI conversation.
+
+## Document Structure
+
+A note has three parts: YAML frontmatter, content (observations), and relations.
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Coffee Brewing Methods
+type: note
+tags: [coffee, brewing]
+permalink: coffee-brewing-methods
+---
+
+# Coffee Brewing Methods
+
+## Observations
+- [method] Pour over provides more flavor clarity than French press
+- [technique] Water temperature at 205°F extracts optimal compounds #brewing
+- [preference] Ethiopian beans work well with lighter roasts (personal experience)
+
+## Relations
+- relates_to [[Coffee Bean Origins]]
+- requires [[Proper Grinding Technique]]
+- contrasts_with [[Tea Brewing Methods]]
+```
+
+The `## Observations` and `## Relations` headings are conventional but not required — the parser detects observations and relations by their syntax patterns anywhere in the document.
+
+## Frontmatter
+
+YAML metadata between `---` fences at the top of the file.
+
+| Field | Required | Default | Description |
+|-------|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `title` | No | filename stem | Used for linking and references. Auto-set from filename if missing. |
+| `type` | No | `note` | Entity type. Used for schema resolution and filtering. |
+| `tags` | No | `[]` | List or comma-separated string. Used for organization and search. |
+| `permalink` | No | generated from title | Stable identifier. Persists even if the file moves. |
+| `schema` | No | none | Schema attachment — dict (inline), string (reference), or omitted (implicit). |
+
+Custom fields are allowed. Any key not in the standard set is stored as `entity_metadata` and indexed for search and filtering.
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Paul Graham
+type: Person
+tags: [startups, essays, lisp]
+permalink: paul-graham
+status: active
+source: wikipedia
+---
+```
+
+Here `status` and `source` are custom fields stored in `entity_metadata`.
+
+### Frontmatter Value Handling
+
+YAML automatically converts some values to native types. Basic Memory normalizes them:
+
+- Date strings (`2025-10-24`) → kept as ISO format strings
+- Numbers (`1.0`) → converted to strings
+- Booleans (`true`) → converted to strings (`"True"`)
+- Lists and dicts → preserved, items normalized recursively
+
+This prevents errors when downstream code expects string values.
+
+## Observations
+
+An observation is a categorized fact about the entity. Written as a Markdown list item.
+
+**Syntax:**
+
+```
+- [category] content text #tag1 #tag2 (context)
+```
+
+| Part | Required | Description |
+|------|----------|-------------|
+| `[category]` | Yes | Classification in square brackets. Any text except `[]()` chars. |
+| content | Yes | The fact or statement. |
+| `#tags` | No | Inline tags. Space-separated, each starting with `#`. |
+| `(context)` | No | Parenthesized text at end of line. Supporting details or source. |
+
+### Examples
+
+```markdown
+- [tech] Uses SQLite for storage #database
+- [design] Follows local-first architecture #architecture
+- [decision] Selected bcrypt for passwords #security (based on OWASP audit)
+- [name] Paul Graham
+- [expertise] Startups
+- [expertise] Lisp
+- [expertise] Essay writing
+```
+
+Array-like fields use repeated categories — multiple `[expertise]` observations above.
+
+### What Is Not an Observation
+
+The parser excludes these list item patterns:
+
+| Pattern | Example | Reason |
+|---------|---------|--------|
+| Checkboxes | `- [ ] Todo item`, `- [x] Done`, `- [-] Cancelled` | Task list syntax |
+| Markdown links | `- [text](url)` | URL link syntax |
+| Bare wiki links | `- [[Target]]` | Treated as a `links_to` relation instead |
+
+A list item with `#tags` but no `[category]` is still parsed — the tags are extracted and the category defaults to `Note`.
+
+## Relations
+
+Relations connect documents to form the knowledge graph. There are two kinds.
+
+### Explicit Relations
+
+Written as list items with a relation type and a `[[wiki link]]` target. Unquoted
+relation types are single tokens. Quote relation types that contain spaces.
+
+**Syntax:**
+
+```
+- relation_type [[Target Entity]] (context)
+- "multi word relation type" [[Target Entity]] (context)
+- 'multi word relation type' [[Target Entity]] (context)
+```
+
+| Part | Required | Description |
+|------|----------|-------------|
+| `relation_type` | Yes | Single unquoted token before `[[`, or quoted text for multi-word labels. |
+| `[[Target]]` | Yes | Wiki link to the target entity. Matched by title or permalink. |
+| `(context)` | No | Parenthesized text after `]]`. Supporting details. |
+
+### Examples
+
+Explicit relations:
+
+```markdown
+- implements [[Search Design]]
+- depends_on [[Database Schema]]
+- works_at [[Y Combinator]] (co-founder)
+- "based on" [[Customer Interview]]
+- 'in response to' [[Incident Review]]
+```
+
+Bare wiki links and prose list items create implicit `links_to` relations:
+
+```markdown
+- [[Some Entity]]
+- some other thing [[Some Entity]]
+```
+
+Both examples above create `links_to [[Some Entity]]`. Use quotes when the words before
+`[[` are meant to be a multi-word relation type.
+
+Common relation types:
+- `implements`, `depends_on`, `relates_to`, `inspired_by`
+- `extends`, `part_of`, `contains`, `pairs_with`
+- `works_at`, `authored`, `collaborated_with`
+
+Any single-token text or quoted text works as a relation type. These are conventions,
+not a fixed set.
+
+### Inline References
+
+Wiki links appearing in regular prose create implicit `links_to` relations. This includes
+list items that do not match the explicit relation grammar above.
+
+```markdown
+This builds on [[Core Design]] and uses [[Utility Functions]].
+- We should revisit [[Search Design]] after the API changes.
+```
+
+This creates three relations: `links_to [[Core Design]]`, `links_to [[Utility Functions]]`,
+and `links_to [[Search Design]]`.
+
+### Forward References
+
+Relations can link to entities that don't exist yet. Basic Memory resolves them when the target is created.
+
+## Permalinks and memory:// URLs
+
+Every document has a unique **permalink** — a stable identifier derived from its title. You can set one explicitly in frontmatter, or let the system generate it.
+
+```yaml
+permalink: auth-approaches-2024
+```
+
+Permalinks form the basis of `memory://` URLs:
+
+```
+memory://auth-approaches-2024        # By permalink
+memory://Authentication Approaches   # By title (auto-resolves)
+memory://project/auth-approaches     # By path
+```
+
+Pattern matching is supported:
+
+```
+memory://auth*                       # Starts with "auth"
+memory://*/approaches                # Ends with "approaches"
+memory://project/*/requirements      # Nested wildcard
+```
+
+## Schemas
+
+Schemas declare the expected structure of a note — which observation categories and relation types a well-formed note should have. They use Picoschema, a compact notation from Google's Dotprompt that fits naturally in YAML frontmatter.
+
+### Picoschema Syntax
+
+```yaml
+schema:
+  name: string, full name              # required field with description
+  email?: string, contact email        # ? = optional
+  role?: string, job title
+  works_at?: Organization, employer    # capitalized type = entity reference
+  tags?(array): string, categories     # array of type
+  status?(enum): [active, inactive]    # enum with allowed values
+  metadata?(object):                   # nested object
+    updated_at?: string
+    source?: string
+```
+
+| Notation | Meaning | Example |
+|----------|---------|---------|
+| `field: type` | Required field | `name: string` |
+| `field?: type` | Optional field | `role?: string` |
+| `field(array): type` | Array of values | `expertise(array): string` |
+| `field?(enum): [vals]` | Enum with allowed values | `status?(enum): [active, inactive]` |
+| `field?(object):` | Nested object with sub-fields | `metadata?(object):` |
+| `, description` | Description after comma | `name: string, full name` |
+| `EntityName` | Capitalized type = entity reference | `works_at?: Organization` |
+
+**Scalar types:** `string`, `integer`, `number`, `boolean`, `any`
+
+Any type not in that set whose first letter is uppercase is treated as an entity reference (a relation target).
+
+### Schema-to-Note Mapping
+
+Schemas validate against existing observation/relation syntax. Note authors don't learn new syntax.
+
+| Schema Declaration | Maps To | Example in Note |
+|--------------------|---------|-----------------|
+| `field: string` | Observation `[field] value` | `- [name] Paul Graham` |
+| `field?(array): string` | Multiple `[field]` observations | `- [expertise] Lisp` (repeated) |
+| `field?: EntityType` | Relation `field [[Target]]` | `- works_at [[Y Combinator]]` |
+| `field?(array): EntityType` | Multiple `field` relations | `- authored [[Book]]` (repeated) |
+| `tags` | Frontmatter `tags` array | `tags: [startups, essays]` |
+| `field?(enum): [vals]` | Observation `[field] value` where value is in the set | `- [status] active` |
+
+Observations and relations not covered by the schema are valid — schemas describe a subset, not a straitjacket.
+
+### Schema Attachment
+
+Three ways to attach a schema to a note, resolved in priority order:
+
+**1. Inline schema** — `schema` is a dict in frontmatter:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Team Standup 2024-01-15
+type: meeting
+schema:
+  attendees(array): string, who was there
+  decisions(array): string, what was decided
+  action_items(array): string, follow-ups
+  blockers?(array): string, anything stuck
+---
+```
+
+Good for one-off structured notes or prototyping a schema before extracting it.
+
+**2. Explicit reference** — `schema` is a string naming a schema note:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Basic Memory
+schema: SoftwareProject
+---
+```
+
+or by permalink:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: LLM Memory Patterns
+schema: schema/research-project
+---
+```
+
+Use when the note's `type` differs from the schema it should validate against, or when multiple schema variants exist.
+
+**3. Implicit by type** — no `schema` field, resolved by matching `type`:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Paul Graham
+type: Person
+---
+```
+
+The system looks up a schema note where `entity: Person`. If found, it applies. If not, no validation occurs.
+
+**4. No schema** — perfectly fine. Most notes don't need one.
+
+### Schema Notes
+
+A schema is itself a Basic Memory note with `type: schema`. It lives anywhere (though `schema/` is the conventional directory).
+
+```yaml
+# schema/Person.md
+---
+title: Person
+type: schema
+entity: Person
+version: 1
+schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title or position
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+  email?: string, contact email
+settings:
+  validation: warn
+---
+
+# Person
+
+A human individual in the knowledge graph.
+```
+
+| Field | Required | Description |
+|-------|----------|-------------|
+| `type` | Yes | Must be `schema` |
+| `entity` | Yes | The entity type this schema describes (e.g., `Person`) |
+| `version` | No | Schema version number (default: `1`) |
+| `schema` | Yes | Picoschema dict defining the fields |
+| `settings.validation` | No | Validation mode (default: `warn`) |
+
+Schema notes are regular notes — they show up in search, can have observations and relations, and participate in the knowledge graph.
+
+### Validation Modes
+
+| Mode | Behavior |
+|------|----------|
+| `warn` | Warnings in output, doesn't block (default) |
+| `strict` | Errors that block sync, for CI/CD enforcement |
+| `off` | No validation |
+
+### Validation Output
+
+```
+$ bm schema validate people/ada-lovelace.md
+
+⚠ Person schema validation:
+  - Missing required field: name (expected [name] observation)
+  - Missing optional field: role
+  - Missing optional field: works_at (no relation found)
+
+ℹ Unmatched observations: [fact] ×2, [born] ×1
+ℹ Unmatched relations: collaborated_with
+```
+
+"Unmatched" items are informational — observations and relations the schema doesn't cover.
+
+### Schema Inference
+
+Generate schemas from existing notes by analyzing observation and relation frequency:
+
+```
+$ bm schema infer Person
+
+Analyzing 30 notes with type: Person...
+
+Observations found:
+  [name]        30/30  100%  → name: string
+  [role]        27/30   90%  → role?: string
+  [expertise]   18/30   60%  → expertise?(array): string
+  [email]        8/30   27%  → email?: string
+
+Relations found:
+  works_at      22/30   73%  → works_at?: Organization
+
+Suggested schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+  email?: string, contact email
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+
+Save to schema/Person.md? [y/n]
+```
+
+Frequency thresholds:
+- **100% present** → required field
+- **25%+ present** → optional field
+- **Below 25%** → excluded from suggestion
+
+### Schema Drift Detection
+
+Track how usage patterns shift over time:
+
+```
+$ bm schema diff Person
+
+Schema drift detected:
+
++ expertise: now in 81% of notes (was 12%)
+- department: dropped to 3% of notes
+~ works_at: cardinality changed (one → many)
+
+Update schema? [y/n/review]
+```
+
+## Complete Examples
+
+### Simple Note (No Schema)
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Project Ideas
+type: note
+tags: [ideas, brainstorm]
+---
+
+# Project Ideas
+
+## Observations
+- [idea] Build a CLI tool for markdown linting #tooling
+- [idea] Create a recipe knowledge base #cooking
+- [priority] Focus on developer tools first (Q1 goal)
+
+## Relations
+- inspired_by [[Developer Workflow Research]]
+- part_of [[Q1 Planning]]
+```
+
+### Schema-Validated Note
+
+Schema at `schema/Person.md`:
+
+```yaml
+---
+title: Person
+type: schema
+entity: Person
+version: 1
+schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title or position
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+  email?: string, contact email
+settings:
+  validation: warn
+---
+
+# Person
+
+A human individual in the knowledge graph.
+```
+
+Note at `people/paul-graham.md`:
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Paul Graham
+type: Person
+tags: [startups, essays, lisp]
+---
+
+# Paul Graham
+
+## Observations
+- [name] Paul Graham
+- [role] Essayist and investor
+- [expertise] Startups
+- [expertise] Lisp
+- [expertise] Essay writing
+- [fact] Created Viaweb, the first web app
+
+## Relations
+- works_at [[Y Combinator]]
+- authored [[Hackers and Painters]]
+```
+
+The `[fact]` observation and `authored` relation are not in the schema — they're valid, just unmatched. The schema only checks that `[name]` exists (required) and looks for optional fields like `[role]`, `[expertise]`, and `works_at`.
+
+### Inline Schema Note
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Team Standup 2024-01-15
+type: meeting
+schema:
+  attendees(array): string, who was there
+  decisions(array): string, what was decided
+  action_items(array): string, follow-ups
+  blockers?(array): string, anything stuck
+---
+
+# Team Standup 2024-01-15
+
+## Observations
+- [attendees] Paul
+- [attendees] Sarah
+- [decisions] Ship v2 by Friday
+- [action_items] Paul to review PR #42
+- [blockers] Waiting on API credentials
+```

docs/SPEC-PER-PROJECT-ROUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+# Simplified Local/Cloud Routing
+
+## Context
+
+Basic Memory now uses explicit, project-aware routing without a global cloud-mode toggle.
+Routing is determined by command-level flags and project mode, not by a global `cloud_mode` state.
+
+This document is the canonical contract for local/cloud routing behavior in CLI, MCP, and API-adjacent clients.
+
+## Goals
+
+1. Remove global `cloud_mode` from runtime/routing semantics.
+2. Keep MCP HTTP/SSE local-only; let stdio honor per-project routing.
+3. Make CLI routing explicit and easy to reason about.
+4. Support projects that exist in both local and cloud without ambiguity.
+
+## Routing Contract
+
+Routing is resolved in this order:
+
+1. Injected client factory (for composition/integration contexts)
+2. Explicit routing override (`--local` / `--cloud` or env vars below)
+3. Project-scoped routing (`project.mode`) when a project is known
+4. Default local routing
+
+### Routing Environment Variables
+
+- `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_LOCAL=true`: force local transport
+- `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_CLOUD=true`: force cloud proxy transport
+- `BASIC_MEMORY_EXPLICIT_ROUTING=true`: marks routing as explicitly chosen for this command
+
+When explicit routing is active, project mode does not override the selected route.
+
+## Config Semantics
+
+- `project.mode` is the only config-based routing signal for project-scoped operations.
+- Legacy `cloud_mode` values may be encountered during migration/loading but are not used for routing behavior.
+- Normalization saves remove stale `cloud_mode` from `~/.basic-memory/config.json`.
+
+### Example Config
+
+```json
+{
+  "projects": {
+    "main": {
+      "path": "/Users/me/basic-memory",
+      "mode": "local",
+      "local_sync_path": null,
+      "bisync_initialized": false,
+      "last_sync": null
+    },
+    "specs": {
+      "path": "specs",
+      "mode": "cloud",
+      "local_sync_path": "/Users/me/dev/specs",
+      "bisync_initialized": true,
+      "last_sync": "2026-02-06T17:36:38.544153"
+    }
+  },
+  "default_project": "main",
+  "cloud_api_key": "bmc_abc123...",
+  "cloud_host": "https://cloud.basicmemory.com"
+}
+```
+
+## Cloud Commands Are Auth-Only
+
+`bm cloud login`, `bm cloud logout`, and `bm cloud status` manage authentication state.
+
+- `bm cloud login`
+  - performs OAuth device flow
+  - stores/refreshes token material
+  - may verify cloud health/subscription
+  - does not change routing defaults
+- `bm cloud logout`
+  - removes stored OAuth session tokens
+  - does not change routing defaults
+- `bm cloud status`
+  - reports auth state (API key, OAuth token validity)
+  - runs health checks only when credentials are available
+
+## MCP Transport Routing
+
+### Stdio (default)
+
+`bm mcp --transport stdio` uses natural per-project routing.
+
+- Local-mode projects route through the in-process ASGI transport.
+- Cloud-mode projects route to the cloud proxy with Bearer auth (API key).
+- No explicit routing env vars are injected by the CLI command.
+- Externally-set env vars are honored (e.g. `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_CLOUD=true` for cloud deployments).
+- Users who need all projects forced local can set `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_LOCAL=true` externally.
+
+### HTTP and SSE Transports
+
+`bm mcp --transport streamable-http` and `bm mcp --transport sse` always route locally.
+
+These transports set explicit local routing (`BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_LOCAL=true` and
+`BASIC_MEMORY_EXPLICIT_ROUTING=true`) before starting the server. This prevents cloud
+routing regardless of project mode, since HTTP/SSE serve as local API endpoints.
+
+## Project List UX for Dual Presence
+
+Projects may exist in both local and cloud. `bm project list` should display that clearly in one row per logical
+project identity, with explicit source/target signals.
+
+Recommended display contract:
+
+1. Keep one row per normalized project name/permalink.
+2. Show both local and cloud presence as separate columns/indicators.
+3. Show an explicit `MCP (stdio)` target column that always resolves to `local`.
+4. Keep CLI route semantics explicit:
+   - no flags: default local for non-project commands
+   - `--cloud`: force cloud
+   - `--local`: force local
+
+## Project LS Targeting
+
+`bm project ls` should clearly identify which project instance is being listed.
+
+Targeting rules:
+
+1. No routing flags: list local project files.
+2. `--cloud`: list cloud project files.
+3. `--local`: list local project files (explicit override).
+4. Output should label the active target (`LOCAL` or `CLOUD`) in heading or status line.
+
+## Runtime Mode
+
+Runtime mode is no longer a cloud/local routing switch for local app flows.
+
+- `resolve_runtime_mode(is_test_env)` resolves to:
+  - `TEST` when running in test environment
+  - `LOCAL` otherwise
+- `RuntimeMode.CLOUD` may remain for compatibility with existing tests/call sites but is not selected by normal local
+  runtime resolution.
+
+## Verification Checklist
+
+1. Loading config with legacy `cloud_mode` succeeds.
+2. Saving config strips legacy `cloud_mode`.
+3. `--local/--cloud` always override per-project mode for that command.
+4. No-project + no-flags commands route local by default.
+5. `bm cloud login/logout` do not toggle routing behavior.
+6. `bm mcp` stdio routes per-project mode; HTTP/SSE remain local-forced.
+7. `bm project list` communicates dual local/cloud presence without ambiguity.
+8. `bm project ls` output identifies route target explicitly.

docs/character-handling.md

@@ -0,0 +1,241 @@
+# Character Handling and Conflict Resolution
+
+Basic Memory handles various character encoding scenarios and file naming conventions to provide consistent permalink generation and conflict resolution. This document explains how the system works and how to resolve common character-related issues.
+
+## Overview
+
+Basic Memory uses a sophisticated system to generate permalinks from file paths while maintaining consistency across different operating systems and character encodings. The system normalizes file paths and generates unique permalinks to prevent conflicts.
+
+## Character Normalization Rules
+
+### 1. Permalink Generation
+
+When Basic Memory processes a file path, it applies these normalization rules:
+
+```
+Original: "Finance/My Investment Strategy.md"
+Permalink: "finance/my-investment-strategy"
+```
+
+**Transformation process:**
+1. Remove file extension (`.md`)
+2. Convert to lowercase (case-insensitive)
+3. Replace spaces with hyphens
+4. Replace underscores with hyphens
+5. Handle international characters (transliteration for Latin, preservation for non-Latin)
+6. Convert camelCase to kebab-case
+
+### 2. International Character Support
+
+**Latin characters with diacritics** are transliterated:
+- `ø` → `o` (Søren → soren)
+- `ü` → `u` (Müller → muller)
+- `é` → `e` (Café → cafe)
+- `ñ` → `n` (Niño → nino)
+
+**Non-Latin characters** are preserved:
+- Chinese: `中文/测试文档.md` → `中文/测试文档`
+- Japanese: `日本語/文書.md` → `日本語/文書`
+
+## Common Conflict Scenarios
+
+### 1. Hyphen vs Space Conflicts
+
+**Problem:** Files with existing hyphens conflict with generated permalinks from spaces.
+
+**Example:**
+```
+File 1: "basic memory bug.md"     → permalink: "basic-memory-bug"
+File 2: "basic-memory-bug.md"    → permalink: "basic-memory-bug" (CONFLICT!)
+```
+
+**Resolution:** The system automatically resolves this by adding suffixes:
+```
+File 1: "basic memory bug.md"     → permalink: "basic-memory-bug"
+File 2: "basic-memory-bug.md"    → permalink: "basic-memory-bug-1"
+```
+
+**Best Practice:** Choose consistent naming conventions within your project.
+
+### 2. Case Sensitivity Conflicts
+
+**Problem:** Different case variations that normalize to the same permalink.
+
+**Example on macOS:**
+```
+Directory: Finance/investment.md
+Directory: finance/investment.md  (different on filesystem, same permalink)
+```
+
+**Resolution:** Basic Memory detects case conflicts and prevents them during sync operations with helpful error messages.
+
+**Best Practice:** Use consistent casing for directory and file names.
+
+### 3. Character Encoding Conflicts
+
+**Problem:** Different Unicode normalizations of the same logical character.
+
+**Example:**
+```
+File 1: "café.md" (é as single character)
+File 2: "café.md" (e + combining accent)
+```
+
+**Resolution:** Basic Memory normalizes Unicode characters using NFD normalization to detect these conflicts.
+
+### 4. Forward Slash Conflicts
+
+**Problem:** Forward slashes in frontmatter or file names interpreted as path separators.
+
+**Example:**
+```yaml
+---
+permalink: finance/investment/strategy
+---
+```
+
+**Resolution:** Basic Memory validates frontmatter permalinks and warns about path separator conflicts.
+
+## Error Messages and Troubleshooting
+
+### "UNIQUE constraint failed: entity.file_path, entity.project_id"
+
+**Cause:** Two entities trying to use the same file path within a project.
+
+**Common scenarios:**
+1. File move operation where destination is already occupied
+2. Case sensitivity differences on macOS
+3. Character encoding conflicts
+4. Concurrent file operations
+
+**Resolution steps:**
+1. Check for duplicate file names with different cases
+2. Look for files with similar names but different character encodings
+3. Rename conflicting files to have unique names
+4. Run sync again after resolving conflicts
+
+### "File path conflict detected during move"
+
+**Cause:** Enhanced conflict detection preventing potential database integrity violations.
+
+**What this means:** The system detected that moving a file would create a conflict before attempting the database operation.
+
+**Resolution:** Follow the specific guidance in the error message, which will indicate the type of conflict detected.
+
+## Best Practices
+
+### 1. File Naming Conventions
+
+**Recommended patterns:**
+- Use consistent casing (prefer lowercase)
+- Use hyphens instead of spaces for multi-word files
+- Avoid special characters that could conflict with path separators
+- Be consistent with directory structure casing
+
+**Examples:**
+```
+✅ Good:
+- finance/investment-strategy.md
+- projects/basic-memory-features.md
+- docs/api-reference.md
+
+❌ Problematic:
+- Finance/Investment Strategy.md  (mixed case, spaces)
+- finance/Investment Strategy.md  (inconsistent case)
+- docs/API/Reference.md          (mixed case directories)
+```
+
+### 2. Permalink Management
+
+**Custom permalinks in frontmatter:**
+```yaml
+---
+type: knowledge
+permalink: custom-permalink-name
+---
+```
+
+**Guidelines:**
+- Use lowercase permalinks
+- Use hyphens for word separation
+- Avoid path separators unless creating sub-paths
+- Ensure uniqueness within your project
+
+### 3. Directory Structure
+
+**Consistent casing:**
+```
+✅ Good:
+finance/
+  investment-strategies.md
+  portfolio-management.md
+
+❌ Problematic:  
+Finance/           (capital F)
+  investment-strategies.md
+finance/           (lowercase f) 
+  portfolio-management.md
+```
+
+## Migration and Cleanup
+
+### Identifying Conflicts
+
+Use Basic Memory's built-in conflict detection:
+
+```bash
+# Sync will report conflicts
+basic-memory sync
+
+# Check sync status for warnings
+basic-memory status
+```
+
+### Resolving Existing Conflicts
+
+1. **Identify conflicting files** from sync error messages
+2. **Choose consistent naming convention** for your project
+3. **Rename files** to follow the convention
+4. **Re-run sync** to verify resolution
+
+### Bulk Renaming Strategy
+
+For projects with many conflicts:
+
+1. **Backup your project** before making changes
+2. **Standardize on lowercase** file and directory names
+3. **Replace spaces with hyphens** in file names
+4. **Use consistent character encoding** (UTF-8)
+5. **Test sync after each batch** of changes
+
+## System Enhancements
+
+### Recent Improvements (v0.13+)
+
+1. **Enhanced conflict detection** before database operations
+2. **Improved error messages** with specific resolution guidance
+3. **Character normalization utilities** for consistent handling
+4. **File swap detection** for complex move scenarios
+5. **Proactive conflict warnings** during permalink resolution
+
+### Monitoring and Logging
+
+The system now provides detailed logging for conflict resolution:
+
+```
+DEBUG: Detected potential file path conflicts for 'Finance/Investment.md': ['finance/investment.md']
+WARNING: File path conflict detected during move: entity_id=123 trying to move from 'old.md' to 'new.md'
+```
+
+These logs help identify and resolve conflicts before they cause sync failures.
+
+## Support and Resources
+
+If you encounter character-related conflicts not covered in this guide:
+
+1. **Check the logs** for specific conflict details
+2. **Review error messages** for resolution guidance  
+3. **Report issues** with examples of the conflicting files
+4. **Consider the file naming best practices** outlined above
+
+The Basic Memory system is designed to handle most character conflicts automatically while providing clear guidance for manual resolution when needed.

docs/cloud-cli.md

@@ -0,0 +1,926 @@
+# Basic Memory Cloud CLI Guide
+
+The Basic Memory Cloud CLI provides seamless integration between local and cloud knowledge bases using **project-scoped synchronization**. Each project can optionally sync with the cloud, giving you fine-grained control over what syncs and where.
+
+## Overview
+
+The cloud CLI enables you to:
+- **Authenticate cloud access** - OAuth/API key credentials are stored locally for cloud operations
+- **Project-scoped sync** - Each project independently manages its sync configuration
+- **Explicit operations** - Sync only what you want, when you want
+- **Bidirectional sync** - Keep local and cloud in sync with rclone bisync
+- **Offline access** - Work locally, sync when ready
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before using Basic Memory Cloud, you need:
+
+- **Active Subscription**: An active Basic Memory Cloud subscription is required to access cloud features
+- **Subscribe**: Visit [https://basicmemory.com/subscribe](https://basicmemory.com/subscribe) to sign up
+- **Optional**: Cloud is optional. Local-first open-source usage continues without cloud.
+- **OSS Discount**: Use code `{{OSS_DISCOUNT_CODE}}` for 20% off for 3 months.
+
+If you attempt to log in without an active subscription, you'll receive a "Subscription Required" error with a link to subscribe.
+
+## Architecture: Project-Scoped Sync
+
+### The Problem
+
+**Old approach (SPEC-8):** All projects lived in a single `~/basic-memory-cloud-sync/` directory. This caused:
+- ❌ Directory conflicts between mount and bisync
+- ❌ Auto-discovery creating phantom projects
+- ❌ Confusion about what syncs and when
+- ❌ All-or-nothing sync (couldn't sync just one project)
+
+**New approach (SPEC-20):** Each project independently configures sync.
+
+### How It Works
+
+**Projects can exist in three states:**
+
+1. **Cloud-only** - Project exists on cloud, no local copy
+2. **Cloud + Local (synced)** - Project has a local working directory that syncs
+3. **Local-only** - Project exists locally and is not routed to cloud
+
+**Example:**
+
+```bash
+# You have 3 projects on cloud:
+# - research: wants local sync at ~/Documents/research
+# - work: wants local sync at ~/work-notes
+# - temp: cloud-only, no local sync needed
+
+bm project add research --cloud --local-path ~/Documents/research
+bm project add work --cloud --local-path ~/work-notes
+bm project add temp --cloud  # No local sync
+
+# Now you can sync individually (after initial --resync):
+bm project bisync --name research
+bm project bisync --name work
+# temp stays cloud-only
+```
+
+**What happens under the covers:**
+- Config stores `cloud_projects` dict mapping project names to local paths
+- Each project gets its own bisync state in `~/.basic-memory/bisync-state/{project}/`
+- Rclone syncs using single remote: `basic-memory-cloud`
+- Projects can live anywhere on your filesystem, not forced into sync directory
+
+## Quick Start
+
+### 1. Authenticate Cloud Access
+
+Authenticate with cloud:
+
+```bash
+bm cloud login
+```
+
+**What this does:**
+1. Opens browser to Basic Memory Cloud authentication page
+2. Stores authentication tokens in `~/.basic-memory/basic-memory-cloud.json`
+3. Validates your subscription status
+4. Leaves routing behavior unchanged (auth only)
+
+**Result:** Cloud credentials are available for cloud-routed commands.
+Apply OSS discount code `{{OSS_DISCOUNT_CODE}}` during checkout to receive 20% off for 3 months.
+
+### 2. Set Up Sync
+
+Install rclone and configure credentials:
+
+```bash
+bm cloud setup
+```
+
+**What this does:**
+1. Installs rclone with a supported package manager (if needed)
+2. Fetches your tenant information from cloud
+3. Generates scoped S3 credentials for sync
+4. Configures single rclone remote: `basic-memory-cloud`
+
+**Result:** You're ready to sync projects. No sync directories created yet - those come with project setup.
+
+Rclone setup uses package managers such as Homebrew, MacPorts, apt, dnf, yum, pacman,
+zypper, snap, winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop when available. It does not run remote
+install scripts with `sudo`; if no supported package manager is found, the CLI prints
+manual install instructions.
+
+### 3. Add Projects with Sync
+
+Create projects with optional local sync paths:
+
+```bash
+# Create cloud project without local sync
+bm project add research --cloud
+
+# Create cloud project WITH local sync
+bm project add research --cloud --local-path ~/Documents/research
+
+# Or configure sync for existing project
+bm cloud sync-setup research ~/Documents/research
+```
+
+**What happens under the covers:**
+
+When you add a project with `--local-path`:
+1. Project created on cloud at `/app/data/research`
+2. Local path stored in config for that project (`local_sync_path`)
+3. Local directory created if it doesn't exist
+4. Bisync state directory created at `~/.basic-memory/bisync-state/research/`
+
+**Result:** Project is ready to sync, but no files synced yet.
+
+### 4. Sync Your Project
+
+Establish the initial sync baseline. **Best practice:** Always preview with `--dry-run` first:
+
+```bash
+# Step 1: Preview the initial sync (recommended)
+bm project bisync --name research --resync --dry-run
+
+# Step 2: If all looks good, run the actual sync
+bm project bisync --name research --resync
+```
+
+**What happens under the covers:**
+1. Rclone reads from `~/Documents/research` (local)
+2. Connects to `basic-memory-cloud:bucket-name/app/data/research` (remote)
+3. Creates bisync state files in `~/.basic-memory/bisync-state/research/`
+4. Syncs files bidirectionally with settings:
+   - `conflict_resolve=newer` (most recent wins)
+   - `max_delete=25` (safety limit)
+   - Respects `.bmignore` patterns
+
+**Result:** Local and cloud are in sync. Baseline established.
+
+**Why `--resync`?** This is an rclone requirement for the first bisync run. It establishes the initial state that future syncs will compare against. After the first sync, never use `--resync` unless you need to force a new baseline.
+
+See: https://rclone.org/bisync/#resync
+```
+--resync
+This will effectively make both Path1 and Path2 filesystems contain a matching superset of all files. By default, Path2 files that do not exist in Path1 will be copied to Path1, and the process will then copy the Path1 tree to Path2.
+```
+
+### 5. Subsequent Syncs
+
+After the first sync, just run bisync without `--resync`:
+
+```bash
+bm project bisync --name research
+```
+
+**What happens:**
+1. Rclone compares local and cloud states
+2. Syncs changes in both directions
+3. Auto-resolves conflicts (newer file wins)
+4. Updates `last_sync` timestamp in config
+
+**Result:** Changes flow both ways - edit locally or in cloud, both stay in sync.
+
+### 6. Verify Setup
+
+Check status:
+
+```bash
+bm cloud status
+```
+
+You should see:
+- `OAuth: token valid` (or missing/expired)
+- `API Key: configured` (or not set)
+- `Cloud instance is healthy`
+- Instructions for project sync commands
+
+## Working with Projects
+
+### Understanding Project Commands
+
+**Key concept:** Use regular `bm project` commands (not `bm cloud project`).
+
+```bash
+# Local route
+bm project list --local
+bm project add research ~/Documents/research
+
+# Cloud route
+bm project list --cloud
+bm project add research --cloud
+```
+
+### Creating Projects
+
+**Use case 1: Cloud-only project (no local sync)**
+
+```bash
+bm project add temp-notes --cloud
+```
+
+**What this does:**
+- Creates project on cloud at `/app/data/temp-notes`
+- No local directory created
+- No sync configuration
+
+**Result:** Project exists on cloud, accessible via MCP tools, but no local copy.
+
+**Use case 2: Cloud project with local sync**
+
+```bash
+bm project add research --cloud --local-path ~/Documents/research
+```
+
+**What this does:**
+- Creates project on cloud at `/app/data/research`
+- Creates local directory `~/Documents/research`
+- Stores sync config in `~/.basic-memory/config.json`
+- Prepares for bisync (but doesn't sync yet)
+
+**Result:** Project ready to sync. Run `bm project bisync --name research --resync` to establish baseline.
+
+**Use case 3: Add sync to existing cloud project**
+
+```bash
+# Project already exists on cloud
+bm cloud sync-setup research ~/Documents/research
+```
+
+**What this does:**
+- Updates existing project's sync configuration
+- Creates local directory
+- Prepares for bisync
+
+**Result:** Existing cloud project now has local sync path. Run bisync to pull files down.
+
+### Listing Projects
+
+View all projects:
+
+```bash
+bm project list
+```
+
+**What you see:**
+- Local projects always
+- Cloud projects when credentials are available
+- Default project marked
+- Route-related metadata (for example, local/cloud presence and sync info)
+
+Example shape (single row for dual-presence projects):
+
+```text
+Name   Path            Local Path           Cloud Path   CLI Default   MCP (stdio)
+main   /basic-memory   ~/basic-memory       /basic-memory   local       local
+specs  /specs          ~/dev/specs          /specs          cloud       local
+```
+
+### When a Project Exists in Both Local and Cloud
+
+Use routing flags to disambiguate command targets:
+
+```bash
+# Force local target for this command
+bm project info main --local
+bm project ls --name main --local
+
+# Force cloud target for this command
+bm project info main --cloud
+bm project ls --name main --cloud
+```
+
+Default behavior for no-project, no-flag commands is local.
+For MCP stdio, routing is always local.
+
+## File Synchronization
+
+### Understanding the Sync Commands
+
+**There are three sync-related commands:**
+
+1. `bm project sync` - One-way: local → cloud (make cloud match local)
+2. `bm project bisync` - Two-way: local ↔ cloud (recommended)
+3. `bm project check` - Verify files match (no changes)
+
+### One-Way Sync: Local → Cloud
+
+**Use case:** You made changes locally and want to push to cloud (overwrite cloud).
+
+```bash
+bm project sync --name research
+```
+
+**What happens:**
+1. Reads files from `~/Documents/research` (local)
+2. Uses rclone sync to make cloud identical to local
+3. Respects `.bmignore` patterns
+4. Shows progress bar
+
+**Result:** Cloud now matches local exactly. Any cloud-only changes are overwritten.
+
+**When to use:**
+- You know local is the source of truth
+- You want to force cloud to match local
+- You don't care about cloud changes
+
+### Two-Way Sync: Local ↔ Cloud (Recommended)
+
+**Use case:** You edit files both locally and in cloud UI, want both to stay in sync.
+
+```bash
+# First time - establish baseline
+bm project bisync --name research --resync
+
+# Subsequent syncs
+bm project bisync --name research
+```
+
+**What happens:**
+1. Compares local and cloud states using bisync metadata
+2. Syncs changes in both directions
+3. Auto-resolves conflicts (newer file wins)
+4. Detects excessive deletes and fails safely (max 25 files)
+
+**Conflict resolution example:**
+
+```bash
+# Edit locally
+echo "Local change" > ~/Documents/research/notes.md
+
+# Edit same file in cloud UI
+# Cloud now has: "Cloud change"
+
+# Run bisync
+bm project bisync --name research
+
+# Result: Newer file wins (based on modification time)
+# If cloud was more recent, cloud version kept
+# If local was more recent, local version kept
+```
+
+**When to use:**
+- Default workflow for most users
+- You edit in multiple places
+- You want automatic conflict resolution
+
+### Verify Sync Integrity
+
+**Use case:** Check if local and cloud match without making changes.
+
+```bash
+bm project check --name research
+```
+
+**What happens:**
+1. Compares file checksums between local and cloud
+2. Reports differences
+3. No files transferred
+
+**Result:** Shows which files differ. Run bisync to sync them.
+
+```bash
+# One-way check (faster)
+bm project check --name research --one-way
+```
+
+### Preview Changes (Dry Run)
+
+**Use case:** See what would change without actually syncing.
+
+```bash
+bm project bisync --name research --dry-run
+```
+
+**What happens:**
+1. Runs bisync logic
+2. Shows what would be transferred/deleted
+3. No actual changes made
+
+**Result:** Safe preview of sync operations.
+
+### Advanced: List Project Files by Route
+
+**Use case:** Inspect local or cloud project files explicitly.
+
+```bash
+# List local project files (default target when no route flag is given)
+bm project ls --name research
+bm project ls --name research --local
+
+# List cloud project files
+bm project ls --name research --cloud
+
+# List files in subdirectory
+bm project ls --name research --cloud --path subfolder
+```
+
+**What happens:**
+1. Resolves route from flags (or local default when no route is given)
+2. Lists files for the chosen project instance
+3. No files transferred
+
+**Result:** See file listing for the target route.
+
+## Multiple Projects
+
+### Syncing Multiple Projects
+
+**Use case:** You have several projects with local sync, want to sync all at once.
+
+```bash
+# Setup multiple projects
+bm project add research --cloud --local-path ~/Documents/research
+bm project add work --cloud --local-path ~/work-notes
+bm project add personal --cloud --local-path ~/personal
+
+# Establish baselines
+bm project bisync --name research --resync
+bm project bisync --name work --resync
+bm project bisync --name personal --resync
+
+# Daily workflow: sync everything
+bm project bisync --name research
+bm project bisync --name work
+bm project bisync --name personal
+```
+
+**Future:** `--all` flag will sync all configured projects:
+
+```bash
+bm project bisync --all  # Coming soon
+```
+
+### Mixed Usage
+
+**Use case:** Some projects sync, some stay cloud-only.
+
+```bash
+# Projects with sync
+bm project add research --cloud --local-path ~/Documents/research
+bm project add work --cloud --local-path ~/work
+
+# Cloud-only projects
+bm project add archive --cloud
+bm project add temp-notes --cloud
+
+# Sync only the configured ones
+bm project bisync --name research
+bm project bisync --name work
+
+# Archive and temp-notes stay cloud-only
+```
+
+**Result:** Fine-grained control over what syncs.
+
+## Per-Project Cloud Routing (API Key)
+
+Route individual projects through cloud using an API key. This lets you keep some projects local while others route through cloud.
+
+### Setting Up API Key Auth
+
+**Option A: Create a key in the web app, then save it locally:**
+
+```bash
+bm cloud set-key bmc_abc123...
+```
+
+**Option B: Create a key via CLI (requires OAuth login first):**
+
+```bash
+bm cloud login                     # One-time OAuth login
+bm cloud create-key "my-laptop"    # Creates key and saves it locally
+```
+
+The API key is account-level — it grants access to all your cloud projects. It's stored in `~/.basic-memory/config.json` as `cloud_api_key`.
+On POSIX systems, Basic Memory writes `~/.basic-memory/` as user-private (`0700`) and
+`config.json` as user-read/write only (`0600`). Treat this config file as a credential
+file when an API key is saved.
+
+### Setting Project Modes
+
+```bash
+# Route a project through cloud
+bm project set-cloud research
+
+# Revert to local mode
+bm project set-local research
+
+# View project modes
+bm project list
+```
+
+**What happens:**
+- `set-cloud`: validates the API key exists, then sets the project mode to `cloud` in config
+- `set-local`: reverts the project to local mode (removes the mode entry from config)
+- MCP tools and CLI commands for that project will route to `cloud_host/proxy` with the API key as Bearer token
+
+### How It Works
+
+When an MCP tool or CLI command runs for a cloud-mode project:
+
+1. `get_client(project_name="research")` checks the project's mode in config
+2. If mode is `cloud`, creates an HTTP client pointed at `cloud_host/proxy` with `Authorization: Bearer bmc_...`
+3. If mode is `local` (default), uses the in-process ASGI transport as usual
+
+**Routing priority** (highest to lowest):
+1. Factory injection (cloud app, tests)
+2. Explicit route override (`--local` / `--cloud`)
+3. Per-project cloud mode (API key)
+4. Local ASGI transport (default)
+
+Route override environment variables:
+- `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_LOCAL=true`
+- `BASIC_MEMORY_FORCE_CLOUD=true`
+- `BASIC_MEMORY_EXPLICIT_ROUTING=true`
+
+No-project, no-flag CLI commands default to local routing.
+
+### Configuration Example
+
+```json
+{
+  "projects": {
+    "personal": "/Users/me/notes",
+    "research": "/Users/me/research"
+  },
+  "project_modes": {
+    "research": "cloud"
+  },
+  "cloud_api_key": "bmc_abc123...",
+  "cloud_host": "https://cloud.basicmemory.com",
+  "default_project": "personal"
+}
+```
+
+In this example, `personal` stays local and `research` routes through cloud. Projects not listed in `project_modes` default to local.
+
+### Sync Behavior
+
+Cloud-mode projects are automatically skipped during local file sync (background sync and file watching). Their files live on the cloud instance, not locally.
+
+## OAuth Logout
+
+```bash
+bm cloud logout
+```
+
+**What this does:**
+1. Removes stored OAuth token(s)
+2. Does not change per-project route configuration
+3. Does not change command routing defaults
+
+**Result:** OAuth session is cleared. API-key-based routing still works if `cloud_api_key` is configured.
+
+## Filter Configuration
+
+### Understanding .bmignore
+
+**The problem:** You don't want to sync everything (e.g., `.git`, `node_modules`, database files).
+
+**The solution:** `.bmignore` file with gitignore-style patterns.
+
+**Location:** `~/.basic-memory/.bmignore`
+
+**Default patterns:**
+
+```gitignore
+# Hidden files and directories
+.*
+
+# Basic Memory internals
+*.db
+*.db-shm
+*.db-wal
+config.json
+
+# Version control
+.git
+.svn
+
+# Python
+__pycache__
+*.pyc
+*.pyo
+*.pyd
+.pytest_cache
+.coverage
+*.egg-info
+.tox
+.mypy_cache
+.ruff_cache
+
+# Virtual environments
+.venv
+venv
+env
+.env
+
+# Node.js
+node_modules
+
+# Build artifacts
+build
+dist
+.cache
+
+# IDE
+.idea
+.vscode
+
+# OS files
+.DS_Store
+Thumbs.db
+desktop.ini
+
+# Obsidian
+.obsidian
+
+# Temporary files
+*.tmp
+*.swp
+*.swo
+*~
+```
+
+**How it works:**
+1. On first sync, `.bmignore` created with defaults
+2. Patterns converted to rclone filter format (`.bmignore.rclone`)
+3. Rclone uses filters during sync
+4. Same patterns used by all projects
+
+During conversion, file patterns exclude the direct match and recursive contents.
+For example, `config.json` becomes both `- config.json` and `- config.json/**`,
+while `.*` becomes both `- .*` and `- .*/**`. Directory-only patterns keep
+their trailing slash, so `cache/` becomes `- cache/` and `- cache/**`.
+
+**Customizing:**
+
+```bash
+# Edit patterns
+code ~/.basic-memory/.bmignore
+
+# Add custom patterns
+echo "*.tmp" >> ~/.basic-memory/.bmignore
+
+# Next sync uses updated patterns
+bm project bisync --name research
+```
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Rclone Setup Cannot Install Automatically
+
+**Problem:** `bm cloud setup` cannot find a supported package manager, or package-manager
+installation fails.
+
+**Explanation:** The CLI avoids remote privileged install scripts. It only invokes known
+package managers and otherwise asks you to install rclone manually.
+
+**Solution:** Install rclone with your OS package manager, then rerun setup:
+
+```bash
+# macOS
+brew install rclone
+
+# Debian/Ubuntu
+sudo apt install rclone
+
+# Fedora
+sudo dnf install rclone
+
+# Arch
+sudo pacman -S rclone
+
+# After rclone is on PATH
+bm cloud setup
+```
+
+### Authentication Issues
+
+**Problem:** "Authentication failed" or "Invalid token"
+
+**Solution:** Re-authenticate:
+
+```bash
+bm cloud logout
+bm cloud login
+```
+
+### Subscription Issues
+
+**Problem:** "Subscription Required" error
+
+**Solution:**
+1. Visit subscribe URL shown in error
+2. Sign up for subscription
+3. Run `bm cloud login` again
+
+**Note:** Access is immediate when subscription becomes active.
+
+### Bisync Initialization
+
+**Problem:** "First bisync requires --resync"
+
+**Explanation:** Bisync needs a baseline state before it can sync changes.
+
+**Solution:**
+
+```bash
+bm project bisync --name research --resync
+```
+
+**What this does:**
+- Establishes initial sync state
+- Creates baseline in `~/.basic-memory/bisync-state/research/`
+- Syncs all files bidirectionally
+
+**Result:** Future syncs work without `--resync`.
+
+### Empty Directory Issues
+
+**Problem:** "Empty prior Path1 listing. Cannot sync to an empty directory"
+
+**Explanation:** Rclone bisync doesn't work well with completely empty directories. It needs at least one file to establish a baseline.
+
+**Solution:** Add at least one file before running `--resync`:
+
+```bash
+# Create a placeholder file
+echo "# Research Notes" > ~/Documents/research/README.md
+
+# Now run bisync
+bm project bisync --name research --resync
+```
+
+**Why this happens:** Bisync creates listing files that track the state of each side. When both directories are completely empty, these listing files are considered invalid by rclone.
+
+**Best practice:** Always have at least one file (like a README.md) in your project directory before setting up sync.
+
+### Bisync State Corruption
+
+**Problem:** Bisync fails with errors about corrupted state or listing files
+
+**Explanation:** Sometimes bisync state can become inconsistent (e.g., after mixing dry-run and actual runs, or after manual file operations).
+
+**Solution:** Clear bisync state and re-establish baseline:
+
+```bash
+# Clear bisync state
+bm project bisync-reset research
+
+# Re-establish baseline
+bm project bisync --name research --resync
+```
+
+**What this does:**
+- Removes all bisync metadata from `~/.basic-memory/bisync-state/research/`
+- Forces fresh baseline on next `--resync`
+- Safe operation (doesn't touch your files)
+
+**Note:** This command also runs automatically when you remove a project to clean up state directories.
+
+### Too Many Deletes
+
+**Problem:** "Error: max delete limit (25) exceeded"
+
+**Explanation:** Bisync detected you're about to delete more than 25 files. This is a safety check to prevent accidents.
+
+**Solution 1:** Review what you're deleting, then force resync:
+
+```bash
+# Check what would be deleted
+bm project bisync --name research --dry-run
+
+# If correct, establish new baseline
+bm project bisync --name research --resync
+```
+
+**Solution 2:** Use one-way sync if you know local is correct:
+
+```bash
+bm project sync --name research
+```
+
+### Project Not Configured for Sync
+
+**Problem:** "Project research has no local_sync_path configured"
+
+**Explanation:** Project exists on cloud but has no local sync path.
+
+**Solution:**
+
+```bash
+bm cloud sync-setup research ~/Documents/research
+bm project bisync --name research --resync
+```
+
+### Connection Issues
+
+**Problem:** "Cannot connect to cloud instance"
+
+**Solution:** Check status:
+
+```bash
+bm cloud status
+```
+
+If instance is down, wait a few minutes and retry.
+
+## Security
+
+- **Authentication**: OAuth 2.1 with PKCE flow
+- **Tokens**: Stored securely in `~/.basic-memory/basic-memory-cloud.json`
+- **API keys**: Stored in `~/.basic-memory/config.json`, which is written with private file permissions on POSIX systems
+- **Transport**: All data encrypted in transit (HTTPS)
+- **Credentials**: Scoped S3 credentials (read-write to your tenant only)
+- **Rclone setup**: Uses package managers or manual instructions; no remote privileged install-script fallback
+- **Isolation**: Your data isolated from other tenants
+- **Ignore patterns**: Sensitive files automatically excluded via `.bmignore`
+
+## Command Reference
+
+### Cloud Authentication
+
+```bash
+bm cloud login              # Authenticate and store OAuth credentials
+bm cloud logout             # Remove stored OAuth credentials
+bm cloud status             # Check auth state and instance health
+bm cloud promo --off        # Disable CLI cloud promo notices
+```
+
+### API Key Management
+
+```bash
+bm cloud set-key <key>      # Save a cloud API key (bmc_ prefixed)
+bm cloud create-key <name>  # Create API key via cloud API (requires OAuth login)
+```
+
+### Setup
+
+```bash
+bm cloud setup              # Install rclone via package manager and configure credentials
+```
+
+### Project Management
+
+```bash
+bm project list --local                   # Local project list
+bm project list --cloud                   # Cloud project list
+bm project add <name> --cloud             # Create cloud project (no sync)
+bm project add <name> --cloud --local-path <path> # Create with local sync
+bm cloud sync-setup <name> <path>       # Add sync to existing project
+bm project rm <name>                      # Delete project
+```
+
+### Per-Project Routing
+
+```bash
+bm project set-cloud <name>  # Route project through cloud (requires API key)
+bm project set-local <name>  # Revert project to local mode
+```
+
+### File Synchronization
+
+```bash
+# One-way sync (local → cloud)
+bm project sync --name <project>
+bm project sync --name <project> --dry-run
+bm project sync --name <project> --verbose
+
+# Two-way sync (local ↔ cloud) - Recommended
+bm project bisync --name <project>          # After first --resync
+bm project bisync --name <project> --resync # First time / force baseline
+bm project bisync --name <project> --dry-run
+bm project bisync --name <project> --verbose
+
+# Integrity check
+bm project check --name <project>
+bm project check --name <project> --one-way
+
+# List project files by route
+bm project ls --name <project>          # Default target: local
+bm project ls --name <project> --local
+bm project ls --name <project> --cloud
+bm project ls --name <project> --cloud --path <subpath>
+```
+
+## Summary
+
+**Basic Memory Cloud uses project-scoped sync:**
+
+1. **Authenticate cloud access** - `bm cloud login`
+2. **Install rclone** - `bm cloud setup`
+3. **Add projects with sync** - `bm project add research --cloud --local-path ~/Documents/research`
+4. **Preview first sync** - `bm project bisync --name research --resync --dry-run`
+5. **Establish baseline** - `bm project bisync --name research --resync`
+6. **Daily workflow** - `bm project bisync --name research`
+
+**Key benefits:**
+- ✅ Each project independently syncs (or doesn't)
+- ✅ Projects can live anywhere on disk
+- ✅ Explicit sync operations (no magic)
+- ✅ Safe by design (max delete limits, conflict resolution)
+- ✅ Full offline access (work locally, sync when ready)
+
+**Future enhancements:**
+- `--all` flag to sync all configured projects
+- Project list showing sync status
+- Watch mode for automatic sync

docs/cloud-semantic-search-value.md

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# Cloud Semantic Search Value (Customer-Facing Technical Story)
+
+This document explains why teams should buy cloud semantic search even when local search exists.
+
+## Core Promise
+
+Markdown files remain the source of truth in both local and cloud modes.
+
+- Files are portable.
+- Search indexes are derived and rebuildable.
+- You never get locked into proprietary document storage.
+
+## The Customer Problem
+
+Teams paying for cloud are usually not optimizing for "can this run locally." They are optimizing for:
+
+- finding the right note the first time,
+- keeping retrieval quality high as note volume grows,
+- avoiding search slowdowns while content is actively changing,
+- getting consistent results across users, agents, and sessions.
+
+## Why Cloud Is the Aspirin
+
+Cloud semantic search is the immediate pain reliever because it fixes the problems users feel right now.
+
+### 1) Better hit rate on real queries
+
+Cloud uses stronger managed embeddings than the default local model, which improves semantic recall for paraphrases and vague questions.
+
+Customer outcome:
+
+- fewer "I know this exists but search missed it" moments,
+- less query rewording,
+- faster time to answer.
+
+### 2) Better behavior under active workloads
+
+Cloud indexing runs out of band in workers, so indexing does not compete with interactive read/write traffic.
+
+Customer outcome:
+
+- stable search responsiveness during heavy updates,
+- fresher semantic results shortly after edits,
+- less user-visible performance variance.
+
+### 3) Better consistency for shared knowledge
+
+Cloud retrieval runs against a centralized tenant index, so teams and agents resolve against the same semantic state.
+
+Customer outcome:
+
+- fewer "works on my machine" search differences,
+- more predictable agent behavior across environments,
+- easier cross-user collaboration on large knowledge bases.
+
+### 4) Better quality at higher scale
+
+With Postgres + `pgvector` per tenant, cloud can sustain larger note collections and higher query volumes than typical local setups.
+
+Customer outcome:
+
+- confidence as repositories grow to tens of thousands of notes,
+- less need for user-side tuning,
+- fewer quality regressions as usage increases.
+
+## Local Is the Vitamin
+
+Local semantic search still matters and should stay strong.
+
+- offline use,
+- privacy-first operation,
+- no cloud dependency,
+- user-controlled runtime.
+
+It compounds long-term ownership and resilience, but does not remove the immediate pain points cloud solves for teams at scale.
+
+## Recommended Messaging
+
+One-liner:
+
+"Cloud semantic search is the aspirin: it fixes retrieval quality and performance pain now. Local semantic search is the vitamin: it builds long-term control and resilience."
+
+Long form:
+
+"Basic Memory keeps markdown as the source of truth everywhere. Local gives privacy and offline control. Cloud adds immediate, measurable improvements in search quality, consistency, and responsiveness for teams and agents running at scale."
+
+## Packaging Guidance
+
+- Base: local FTS plus optional local semantic search.
+- Cloud value: higher semantic quality, stable performance under load, and consistent team-wide retrieval.
+- Keep interfaces pluggable (`EmbeddingProvider`, vector backend protocol) so implementation can evolve without changing user workflows.

docs/logfire-instrumentation-strategy.md

@@ -0,0 +1,499 @@
+# Logfire Instrumentation Strategy
+
+## Why
+
+We want Logfire in Basic Memory for two specific use cases:
+
+1. Local development and performance investigation
+2. Cloud deployments where Basic Memory runs inside Basic Memory Cloud
+
+This instrumentation must be:
+
+- Disabled by default
+- Useful when enabled
+- Safe for local-first users
+- Searchable in Logfire over time
+
+The previous integration added telemetry, but it leaned too much on generic framework instrumentation. That created noisy spans with weak names and made the trace view harder to navigate. This strategy favors manual instrumentation around Basic Memory's real units of work.
+
+## Core Principles
+
+### 1. Default-off
+
+Basic Memory should ship with Logfire disabled unless the operator explicitly enables it.
+
+That means:
+
+- no required token for normal local usage
+- no surprise outbound telemetry
+- no behavior change for existing users
+
+### 2. Manual spans over automatic framework spans
+
+We should not rely on broad auto-instrumentation for FastAPI, MCP, SQLAlchemy, or HTTP as the primary experience.
+
+Why:
+
+- auto-generated span names are often generic
+- routes and middleware produce too many low-signal spans
+- it becomes harder to answer product questions like "why was `write_note` slow?" or "where did sync time go?"
+
+The preferred model is:
+
+- one meaningful root span per high-level operation
+- a small number of child spans for important phases
+- optional targeted instrumentation only where it adds clear value
+
+### 3. Logs must live inside traces
+
+Basic Memory already uses `loguru` pervasively. The Logfire integration should preserve that and make those logs visible inside the active trace/span context.
+
+If traces exist but the logs are detached from them, the integration is not doing its job.
+
+### 4. Stable names, selective attributes
+
+Span names should describe the operation class, not the specific input.
+
+Good:
+
+- `mcp.tool.write_note`
+- `sync.project.scan`
+- `search.execute`
+- `routing.resolve_project`
+
+Bad:
+
+- `Searching for "foo bar baz"`
+- `POST /v2/projects/123/search/`
+- `write note to /specs/api.md`
+
+Dynamic values belong in attributes, not in the span name.
+
+## What We Should Not Do
+
+### Avoid broad FastAPI auto-instrumentation
+
+We should not turn on `instrument_fastapi()` and treat that as the main telemetry story.
+
+It may still be useful in narrowly scoped debugging, but it should not define the production trace shape. The meaningful root spans should come from Basic Memory's own entrypoints and service boundaries.
+
+### Avoid per-file spans by default
+
+`sync` can process many files. A span per file will explode trace cardinality and make performance views noisy.
+
+Default behavior should be:
+
+- one span for the project sync
+- child spans for scan, move handling, delete handling, markdown sync batch, relation resolution, embedding sync, watermark update
+- per-file spans only for failures or very slow outliers
+
+### Avoid high-cardinality attributes on every span
+
+Do not attach large or highly variable values everywhere:
+
+- raw note content
+- file bodies
+- long search text
+- arbitrary metadata blobs
+- unique IDs that make every span shape distinct
+
+Prefer compact, queryable attributes:
+
+- `project_name`
+- `workspace_id`
+- `route_mode`
+- `scan_type`
+- `file_count`
+- `result_count`
+- `search_type`
+- `retrieval_mode`
+- `duration_ms`
+
+## Proposed Architecture
+
+Add a dedicated telemetry module in core Basic Memory, separate from logging setup.
+
+Suggested shape:
+
+```python
+# basic_memory/telemetry.py
+
+def configure_telemetry(service_name: str, *, enable_logfire: bool) -> None: ...
+def telemetry_enabled() -> bool: ...
+def span(name: str, **attrs): ...
+def bind_telemetry_context(**attrs): ...
+```
+
+This module should:
+
+- configure Logfire only when explicitly enabled
+- set up the Logfire `loguru` handler
+- expose lightweight helpers so application code does not import `logfire` directly everywhere
+- degrade cleanly to no-op behavior when disabled
+
+This keeps the rest of the codebase readable and makes it easy to reason about what telemetry is doing.
+
+## Logging Integration Strategy
+
+### Goal
+
+When a span is active, logs emitted through `loguru` during that operation should show up in the same trace.
+
+### Preferred design
+
+1. Configure Logfire once in the telemetry bootstrap
+2. Add the Logfire `loguru` handler to the existing `loguru` configuration
+3. At operation boundaries, bind stable contextual fields with `loguru`
+4. Let logs emitted inside the span inherit the active trace context
+
+### Context to bind
+
+Bind only the fields that help correlate work across the system:
+
+- `service_name`
+- `entrypoint`
+- `project_name`
+- `workspace_id`
+- `route_mode`
+- `tool_name`
+- `command_name`
+
+This binding should happen at the root of an operation, not deep in leaf functions.
+
+### Important nuance
+
+We should not try to encode the entire trace model into logger extras. The logger context should be a human-meaningful slice of the active operation. Trace linkage comes from the active Logfire/OpenTelemetry context; logger extras are there to improve searchability and readability.
+
+## Span Model
+
+### Root spans
+
+Each user-visible or system-visible operation should get one root span.
+
+Examples:
+
+- `cli.command.status`
+- `cli.command.project_sync`
+- `api.request.search`
+- `mcp.tool.write_note`
+- `mcp.tool.read_note`
+- `mcp.tool.search_notes`
+- `sync.project.run`
+- `db.semantic_backfill`
+
+### Child spans
+
+Child spans should represent real phases whose duration we care about.
+
+Examples:
+
+- `routing.client_session`
+- `routing.resolve_project`
+- `routing.resolve_workspace`
+- `api.search.execute`
+- `sync.project.scan`
+- `sync.project.detect_moves`
+- `sync.project.apply_changes`
+- `sync.project.resolve_relations`
+- `sync.project.sync_embeddings`
+- `sync.file.markdown`
+- `sync.file.regular`
+- `search.execute`
+- `search.relaxed_fts_retry`
+- `db.init`
+- `db.migrate`
+
+### Span naming rules
+
+- Use dot-separated names
+- Start with subsystem
+- Keep the verb at the end
+- Keep names stable across runs
+- Never include request-specific text in the span name
+
+## Attribute Taxonomy
+
+### Required attributes on root spans
+
+Every root span should have a small common set:
+
+- `service_name`
+- `entrypoint`
+- `project_name` when applicable
+- `workspace_id` when applicable
+- `route_mode` with values like `local_asgi`, `cloud_proxy`, `factory`
+
+### Operation-specific attributes
+
+Examples:
+
+For search:
+
+- `search_type`
+- `retrieval_mode`
+- `page`
+- `page_size`
+- `result_count`
+- `fallback_used`
+
+For sync:
+
+- `scan_type`
+- `force_full`
+- `new_count`
+- `modified_count`
+- `deleted_count`
+- `move_count`
+- `skipped_count`
+- `embeddings_enabled`
+
+For note operations:
+
+- `tool_name`
+- `note_type`
+- `directory`
+- `overwrite`
+- `output_format`
+
+### Attributes to avoid by default
+
+- full `query.text`
+- full note titles if they create privacy or cardinality issues
+- file content
+- raw frontmatter
+- raw HTTP bodies
+
+If we need richer payloads for a local debugging session, that should be an explicit temporary mode, not the default telemetry shape.
+
+## Instrumentation Plan By Layer
+
+### 1. Entrypoints
+
+Instrument these first:
+
+- `cli.app` callback and major commands
+- API lifespan and selected routers
+- MCP server lifespan
+- MCP tool entrypoints
+
+Why:
+
+- this establishes clean root spans
+- it gives us trace boundaries that match how users think about the product
+
+### 2. Routing and context resolution
+
+Instrument:
+
+- client routing decisions
+- workspace resolution
+- project resolution
+- default-project fallback
+
+Why:
+
+- Basic Memory has local/cloud/per-project routing logic
+- when something is slow or surprising, we need to know which path was taken
+
+### 3. Sync and indexing
+
+This is the highest-value area to instrument deeply.
+
+Instrument:
+
+- sync root
+- scan strategy decision
+- filesystem scan
+- move detection
+- delete handling
+- markdown sync phase
+- relation resolution
+- vector embedding sync
+- scan watermark update
+
+Why:
+
+- this is where performance work will happen
+- cloud and local both benefit from this visibility
+
+### 4. Search
+
+Instrument:
+
+- search execution
+- retrieval mode
+- relaxed FTS fallback
+- result shaping
+
+Why:
+
+- search is user-facing and latency-sensitive
+- hybrid/vector/FTS paths need to be distinguishable
+
+### 5. Database and initialization
+
+Instrument selectively:
+
+- DB init
+- migrations
+- semantic backfill
+- connection mode selection
+
+Avoid full automatic SQL span firehose by default.
+
+## Recommended Rollout Phases
+
+## Task List
+
+- [x] Phase 1: Bootstrap and config gating
+- [x] Phase 2: Root spans for entrypoints and primary operations
+- [x] Phase 3: Child spans for sync, search, and routing
+- [x] Phase 4: Failure-focused detail and final verification
+- [x] Phase 5: Loguru context binding and scoped context inheritance
+
+## Recommended Rollout Phases
+
+### Phase 1: Bootstrap and config gating
+
+Add:
+
+- telemetry bootstrap module
+- config/env gating
+- `loguru` + Logfire handler integration
+
+This gives immediate value with low noise.
+
+### Phase 2: Root spans for entrypoints and primary operations
+
+Add:
+
+- root spans for CLI, API, MCP, and main MCP tools
+- stable root attributes for project, workspace, route mode, and operation type
+
+This gives us clean top-level traces that match how users think about the product.
+
+### Phase 3: Child spans for sync, search, and routing
+
+Add child spans to:
+
+- sync
+- search
+- routing
+
+This is the main performance-investigation layer.
+
+### Phase 4: Failure-focused detail
+
+Add selective deeper spans/log enrichment for:
+
+- sync failures
+- relation resolution failures
+- slow file operations
+- cloud routing/auth failures
+
+This keeps normal traces clean while improving debuggability.
+
+### Phase 5: Loguru context binding and scoped context inheritance
+
+Add:
+
+- context-local telemetry state in `basic_memory.telemetry`
+- a shared `scope(...)` helper that opens a span and binds stable logger context together
+- context inheritance for routing, sync, and search so downstream `loguru` logs carry the active operation fields
+
+This makes the trace view and the log stream tell the same story without forcing logger rewrites across the codebase.
+
+## Local Dev Playbook
+
+The fastest way to sanity-check the current trace shape is:
+
+```bash
+LOGFIRE_TOKEN=lf_... just telemetry-smoke
+```
+
+What this does:
+
+- creates an isolated temp home, config dir, and project path
+- enables Logfire for the run
+- automatically exports to Logfire when `LOGFIRE_TOKEN` is present
+- defaults `BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED=false` so the smoke run stays fast and trace-friendly
+- disables promo telemetry so the trace is about Basic Memory work, not analytics noise
+- runs a small CLI workflow:
+  - `project add`
+  - `tool write-note`
+  - `tool read-note`
+  - `tool edit-note`
+  - `tool build-context`
+  - `tool search-notes`
+  - `doctor`
+
+If you want to exercise the instrumentation without exporting anything upstream:
+
+```bash
+BASIC_MEMORY_LOGFIRE_SEND_TO_LOGFIRE=false just telemetry-smoke
+```
+
+If you want the smoke run to include vector or hybrid retrieval spans too:
+
+```bash
+LOGFIRE_TOKEN=lf_... BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED=true just telemetry-smoke
+```
+
+The recipe sets `BASIC_MEMORY_LOGFIRE_ENVIRONMENT=telemetry-smoke` by default so these traces are easy to isolate in Logfire. Override it if you want the smoke traces grouped under a different environment name.
+
+### What to look for
+
+You should see a small set of comparable root spans rather than a framework-generated span forest:
+
+- `cli.command.project`
+- `cli.command.tool`
+- `mcp.tool.write_note`
+- `mcp.tool.read_note`
+- `mcp.tool.edit_note`
+- `mcp.tool.build_context`
+- `mcp.tool.search_notes`
+- `sync.project.run`
+
+You should also see correlated logs under those traces with stable fields like:
+
+- `project_name`
+- `route_mode`
+- `tool_name`
+- `entrypoint`
+
+### Expected nuance
+
+`doctor` creates its own temporary project on purpose. That means the sync trace will usually show a different project name than the `telemetry-smoke` write/search traces. That is fine for smoke testing because the goal is to confirm:
+
+- root span names are meaningful
+- scoped logs stay attached to the active trace
+- routing, tool, search, and sync phases are easy to distinguish
+
+## Validation Checklist
+
+We should consider the integration successful when the following are true:
+
+1. With telemetry disabled, Basic Memory behaves exactly as it does today.
+2. With telemetry enabled, one user action produces one obvious root span.
+3. Logs emitted during that action are visible inside the same trace.
+4. A search in Logfire for `mcp.tool.write_note` or `sync.project.run` returns comparable spans across runs.
+5. Trace views show phase timing clearly without drowning in framework noise.
+6. Sensitive payloads are not captured by default.
+
+## Immediate Implementation Direction
+
+When we start coding, the first pass should be:
+
+1. Add `basic_memory.telemetry`
+2. Add config/env switches for `enabled`, `send_to_logfire`, and service name
+3. Wire telemetry bootstrap into CLI, API, and MCP entrypoints
+4. Configure `loguru` to emit to both existing sinks and the Logfire handler when enabled
+5. Add manual root spans around:
+   - CLI commands
+   - API request handlers we care about
+   - MCP tool entrypoints
+   - sync root
+   - search root
+6. Add child spans to the sync and routing phases only after the root span model feels clean
+
+That gives us a strong foundation without repeating the earlier "turn on instrumentation everywhere" approach.

docs/mcp-ui-bakeoff-instructions.md

@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+# MCP UI Bakeoff - Instructions & Test Plan
+
+Last updated: 2026-02-02
+
+## Scope
+
+Compare three presentation paths for Basic Memory MCP tools:
+
+1. **Tool‑UI (React)** via MCP App resources.
+2. **MCP‑UI Python SDK** embedded UI resources (legacy host path).
+3. **ASCII/ANSI** output for TUI clients.
+
+This doc is the running instruction set and test plan. Update as implementation progresses.
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Repo: `basic-memory` (worktree: `basic-memory-mcp-ui-poc`)
+- Node for tool‑ui build (already used for POC)
+- Python 3.12+ with `uv`
+
+Optional (for MCP‑UI Python SDK path):
+
+- Local repo: `/Users/phernandez/dev/mcp-ui`
+- Install the server SDK into the Basic Memory venv:
+  - `uv pip install -e /Users/phernandez/dev/mcp-ui/sdks/python/server`
+
+---
+
+## Build / Refresh Steps
+
+### Tool‑UI React bundle
+
+```bash
+cd ui/tool-ui-react
+npm install
+npm run build
+```
+
+This regenerates:
+
+- `src/basic_memory/mcp/ui/html/search-results-tool-ui.html`
+- `src/basic_memory/mcp/ui/html/note-preview-tool-ui.html`
+
+---
+
+## How to Run the MCP Server
+
+```bash
+basic-memory mcp --transport stdio
+```
+
+Optional to pick UI variant for MCP App resources:
+
+```bash
+export BASIC_MEMORY_MCP_UI_VARIANT=tool-ui   # or vanilla | mcp-ui
+```
+
+---
+
+## Test Cases
+
+### 1) MCP App Resource UI (tool‑ui / vanilla / mcp‑ui)
+
+Tools:
+- `search_notes`
+- `read_note`
+
+Expect:
+- Tool meta points to `ui://basic-memory/search-results` and `ui://basic-memory/note-preview`
+- Resource content differs by `BASIC_MEMORY_MCP_UI_VARIANT`
+- Variant‑specific URIs also available:
+  - `ui://basic-memory/search-results/vanilla`
+  - `ui://basic-memory/search-results/tool-ui`
+  - `ui://basic-memory/search-results/mcp-ui`
+  - `ui://basic-memory/note-preview/vanilla`
+  - `ui://basic-memory/note-preview/tool-ui`
+  - `ui://basic-memory/note-preview/mcp-ui`
+
+Manual check:
+- Trigger tool in MCP‑App‑capable host and confirm UI renders.
+
+---
+
+### 2) Text / JSON Output Modes
+
+Tools:
+- `search_notes(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `read_note(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `write_note(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `edit_note(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `recent_activity(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `list_memory_projects(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `create_memory_project(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `delete_note(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `move_note(output_format="text" | "json")`
+- `build_context(output_format="json" | "text")`
+
+Expect:
+- `text` mode preserves existing human-readable responses.
+- `json` mode returns structured dict/list payloads for machine-readable clients.
+
+Automated:
+- `uv run pytest test-int/mcp/test_output_format_json_integration.py`
+
+---
+
+### 3) MCP‑UI Python SDK (embedded UI resource)
+
+Tools (embedded resource responses):
+- `search_notes_ui` (MCP‑UI SDK)
+- `read_note_ui` (MCP‑UI SDK)
+
+Expected output:
+- Tool response content contains an EmbeddedResource (`type: "resource"`)
+- `mimeType` is `text/html`
+- `_meta` includes:
+  - `mcpui.dev/ui-preferred-frame-size`
+  - `mcpui.dev/ui-initial-render-data`
+
+Manual check:
+- Render tool responses using `UIResourceRenderer` (legacy host flow).
+
+Automated (if SDK installed):
+- `uv run pytest test-int/mcp/test_ui_sdk_integration.py`
+
+---
+
+## Bakeoff Notes Template
+
+Fill in after running:
+
+- Tool‑UI (React): __
+- MCP‑UI SDK (embedded): __
+- Text/JSON modes: __
+
+Decision + rationale: __

docs/metadata-search.md

@@ -0,0 +1,260 @@
+# Metadata Search Reference
+
+Basic Memory automatically indexes custom frontmatter fields so you can query them with structured filters. Any YAML key in a note's frontmatter beyond the standard set (`title`, `type`, `tags`, `permalink`, `schema`) is stored as `entity_metadata` and becomes searchable.
+
+## Querying with `search_notes`
+
+`search_notes` is the single search tool for all queries — text, metadata filters, or both. The `query` parameter is optional, so you can use metadata filters alone without passing an empty string.
+
+## Filter Syntax
+
+Filters are a JSON dictionary where each key targets a frontmatter field and the value specifies the match condition. Multiple keys combine with **AND** logic — every filter must match.
+
+### Equality
+
+Match a single value exactly.
+
+```json
+{"status": "active"}
+```
+
+Finds notes whose frontmatter contains `status: active`.
+
+### Array Contains (all)
+
+Pass a list to require **all** listed values to be present in the field.
+
+```json
+{"tags": ["security", "oauth"]}
+```
+
+Finds notes tagged with both `security` and `oauth`.
+
+### `$in` (any of)
+
+Match if the field equals **any** value in the list.
+
+```json
+{"priority": {"$in": ["high", "critical"]}}
+```
+
+### `$gt`, `$gte`, `$lt`, `$lte`
+
+Numeric and text comparisons. Numeric values use numeric comparison; strings use lexicographic comparison.
+
+```json
+{"confidence": {"$gt": 0.7}}
+{"score": {"$lte": 100}}
+```
+
+### `$between`
+
+Range filter (inclusive). Takes a `[min, max]` pair.
+
+```json
+{"score": {"$between": [0.3, 0.8]}}
+```
+
+### Nested Access (dot notation)
+
+Access nested frontmatter values using dots.
+
+```json
+{"schema.version": "2"}
+```
+
+This queries the `version` key inside a `schema` object in frontmatter.
+
+### Summary Table
+
+| Operator | Syntax | Example |
+|----------|--------|---------|
+| Equality | `{"field": "value"}` | `{"status": "active"}` |
+| Array contains (all) | `{"field": ["a", "b"]}` | `{"tags": ["security", "oauth"]}` |
+| `$in` (any of) | `{"field": {"$in": [...]}}` | `{"priority": {"$in": ["high", "critical"]}}` |
+| `$gt` / `$gte` | `{"field": {"$gt": N}}` | `{"confidence": {"$gt": 0.7}}` |
+| `$lt` / `$lte` | `{"field": {"$lt": N}}` | `{"score": {"$lt": 0.5}}` |
+| `$between` | `{"field": {"$between": [min, max]}}` | `{"score": {"$between": [0.3, 0.8]}}` |
+| Nested access | `{"a.b": "value"}` | `{"schema.version": "2"}` |
+
+**Key rules:**
+- Filter keys must match `[A-Za-z0-9_-]+` (dots separate nesting levels).
+- Each operator dict must contain exactly one operator.
+- `$in` and array-contains require non-empty lists.
+- `$between` requires exactly two values `[min, max]`.
+
+## MCP Tool — `search_notes`
+
+`search_notes` is the single search tool for text queries, metadata filters, or both. The `query` parameter is optional.
+
+**Relevant parameters:**
+
+| Parameter | Type | Description |
+|-----------|------|-------------|
+| `query` | string (optional) | Text search query. Omit for filter-only searches. |
+| `metadata_filters` | dict | Structured filter dict (see syntax above) |
+| `tags` | list[str] | Convenience shorthand — merged into `metadata_filters["tags"]` |
+| `status` | string | Convenience shorthand — merged into `metadata_filters["status"]` |
+
+**Merging rules:** `tags` and `status` are convenience shortcuts. They are merged into `metadata_filters` using `setdefault` — if the same key already exists in `metadata_filters`, the explicit filter wins.
+
+**Examples:**
+
+```python
+# Text search filtered by metadata
+await search_notes("authentication", metadata_filters={"status": "draft"})
+
+# Filter-only search (no query needed)
+await search_notes(metadata_filters={"type": "spec"})
+
+# Combine text, tags shortcut, and metadata
+await search_notes(
+    "oauth flow",
+    tags=["security"],
+    metadata_filters={"confidence": {"$gt": 0.7}},
+)
+
+# Convenience shortcuts
+await search_notes("planning", status="active")
+await search_notes(tags=["tier1", "alpha"])
+```
+
+## Tag Search Shortcuts
+
+The `tag:` prefix in a search query is a shorthand for tag-based metadata filtering. When `search_notes` receives a query starting with `tag:`, it converts the query into a `tags` filter and clears the text query.
+
+```python
+# These are equivalent:
+await search_notes("tag:tier1")
+await search_notes("", tags=["tier1"])
+
+# Multiple tags (comma or space separated) — all must be present:
+await search_notes("tag:tier1,alpha")
+await search_notes("tag:tier1 alpha")
+```
+
+## CLI Access
+
+The `bm tool search-notes` command exposes metadata filtering via `--meta` and `--filter` flags.
+
+### `--meta` — simple key=value filters
+
+Repeatable flag for equality filters on frontmatter fields.
+
+```bash
+# Single filter
+bm tool search-notes "my query" --meta status=draft
+
+# Multiple filters (AND logic)
+bm tool search-notes "" --meta status=active --meta priority=high
+```
+
+### `--filter` — advanced JSON filters
+
+Pass a full JSON filter dictionary for operator-based queries.
+
+```bash
+# Range filter
+bm tool search-notes "" --filter '{"score": {"$between": [0.3, 0.8]}}'
+
+# $in filter
+bm tool search-notes "" --filter '{"priority": {"$in": ["high", "critical"]}}'
+```
+
+### `--tag` and `--status` — convenience shortcuts
+
+```bash
+bm tool search-notes "query" --tag security --tag oauth
+bm tool search-notes "" --status draft
+```
+
+### Combined example
+
+```bash
+bm tool search-notes "authentication" --tag security --meta status=draft --type spec
+```
+
+## Practical Examples
+
+### Example notes with custom frontmatter
+
+**`specs/auth-design.md`:**
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Auth Design
+type: spec
+tags: [security, oauth]
+status: in-progress
+priority: high
+confidence: 0.85
+---
+
+# Auth Design
+
+## Observations
+- [decision] Use OAuth 2.1 with PKCE for all client types #security
+- [requirement] Token refresh must be transparent to the user
+
+## Relations
+- implements [[Security Requirements]]
+```
+
+**`specs/search-redesign.md`:**
+
+```markdown
+---
+title: Search Redesign
+type: spec
+tags: [search, performance]
+status: draft
+priority: medium
+confidence: 0.6
+---
+
+# Search Redesign
+
+## Observations
+- [goal] Sub-100ms search response times #performance
+- [approach] Hybrid FTS + vector retrieval
+
+## Relations
+- depends_on [[Database Schema]]
+```
+
+### Queries that find them
+
+```python
+# Find all in-progress specs
+await search_notes(metadata_filters={"status": "in-progress", "type": "spec"})
+# → Auth Design
+
+# Find high-confidence specs
+await search_notes(metadata_filters={"confidence": {"$gt": 0.7}})
+# → Auth Design (confidence: 0.85)
+
+# Find specs with priority high or medium
+await search_notes(metadata_filters={"priority": {"$in": ["high", "medium"]}})
+# → Auth Design, Search Redesign
+
+# Find specs in a confidence range
+await search_notes(metadata_filters={"confidence": {"$between": [0.5, 0.9]}})
+# → Auth Design (0.85), Search Redesign (0.6)
+
+# Find notes tagged with security
+await search_notes("tag:security")
+# → Auth Design
+
+# Combined: text search + metadata filter
+await search_notes("OAuth", metadata_filters={"status": "in-progress"})
+# → Auth Design
+```
+
+### CLI equivalents
+
+```bash
+bm tool search-notes "" --meta status=in-progress --type spec
+bm tool search-notes "" --filter '{"confidence": {"$gt": 0.7}}'
+bm tool search-notes "OAuth" --meta status=in-progress
+bm tool search-notes --tag security
+```

docs/post-v0.18.0-test-plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,344 @@
+# Post-v0.18.0 Test Plan and Acceptance Criteria
+
+## Goal
+
+Define a complete validation plan for all major features merged after `v0.18.0`, combining:
+
+- Coverage-gap-driven automated tests
+- Real MCP server integration tests (no mocks for target flows)
+- Manual MCP verification via LLM-driven tool calls
+
+This plan is based on commits in `v0.18.0..HEAD` and the latest `just check` coverage output.
+
+## Scope Window
+
+- Start tag: `v0.18.0` (2026-01-28)
+- End: current `main`
+- Change volume: 12 feature commits + 14 bug-fix commits (+ release chores/hotfixes)
+
+## Execution Strategy
+
+1. Stabilize all feature-level acceptance criteria in automated tests first.
+2. Add black-box MCP integration tests for semantic search + schema (real server startup).
+3. Run manual MCP tool-call verification to confirm real UX and routing behavior.
+4. Re-run full gate: `just check` + targeted integration packs.
+
+## Global Quality Gates
+
+- Feature criteria below must all pass.
+- No regressions in existing suites.
+- Coverage improves in targeted low-coverage feature modules.
+- SQLite and Postgres parity for search/semantic features.
+
+## Priority Coverage Gaps (from latest run)
+
+These are the most important post-`v0.18.0` feature modules currently under-covered:
+
+- `src/basic_memory/mcp/tools/schema.py` (27%)
+- `src/basic_memory/mcp/clients/schema.py` (36%)
+- `src/basic_memory/mcp/tools/ui_sdk.py` (43%)
+- `src/basic_memory/mcp/tools/search.py` (73%)
+- `src/basic_memory/repository/postgres_search_repository.py` (63%)
+- `src/basic_memory/mcp/async_client.py` (82%)
+- `src/basic_memory/api/v2/routers/schema_router.py` (80%)
+
+## Feature Acceptance Criteria and Test Plan
+
+### 1) Schema System (`c97733d`) — DONE
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- `schema_validate`, `schema_infer`, and `schema_diff` produce consistent outcomes across CLI/API/MCP for the same fixture set.
+- Strict validation fails deterministically on required-field/type violations.
+- Validation warnings are stable and machine-readable in non-strict mode.
+- Inference output is deterministic for unchanged input corpus.
+- Drift diff output is deterministic and identifies missing/extra/type-mismatch fields correctly.
+
+### Existing coverage anchor points
+
+- `tests/schema/*`
+- `tests/api/v2/test_schema_router.py`
+- `test-int/test_schema/*`
+
+### Gaps to close — DONE
+
+- ~~MCP schema tool branches (`src/basic_memory/mcp/tools/schema.py`)~~ — 18 tests in `tests/mcp/test_tool_schema.py`
+- ~~MCP schema client behavior (`src/basic_memory/mcp/clients/schema.py`)~~ — `tests/mcp/test_client_schema.py`
+- ~~Schema router error-path branches (`src/basic_memory/api/v2/routers/schema_router.py`)~~ — `tests/api/v2/test_schema_router.py`
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Add MCP tool tests for `schema_validate` strict + non-strict result shapes.~~ **DONE**
+- ~~Add MCP tool tests for `schema_infer` with explicit `entity_type` and inferred type fallback.~~ **DONE**
+- ~~Add MCP tool tests for `schema_diff` empty-diff and non-empty-diff paths.~~ **DONE**
+- ~~Add API tests for schema router invalid payload/edge error handling.~~ **DONE**
+- Add integration test that starts MCP server and calls schema tools end-to-end on fixture notes. — deferred to backlog item 4.
+
+### 2) Semantic Search (`0777879`, `1428d18`, `344e651`) — DONE
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- `search_type=text|vector|hybrid` returns expected ranked results on canonical semantic corpus.
+- Missing semantic dependencies fail fast with actionable install guidance.
+- Reindex and provider/model changes produce valid vectors without dimension mismatch.
+- SQLite and Postgres produce equivalent behavior for semantic modes on the same dataset.
+- Generated-column migration path is valid on SQLite environments in use.
+
+### Existing coverage anchor points
+
+- `tests/repository/test_sqlite_vector_search_repository.py`
+- `tests/repository/test_postgres_search_repository.py`
+- `tests/services/test_semantic_search.py`
+- `tests/mcp/test_tool_search.py`
+- `test-int/test_search_performance_benchmark.py`
+
+### Gaps to close — DONE
+
+- ~~Uncovered Postgres vector/hybrid branches~~ — 20 tests in `tests/repository/test_postgres_search_repository_unit.py` + 5 integration tests in `test-int/semantic/test_semantic_coverage.py`
+- ~~MCP search semantic/output branches~~ — expanded `tests/mcp/test_tool_search.py`
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Expand Postgres repository tests for vector query composition edge cases.~~ **DONE**
+- ~~Expand Postgres repository tests for hybrid fusion ranking and pagination branches.~~ **DONE**
+- ~~Expand Postgres repository tests for embedding/provider error handling branches.~~ **DONE**
+- ~~Expand MCP search tool tests for vector/hybrid output formatting branches.~~ **DONE**
+- ~~Expand MCP search tool tests for semantic-disabled and missing-dependency failures.~~ **DONE**
+- Add MCP integration tests that start server and execute semantic `search_notes` tool calls. — deferred to backlog item 4.
+
+### Semantic search quality benchmarks (NEW)
+
+Full benchmark suite in `test-int/semantic/` covering 5 backend×provider combinations:
+- `sqlite-fts`, `sqlite-fastembed`, `postgres-fts`, `postgres-fastembed`, `postgres-openai`
+- Quality metrics: hit@1, recall@5, MRR@10 with per-query timing
+- Realistic corpus with cross-topic vocabulary overlap (240 notes, 4 topics)
+- Rich CLI viewer: `just semantic-report`
+- JSON artifact output: `just test-semantic-report`
+
+Key finding: **FastEmbed (384-d local ONNX) matches or exceeds OpenAI (1536-d) quality at 30x lower latency.** Recommending FastEmbed as default for both local and cloud deployments.
+
+### 3) Per-Project Local/Cloud Routing + API Key Auth (`d84708c`, `ed94877`, `312662f`) — DONE
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- Project mode (`local`/`cloud`) persists and displays correctly.
+- Routing selects ASGI for local projects and HTTP+Bearer for cloud projects.
+- Cloud project without key fails with explicit remediation (`cloud set-key`/`cloud create-key`).
+- Resolution precedence is correct (factory > force-local > per-project cloud > global fallback > local).
+- Watch/sync only run for local projects.
+
+### Existing coverage anchor points
+
+- `tests/mcp/test_async_client_modes.py`
+- `tests/cli/test_project_set_cloud_local.py`
+- `tests/mcp/test_project_context.py`
+- `tests/test_project_resolver.py`
+- `tests/sync/test_watch_service_reload.py`
+
+### Gaps to close — DONE
+
+- ~~Cloud routing branch gaps in `src/basic_memory/mcp/async_client.py`~~ — expanded `tests/mcp/test_async_client_modes.py`
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Add branch-focused tests for all unresolved routing branches in `get_client()`.~~ **DONE**
+- Add MCP integration scenario with mixed local/cloud project config — deferred to backlog item 4.
+
+### 4) Project-Prefixed Permalinks + Memory URL Routing (`545804f`) — DONE
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- Project-prefixed permalinks are generated consistently on create/update/import flows.
+- Memory URLs resolve to the correct project/entity even with duplicate note titles.
+- `read_note`, `search`, `build_context`, write/edit/move flows preserve project identity correctly.
+- Link resolution remains correct for context-aware wikilinks.
+
+### Existing coverage anchor points
+
+- `tests/utils/test_permalink_formatting.py`
+- `tests/mcp/test_tool_read_note.py`
+- `tests/mcp/test_tool_search.py`
+- `tests/services/test_context_service.py`
+- `test-int/mcp/test_read_note_integration.py`
+
+### Gaps to close
+
+- No major coverage alarm in report, but keep as regression-critical due broad impact surface.
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Add one integration test with colliding titles across two projects and assert URL routing invariants.~~ **DONE** — `test-int/mcp/test_permalink_collision_integration.py` (2 tests: collision across projects + memory:// URL routing with project prefix)
+
+### 5) MCP UI Variants + TUI Output (`8bc03d1`) — DONE
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- UI resource variant selection (`tool-ui`, `vanilla`, `mcp-ui`) follows env configuration.
+- `search_notes` and `read_note` expose expected resource metadata for UI hosts.
+- `ascii`/`ansi` outputs are deterministic and stable for terminal clients.
+
+### Existing coverage anchor points
+
+- `tests/mcp/test_tool_contracts.py`
+- `test-int/mcp/test_output_format_json_integration.py`
+- `test-int/mcp/test_ui_sdk_integration.py`
+
+### Gaps to close — DONE
+
+- ~~`src/basic_memory/mcp/tools/ui_sdk.py` branch coverage~~ — `tests/mcp/test_ui_sdk.py`
+- ~~`src/basic_memory/mcp/ui/sdk.py` and `src/basic_memory/mcp/ui/templates.py` branch coverage~~ — `tests/mcp/test_ui_templates.py` + `tests/mcp/test_ui_resources.py`
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Add unit tests for UI SDK metadata generation and template selection branches.~~ **DONE** — 31 tests
+- ~~Add integration assertion for variant-specific resource URIs and metadata payload shape.~~ **DONE**
+
+### 6) Watch Command (`8df88e4`) — DONE
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- `basic-memory watch` starts and processes create/update/delete events.
+- Watch restart/reload path does not duplicate watchers.
+- Cloud-mode projects are excluded from active watcher set.
+
+### Existing coverage anchor points
+
+- `tests/cli/test_watch.py`
+- `tests/sync/test_coordinator.py`
+- `tests/sync/test_watch_service_reload.py`
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Add one stress-style integration test for rapid file changes and watcher stability.~~ **DONE** — `tests/sync/test_watch_service_stress.py` (3 tests: 50-file batch, mixed add/modify/delete batch, rapid modifications to same file)
+
+### 7) CLI JSON Output (`a47c9c0`) — DONE
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- `--format json` returns valid JSON with stable keys for success paths.
+- Error paths also return JSON-shaped output with correct non-zero exits.
+- Default human output remains unchanged.
+
+### Existing coverage anchor points
+
+- `tests/cli/test_cli_tool_json_output.py`
+- `test-int/cli/test_cli_tool_json_integration.py`
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Add one failure-path integration test per high-use tool command.~~ **DONE** — `test-int/cli/test_cli_tool_json_failure_integration.py` (4 tests: read-note not found, write-note missing content, write→read roundtrip, recent-activity empty project)
+
+### 8) Search/Edit and Metadata Fixes (`530cbac`, `f1d50c2`, `8838571`, `009e849`) — DONE
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- Metadata filters produce consistent results on SQLite and Postgres.
+- `tag:` shorthand works alone and with mixed query terms.
+- Fast write/edit paths preserve `external_id` and metadata integrity.
+
+### Existing coverage anchor points
+
+- `tests/repository/test_metadata_filters.py`
+- `tests/repository/test_search_repository.py`
+- `tests/services/test_search_service.py`
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Add Postgres-specific metadata filter edge-case tests to mirror SQLite assertions exactly.~~ **DONE** — `tests/repository/test_metadata_filters_edge_cases.py` (6 tests: missing field, AND logic, contains single-element array, nested path missing intermediate, $gte/$lte boundaries, $between inclusive — all pass on both SQLite and Postgres)
+
+### 9) Compatibility and Hotfix Regression Pack (`c46d7a6`, `a0e754b`, `343a6e1`, `24ca5f6`, `e3ced49`, `8489a3d`, `b609c4e`, `f6e0a5b`, `7624a20`)
+
+### Acceptance criteria
+
+- Legacy endpoints required by older CLI versions function without `405` (`GET /projects/projects`, `POST /projects/projects`, `POST /projects/config/sync`).
+- Entity creation conflicts map to conflict status (not 500).
+- `recent_activity` prompt defaults are correct.
+- No spurious `metadata: {}` in serialized frontmatter.
+- Tigris/rclone uses global consistency headers for all transaction types.
+- `bm --version` fast path avoids heavy import path and remains responsive.
+- Default SQLite DB path is isolated by config dir.
+
+### Gaps to close
+
+- ~~Commits with no direct tests added (`c46d7a6`, `344e651`, `f6e0a5b`) need explicit regression tests.~~ **DONE**
+
+### Planned additions — DONE
+
+- ~~Add API compat test covering all legacy endpoint methods and payloads.~~ **DONE** — `test_legacy_v1_add_project_endpoint`, `test_legacy_v1_sync_config_endpoint`
+- ~~Add CLI fast-path test for `--version` import behavior/performance guard.~~ **DONE** — `test_bm_version_does_not_import_heavy_modules`
+- ~~Add empty metadata serialization regression test.~~ **DONE** — `test_schema_to_markdown_empty_metadata_no_metadata_key`
+- Add migration safety test for SQLite generated columns (`VIRTUAL` expectation) — deferred, low risk.
+
+## MCP Manual Verification Plan (LLM Tool Calls)
+
+Run after automated tests pass.
+
+### Setup
+
+- Start MCP server: `basic-memory mcp --transport stdio`
+- Use an MCP-capable client and issue tool calls directly.
+
+### Manual scenarios
+
+- Schema: call `schema_validate`, `schema_infer`, and `schema_diff` on known fixtures.
+- Schema: verify error and success payloads match acceptance criteria.
+- Semantic search: call `search_notes` with `search_type=text|vector|hybrid`.
+- Semantic search: verify ranking relevance on semantic fixture queries.
+- Routing: call tools with explicit project on mixed local/cloud setup.
+- Routing: verify success/failure paths with and without API key.
+- Permalink routing: read/write/search notes across projects with colliding titles.
+- Permalink routing: verify memory URL routing correctness.
+- UI/TUI: call `search_notes` and `read_note` with UI variants and `output_format=text|json`.
+- UI/TUI: verify payload/resource format and metadata completeness.
+
+## Implementation Backlog (Ordered)
+
+1. ~~Fill schema MCP/client/router coverage gaps.~~ **DONE** — 18 tests in `test_tool_schema.py` + `test_client_schema.py`
+2. ~~Fill semantic search MCP + Postgres repository gaps.~~ **DONE** — 20 tests in `test_postgres_search_repository_unit.py` + `test_tool_search.py`
+3. ~~Add compatibility regression tests (legacy endpoints, migration, version fast path).~~ **DONE** — 5 tests across 3 files (see below)
+4. ~~Add feature-level integration tests (permalinks, watch, CLI JSON, metadata filters).~~ **DONE** — 15 tests across 4 files (see items 4, 6, 7, 8 above)
+5. ~~Expand UI SDK and template branch tests.~~ **DONE** — 31 tests in `test_ui_templates.py` + `test_ui_sdk.py` + `test_ui_resources.py`
+6. ~~Run full gate and capture results in a short release readiness summary.~~ **DONE** — see results below
+
+### Full Gate Results (`just check`)
+
+| Phase | Result |
+|-------|--------|
+| lint | PASS |
+| format | PASS |
+| typecheck | PASS |
+| Unit tests (SQLite) | 1788 passed, 15 skipped |
+| Integration tests (SQLite) | 243 passed, 4 skipped, 10 deselected |
+| Unit tests (Postgres) | 1760 passed, 28 skipped |
+| Integration tests (Postgres) | 234 passed, 13 skipped, 10 deselected |
+
+**0 failures. 10 deselected = semantic benchmark tests (run separately via `just test-semantic`).**
+
+### Item 3 Details — Compatibility Regression Tests
+
+| Test | File | What it covers |
+|------|------|----------------|
+| `test_legacy_v1_add_project_endpoint` | `tests/api/v2/test_project_router.py` | POST `/projects/projects` legacy route reachable (idempotent path) |
+| `test_legacy_v1_sync_config_endpoint` | `tests/api/v2/test_project_router.py` | POST `/projects/config/sync` legacy route reachable |
+| `test_bm_version_does_not_import_heavy_modules` | `tests/cli/test_cli_exit.py` | `bm --version` fast path does not load `basic_memory.mcp` |
+| `test_schema_to_markdown_empty_metadata_no_metadata_key` | `tests/markdown/test_entity_parser_error_handling.py` | `schema_to_markdown()` with `entity_metadata={}` emits no `metadata:` key |
+| `test_legacy_v1_list_projects_endpoint` | `tests/api/v2/test_project_router.py` | (pre-existing) GET `/projects/projects` legacy route |
+
+**Suite totals after item 3: 1764 passed, 15 skipped, 0 failures.**
+
+## Suggested Commands
+
+- Full suite: `just check`
+- Fast loop: `just fast-check`
+- E2E consistency: `just doctor`
+- SQLite focused: `just test-sqlite`
+- Postgres focused: `just test-postgres`
+- Schema integration: `pytest test-int/test_schema -q`
+- Semantic + repo focus: `pytest tests/repository/test_postgres_search_repository.py tests/mcp/test_tool_search.py tests/services/test_semantic_search.py -q`
+- MCP integration focus: `pytest test-int/mcp -q`
+
+## Exit Criteria for This Plan
+
+- All feature acceptance criteria above are validated.
+- All identified high-priority coverage gaps are addressed or explicitly documented as intentional.
+- Manual MCP verification scenarios complete with no P0/P1 findings.

docs/releases/v0.19.0.md

@@ -0,0 +1,318 @@
+# v0.19.0 Release Notes
+
+## Overview
+
+v0.19.0 is a major release that introduces semantic vector search, a schema validation system,
+project-prefixed permalinks, per-project cloud routing, and a significant upgrade to FastMCP 3.0.
+It includes 90+ commits since v0.18.0 spanning new features, architectural improvements, and
+stability fixes across both SQLite and Postgres backends.
+
+---
+
+## Major Features
+
+### Semantic Vector Search
+
+Full vector and hybrid search for SQLite (via sqlite-vec) and Postgres (via pgvector).
+
+- **Hybrid search mode** combines full-text search (FTS) with vector similarity for best results
+- **Score-based fusion** replaces RRF for hybrid ranking — `max(vec, fts) + 0.3 * min(vec, fts)` preserves dominant signals and rewards dual-source agreement (#577)
+- **Default search mode** is now `hybrid` when semantic search is enabled, `text` when disabled
+- Embedding providers: FastEmbed (local, default) or OpenAI API
+- Configurable similarity threshold via `semantic_min_similarity` (default 0.55)
+- Per-query `min_similarity` override on `search_notes` tool
+- Auto-backfill: existing entities get embeddings generated on first startup
+- Backend-specific distance-to-similarity conversion (cosine for SQLite, inner product for Postgres)
+- FTS fallback: if semantic dependencies are missing, search gracefully degrades to text-only
+- sqlite-vec knn `k` parameter capped at 4096 to prevent backend errors
+
+**Configuration:**
+```json
+{
+  "semantic_search_enabled": true,
+  "semantic_embedding_provider": "fastembed",
+  "semantic_embedding_model": "bge-small-en-v1.5",
+  "semantic_min_similarity": 0.55
+}
+```
+
+**Usage:**
+```
+search_notes("machine learning concepts", search_type="hybrid")
+search_notes("similar to my notes on coffee", search_type="vector")
+search_notes("exact phrase match", search_type="text")
+search_notes("broad search", min_similarity=0.3)  # lower threshold for more results
+```
+
+### Schema System
+
+Validate note structure against user-defined schemas with frontmatter-based rules.
+
+- Define schemas as YAML in note frontmatter with field types, required fields, and constraints
+- Frontmatter validation during sync — malformed notes get clear error messages
+- Schema inference from existing notes to bootstrap schemas from your content
+- Schema diff to compare two schemas and see changes
+- Available via MCP tools and CLI
+
+### Project-Prefixed Permalinks
+
+Permalinks now include the project name for unambiguous cross-project references.
+
+- Memory URLs like `memory://project-name/folder/note` route to the correct project
+- Existing non-prefixed permalinks continue to work (backwards compatible)
+- Controlled by `permalinks_include_project` config (default: true)
+- `build_context` and `search_notes` auto-detect project from URL prefix
+
+### Per-Project Cloud Routing
+
+Individual projects can be routed through the cloud while others stay local.
+
+- Set a project to cloud mode: `bm project set-cloud research`
+- Revert to local: `bm project set-local research`
+- Uses API key authentication: `bm cloud set-key bmc_abc123...`
+- MCP tools automatically route based on each project's mode
+- Local MCP server (`bm mcp`) still uses local routing for all projects by default
+- `--local` and `--cloud` CLI flags override per-command
+
+### Workspace Selection
+
+Cloud projects can target specific workspaces for multi-tenant environments.
+
+- `workspace` parameter on MCP tools for explicit workspace targeting
+- CLI workspace-aware project listing with `bm project list`
+- Spinner feedback while fetching cloud projects
+
+---
+
+## New Tools and Capabilities
+
+### Dashboard (`bm project info`)
+
+`bm project info` now displays an htop-inspired compact dashboard with:
+
+- Horizontal bar charts for note types (top 5)
+- Embedding coverage bar with Unicode block characters
+- Colored status dots for at-a-glance health
+- `EmbeddingStatus` schema and `get_embedding_status()` service method for programmatic access
+
+### Unified Metadata Search
+
+`search_by_metadata` has been merged into `search_notes` — one tool for all searches.
+`query` is now optional, so you can search purely by frontmatter metadata.
+
+```
+search_notes(metadata_filters={"status": "in-progress"})
+search_notes(metadata_filters={"tags": ["security", "oauth"]})
+search_notes(metadata_filters={"priority": {"$in": ["high", "critical"]}})
+search_notes(metadata_filters={"schema.confidence": {"$gt": 0.7}})
+search_notes(tags=["security"])  # convenience shorthand
+search_notes(status="draft")     # convenience shorthand
+```
+
+### JSON Output Mode
+
+All MCP tools now support `output_format="json"` for machine-readable responses.
+
+- Default remains `"text"` for human-readable output (no breaking changes)
+- `build_context` defaults to `"json"` with slimmed payloads (redundant fields stripped)
+- CLI tool commands support `--format json` flag
+
+### `tag:` Search Shorthand
+
+Search by tag using convenient shorthand syntax.
+
+```
+search_notes("tag:security")
+search_notes("tag:coffee AND tag:brewing")
+```
+
+### Entity User Tracking
+
+Entities now track `created_by` and `last_updated_by` fields for attribution.
+
+### Improved Search Result Content (#609)
+
+Search results now surface more relevant context:
+
+- `matched_chunk_text` populated for FTS-only hybrid results (no more fallback to truncated content)
+- `TOP_CHUNKS_PER_RESULT` increased from 3 to 5, catching answers deeper in large notes (~2700 → ~4500 chars)
+- `CONTENT_DISPLAY_LIMIT` doubled from 2000 to 4000 chars for results without matched chunks
+
+### `write_note` Overwrite Guard (#632)
+
+`write_note` is now non-idempotent by default. If a note already exists, the tool returns an
+error instead of silently overwriting. Pass `overwrite=True` to replace, or use `edit_note`
+for incremental updates. Config option `write_note_overwrite_default` restores the old upsert
+behavior.
+
+---
+
+## Architecture Changes
+
+### Score-Based Hybrid Fusion (#577)
+
+RRF (Reciprocal Rank Fusion) compressed all fused scores to ~0.016, destroying ranking
+differentiation. The new formula `max(vec, fts) + FUSION_BONUS * min(vec, fts)` preserves
+dominant signals and rewards dual-source agreement. Zero-score results now produce zero
+fused score instead of receiving a 0.1 weight floor.
+
+### FastMCP 3.0 Upgrade
+
+Upgraded from FastMCP 2.12.3 to 3.0.1.
+
+- Tool annotations (`readOnlyHint`, `openWorldHint`) for better client integration
+- Improved MCP protocol compliance
+- Better error handling and context management
+
+### Prompts Call MCP Tools Directly
+
+MCP prompts (`search`, `continue_conversation`) now call MCP tools directly instead of
+going through API endpoints. This fixes empty results in discovery mode and ensures prompts
+use the same resolution logic as tools (including LinkResolver fallback).
+
+### build_context LinkResolver Fallback
+
+`build_context` now falls back to LinkResolver when an exact permalink lookup returns empty.
+This uses the same 7-strategy resolution pipeline as `read_note`, so callers no longer get
+empty results for valid note identifiers that don't match exact permalinks.
+
+### Sync Handles Semantic Dependency Errors Gracefully
+
+When sqlite-vec or another embedding provider is unavailable, `sync_file` now catches
+`SemanticDependenciesMissingError` separately. The entity is created and FTS-indexed
+successfully — only vector embeddings are skipped, with a clear warning:
+
+```
+WARNING: Semantic search dependencies missing — vector embeddings skipped for path=note.md.
+Run 'bm reindex --embeddings' after resolving the dependency issue.
+```
+
+### Unified Project Path
+
+Cloud projects with bisync now store the local filesystem path in `path` (not the Docker
+container path). Config migration automatically promotes `local_sync_path` → `path` for
+existing configs.
+
+---
+
+## CLI Improvements
+
+### Status and Doctor Default to Local Routing
+
+`bm status` and `bm doctor` now default to local routing since they scan the local filesystem.
+Previously, cloud-mode projects would route these commands to the cloud API, which returned
+Docker-internal paths that don't exist locally.
+
+### `--format json` for CLI Tool Commands
+
+All `bm tool` subcommands support `--format json` for machine-readable output, enabling
+integration with scripts and plugins.
+
+### `--json` for Top-Level CLI Commands
+
+Five additional CLI commands now support `--json` for machine-readable output:
+
+- `bm status --json` — sync report with new/modified/deleted/moved files and skipped files
+- `bm project list --json` — structured project list with name, paths, routing mode, and defaults
+- `bm schema validate --json` — validation report with per-note pass/fail, warnings, and errors
+- `bm schema infer --json` — field frequency analysis and suggested schema definition
+- `bm schema diff --json` — drift report with new fields, dropped fields, and cardinality changes
+
+This complements the existing `bm project info --json` and `bm tool --format json` support,
+making all major CLI commands scriptable for CI pipelines and automation.
+
+### Cloud Promo and Analytics
+
+- Cloud promo panel shown on first run or version bump with OSS discount code
+- Anonymous usage telemetry via Umami Cloud (promo/login funnel events only)
+- Opt out with `BASIC_MEMORY_NO_PROMOS=1`
+- No PII, no file contents, no per-command tracking
+- See [Telemetry](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory#telemetry) in README
+
+---
+
+## Bug Fixes
+
+- **#577**: RRF fusion compressed all hybrid scores to ~0.016, destroying ranking differentiation
+- **#582**: build_context returns empty results on valid note identifiers
+- **#575**: Remove hardcoded "main" default from default_project
+- **#595**: recent_activity dedup and pagination across MCP tools
+- **#593**: Backend-specific distance-to-similarity conversion
+- **#592**: Strip NUL bytes from content before PostgreSQL search indexing
+- **#562**: Use VIRTUAL instead of STORED columns in SQLite migration
+- **#558**: Add X-Tigris-Consistent headers to all rclone commands
+- **#541**: Handle EntityCreationError as conflict
+- **#536**: Stabilize metadata filters on Postgres
+- **#533**: Fix recent_activity prompt defaults
+- **#530**: Prevent spurious `metadata: {}` in frontmatter output
+- **#601**: Return matched chunk text in search results
+- **#606**: Accept `null` for `expected_replacements` in `edit_note`
+- **#579, #607**: Guard against closed streams in promo panel and missing vector tables on shutdown
+- **#609**: FTS-only hybrid results missing `matched_chunk_text`; content limits too conservative
+- **#631**: `build_context` related_results schema validation failure — replaced fragile `_slim_context()` stripping with Pydantic `exclude=True` field config
+- **#630**: Skip workspace resolution when client factory is active — prevents 401 errors in cloud MCP server mode
+- **#30**: `tag:` prefix query fails with hybrid search — moved tag prefix parsing to MCP tool level so it works with all search modes
+- **#31**: `search_notes` returns cluttered observation/relation-level results — now defaults to entity-level results
+- **#28**: `schema_infer` and `schema_diff` return raw Pydantic models as "undefined" in LLM output — added markdown formatters
+- Fix `schema_validate` identifier resolution (now uses LinkResolver) and text rendering (markdown formatter)
+- **#634**: `schema_validate` and `schema_diff` use stale database metadata instead of reading schema definitions from file — now reads frontmatter directly from the file with fallback to database metadata
+- Fix `Post(**metadata)` crash when frontmatter contains `content` or `handler` keys
+- Fix list-valued frontmatter fields (`title`, `type`) crashing on `.strip()` — now coerced to strings
+- Cap sqlite-vec knn `k` parameter at 4096 to prevent backend errors
+- Parameterize SQL queries in search repository type filters
+- Double-default display in project list
+- `ensure_frontmatter_on_sync` default changed to `True`
+- Status/doctor commands fail with cloud-mode projects (Docker path error)
+- Prompts return "0 projects" in discovery mode
+
+---
+
+## Security
+
+- Upgrade `cryptography` for CVE advisory
+- Upgrade `python-multipart` for security advisory
+
+---
+
+## Internal / Developer
+
+- **#598**: Upgrade FastMCP 2.12.3 → 3.0.1 with tool annotations
+- **#594**: Add `ty` as supplemental type checker
+- **#538**: Add fast feedback loop tooling (`just fast-check`, `just doctor`, `just testmon`)
+- **#600**: Rename `entity_type` to `note_type` for consistency
+- **#596**: Fix CLI runtime defects and audit regressions
+- CLI refactoring and workspace-aware cloud project listing
+- Split and speed up PR test matrix in CI
+- Fix CI: collect coverage from test jobs instead of re-running all tests
+- Create `search_vector_chunks` in test fixtures for Postgres compatibility
+
+---
+
+## Configuration Changes
+
+| Setting | Old Default | New Default | Notes |
+|---------|-------------|-------------|-------|
+| `semantic_search_enabled` | `false` | `true` | Semantic search on by default |
+| `ensure_frontmatter_on_sync` | `false` | `true` | Frontmatter added during sync |
+| `permalinks_include_project` | `false` | `true` | Project prefix in permalinks |
+
+---
+
+## Upgrade Notes
+
+- **Semantic search dependencies** are now included by default. If sqlite-vec fails to load,
+  search gracefully falls back to FTS. Run `bm reindex --embeddings` to generate embeddings
+  for existing content.
+- **Hybrid search scoring** has changed from RRF to score-based fusion. Search result ordering
+  may differ — results should be more accurate with better score differentiation.
+- **`search_by_metadata`** is removed as a standalone tool. Use `search_notes` with
+  `metadata_filters` instead (same parameters, same behavior).
+- **Project-prefixed permalinks** are enabled by default. Existing notes keep their current
+  permalinks until modified. Set `permalinks_include_project: false` to disable.
+- **Frontmatter on sync** is now enabled by default. Files without frontmatter will have it
+  added on next sync. Set `ensure_frontmatter_on_sync: false` to preserve old behavior.
+- **Config migration** runs automatically for cloud projects with bisync — `local_sync_path`
+  is promoted to `path` so filesystem operations work correctly.
+- **`write_note` is no longer idempotent** — calls to `write_note` for existing notes now
+  return an error unless `overwrite=True` is passed. Use `edit_note` for incremental changes,
+  or set `write_note_overwrite_default: true` in config to restore the old behavior.

docs/semantic-search-test-log.md

@@ -0,0 +1,209 @@
+# Semantic Search Manual Test Log
+
+## Overview
+
+Manual test session for semantic (vector) search on the main project.
+- Date: 2026-02-15
+- Database: ~/.basic-memory/memory.db (SQLite)
+- Entities: 456 embedded, 2714 vector chunks
+- Search index: 2390 FTS entries
+- Embedding model: default (384-dim, sqlite-vec)
+
+## Test Plan
+
+1. **Search Type Routing** — verify vector/hybrid/text dispatch, invalid search_type handling
+2. **Conceptual Queries** — natural language where vector should beat FTS
+3. **Keyword Queries** — exact terms where FTS should be strong
+4. **Hybrid Ranking** — queries where both FTS and vector contribute
+5. **Result Types** — entities, observations, relations in vector results
+6. **Filters + Vector** — combine vector with types/entity_types/after_date
+7. **Edge Cases** — short queries, long queries, empty, special chars, no-match
+8. **Pagination** — page > 1, page_size respected
+
+---
+
+## Test Results
+
+### Test 1: Search Type Routing
+
+#### 1a: search_type="semantic" (invalid value)
+- **Input:** query="how does the knowledge graph work", search_type="semantic"
+- **Expected:** error or explicit fallback
+- **Actual:** Silently falls through to text search (else branch in search.py:430)
+- **Verdict:** BUG — should either be a recognized alias for "vector" or return an error
+
+#### 1b: search_type="vector"
+- **Input:** query="keeping AI context between sessions", search_type="vector"
+- **Actual:** 5 results, scores ~0.58-0.59, found "Maintaining context across conversation boundaries" observation
+- **Verdict:** PASS
+
+#### 1c: search_type="text" with conceptual query
+- **Input:** query="keeping AI context between sessions", search_type="text"
+- **Actual:** 0 results (no exact keyword match)
+- **Verdict:** PASS (expected — FTS requires token overlap)
+
+#### 1d: search_type="hybrid" with conceptual query
+- **Input:** query="keeping AI context between sessions", search_type="hybrid"
+- **Actual:** 5 results, same ranking as vector (FTS contributed nothing here)
+- **Verdict:** PASS
+
+#### 1e: search_type="text" with keyword query
+- **Input:** query="OAuth authentication", search_type="text"
+- **Actual:** 3 results — AUTH.md Supabase OAuth, OAuth Rip-and-Replace, OAuth Integration Analysis
+- **Verdict:** PASS
+
+#### 1f: search_type="vector" with keyword query
+- **Input:** query="OAuth authentication", search_type="vector"
+- **Actual:** Same top results as text (keyword-rich content also scores well in vector space)
+- **Verdict:** PASS
+
+---
+
+### Test 2: Conceptual Queries (vector advantage)
+
+#### 2a: Natural language question
+- **Input:** query="why do AI assistants forget things", search_type="vector"
+- **Actual:** 5 results — Manual Testing Session, "Balance security and usability" observation, "Tools should match thought patterns" observation. Scores ~0.56-0.57
+- **Vector advantage:** Found conceptually related content despite no exact keyword overlap
+- **Verdict:** PASS
+
+#### 2b: Same query, text search
+- **Input:** query="why do AI assistants forget things", search_type="text"
+- **Actual:** 1 result — "What is Basic Memory?" (likely matched on "AI" token)
+- **Verdict:** PASS (demonstrates vector advantage — text barely matched)
+
+#### 2c: Domain concept with no jargon
+- **Input:** query="pricing strategy for cloud product", search_type="vector"
+- **Actual:** 3 results — SPEC-16 MCP Cloud Service Consolidation, knowledge architecture observation, Visual Knowledge Spaces relation. Scores ~0.56-0.57
+- **Verdict:** PASS (found cloud-related content conceptually)
+
+#### 2d: Technical concept, long query
+- **Input:** query="SQLite performance optimization WAL mode concurrent writes", search_type="vector"
+- **Actual:** 3 results — SPEC-11 API Performance Optimization, Real-Time Updates with WebSockets, marketing status update. Scores ~0.55-0.58
+- **Verdict:** PASS (found performance-related content)
+
+---
+
+### Test 3: Keyword Queries (FTS strength)
+
+#### 3a: Exact term match — "OAuth authentication"
+- **Text:** 3 results with high relevance (exact matches in titles)
+- **Vector:** Same top results (keyword overlap helps vector too)
+- **Verdict:** PASS — FTS and vector converge on keyword-rich queries
+
+#### 3b: "OAuth" single keyword, hybrid mode
+- **Input:** query="OAuth", search_type="hybrid"
+- **Actual:** 5 results — Basic Memory Coding Guide, AI Collaboration Examples, SPEC-18, daily note, Manual Testing Session. FTS + vector blended. Scores ~0.016-0.032
+- **Note:** Top hybrid result is "Basic Memory Coding Guide" not an OAuth-specific doc — suggests hybrid scoring may dilute strong FTS matches
+- **Verdict:** PASS but hybrid ranking questionable for single-keyword queries
+
+---
+
+### Test 4: Hybrid Ranking
+
+#### 4a: Hybrid vs vector on "OAuth authentication"
+- **Hybrid with entity_types=["entity"]:** 5 results — RLS Implementation Lessons, Cloud Readiness Assessment, AUTH.md OAuth, Core Service Implementation, OAuth Rip-and-Replace. Scores ~0.016-0.023
+- **Vector with entity_types=["entity"]:** 5 results — Core Service Implementation, SPEC-13 CLI Auth, Coding Guide, Authentication Service, ADR Production Auth. Scores ~0.55-0.60
+- **Observation:** Hybrid surfaces different top results than vector-only. Hybrid found RLS and Cloud Readiness docs that vector didn't prioritize. Different ranking is expected from RRF fusion.
+- **Verdict:** PASS — hybrid produces meaningfully different ranking
+
+---
+
+### Test 5: Result Types
+
+#### 5a: Vector returns all result types
+- **Input:** query="keeping AI context between sessions", search_type="vector"
+- **Entities:** SPEC-18 AI Memory Management Tool (type=entity)
+- **Relations:** Prompt Builder integrates_with (type=relation)
+- **Observations:** "Translation layer is key" (type=observation), "Maintaining context across conversation boundaries" (type=observation)
+- **Verdict:** PASS — all three types appear in vector results
+
+#### 5b: Observations carry metadata
+- **Observation result:** category="challenge", content="Maintaining context across conversation boundaries", from_entity="research/ai-knowledge-management-research"
+- **Verdict:** PASS — category, content, from_entity, tags all present
+
+#### 5c: Relations carry link info
+- **Relation result:** relation_type="integrates_with", from_entity="development/features/prompt-builder...", to_entity (present but truncated in some)
+- **Verdict:** PASS — relation metadata present
+
+---
+
+### Test 6: Filters + Vector Search
+
+#### 6a: entity_types=["entity"] with vector
+- **Input:** query="OAuth authentication", search_type="vector", entity_types=["entity"]
+- **Actual:** 5 results, all type="entity" (Core Service Implementation, SPEC-13, Coding Guide, Authentication Service, ADR Auth)
+- **Verdict:** PASS — filter correctly restricts to entities only
+
+#### 6b: types=["note"] with vector
+- **Input:** query="OAuth authentication", search_type="vector", types=["note"]
+- **Actual:** Same 5 results (all have entity_type="note" in metadata)
+- **Verdict:** PASS — types filter works with vector search
+
+#### 6c: after_date with vector
+- **Input:** query="OAuth authentication", search_type="vector", after_date="2025-06-01"
+- **Actual:** 3 results — Core Service Implementation, Cloud Web App analysis observation, SPEC-13. Filtered out older OAuth docs.
+- **Verdict:** PASS — date filter applied correctly
+
+#### 6d: entity_types=["entity"] with hybrid
+- **Input:** query="OAuth authentication", search_type="hybrid", entity_types=["entity"]
+- **Actual:** 5 results, all type="entity" — RLS lessons, Cloud Readiness, AUTH.md OAuth, Core Service, OAuth Rip-and-Replace
+- **Verdict:** PASS — filter works with hybrid mode too
+
+#### 6e: types=["entity"] with vector (WRONG filter name)
+- **Input:** query="OAuth authentication", search_type="vector", types=["entity"]
+- **Actual:** 0 results
+- **Note:** `types` filters by entity_type metadata (e.g., "note", "person"), NOT by SearchItemType. Using types=["entity"] looks for entity_type="entity" which few/no notes have. This is a UX confusion point — the param names are ambiguous.
+- **Verdict:** PASS (correct behavior) but USABILITY ISSUE — easy to confuse types vs entity_types
+
+---
+
+### Test 7: Edge Cases
+
+#### 7a: Single character query
+- **Input:** query="x", search_type="vector"
+- **Actual:** 3 results — "Self-contained application bundle" observation, Non-Markdown File Support relation, quick-win-tools entity. Scores ~0.57-0.59
+- **Note:** Single character still produces an embedding and returns results. Quality is low/random as expected.
+- **Verdict:** PASS (no crash, returns results)
+
+#### 7b: Whitespace-only query
+- **Input:** query="   ", search_type="vector"
+- **Actual:** 0 results
+- **Verdict:** PASS (handled gracefully — _check_vector_eligible strips and rejects empty)
+
+#### 7c: Query with no relevant content
+- **Input:** query="quantum computing blockchain", search_type="vector"
+- **Actual:** 3 results — Inter-Agent Communication relation, Self-contained bundle observation, JSON-LD interop observation. Scores ~0.54
+- **Note:** Still returns results because vector search always finds nearest neighbors. Scores are lower (~0.54) than relevant queries (~0.58-0.60). No relevance threshold applied.
+- **Verdict:** PASS (expected behavior) but NOTE — no relevance cutoff means irrelevant queries always return something
+
+---
+
+### Test 8: Pagination
+
+#### 8a: Vector search page 2
+- **Input:** query="keeping AI context between sessions", search_type="vector", page=2, page_size=3
+- **Actual:** 3 results on page 2, current_page=2. Different results from page 1. Top: "Maintaining context across conversation boundaries" observation (score 0.587)
+- **Note:** Interestingly, page 2 had a higher-scoring result than some page 1 results. This may indicate pagination doesn't sort globally — it might be paginating within a pre-scored set.
+- **Verdict:** PASS (pagination works) but POSSIBLE ISSUE — result ordering across pages needs investigation
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+### Passing Tests: 20/21
+
+### Bugs Found
+1. **search_type="semantic" silently falls through** (Test 1a) — Invalid search_type values fall to the `else` branch and default to text search without any warning. Should either alias "semantic" to "vector" or raise an error.
+
+### Usability Issues
+2. **types vs entity_types confusion** (Test 6e) — `types` filters by entity_type metadata (note, person, etc.) while `entity_types` filters by SearchItemType (entity, observation, relation). The naming is ambiguous and easy to mix up.
+3. **No relevance threshold** (Test 7c) — Vector search always returns nearest neighbors even for completely irrelevant queries. Consider adding a minimum score threshold or at least documenting expected score ranges.
+4. **Hybrid ranking for single keywords** (Test 3b) — Hybrid mode on simple keyword queries produced less intuitive rankings than pure FTS or pure vector. The RRF fusion may dilute strong FTS signals.
+
+### Observations
+- Vector search successfully finds conceptually related content that FTS misses entirely
+- Score ranges: relevant queries ~0.56-0.60, irrelevant queries ~0.54 (narrow spread)
+- All three result types (entity, observation, relation) appear correctly in vector results
+- Filters (entity_types, types, after_date) all work correctly with vector and hybrid modes
+- Pagination works but cross-page ordering may need investigation

docs/semantic-search.md

@@ -0,0 +1,271 @@
+# Semantic Search
+
+This guide covers Basic Memory's semantic (vector) search feature, which adds meaning-based retrieval alongside the existing full-text search.
+
+## Overview
+
+Basic Memory's search supports both full-text search (FTS) and semantic retrieval. Semantic search adds vector embeddings that capture the *meaning* of your content, enabling:
+
+- **Paraphrase matching**: Find "authentication flow" when searching for "login process"
+- **Conceptual queries**: Search for "ways to improve performance" and find notes about caching, indexing, and optimization
+- **Hybrid retrieval**: Combine the precision of keyword search with the recall of semantic similarity
+
+Semantic search is enabled by default when semantic dependencies are available at runtime. It works on both SQLite (local) and Postgres (cloud) backends.
+
+## Installation
+
+Semantic search dependencies (fastembed, sqlite-vec, openai) are included in the default `basic-memory` install.
+
+```bash
+pip install basic-memory
+```
+
+You can always override with `BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED=true|false`.
+
+### Platform Compatibility
+
+| Platform | FastEmbed (local) | OpenAI (API) |
+|---|---|---|
+| macOS ARM64 (Apple Silicon) | Yes | Yes |
+| macOS x86_64 (Intel Mac) | No — see workaround below | Yes |
+| Linux x86_64 | Yes | Yes |
+| Linux ARM64 | Yes | Yes |
+| Windows x86_64 | Yes | Yes |
+
+#### Intel Mac Workaround
+
+The default install includes FastEmbed, which depends on ONNX Runtime. ONNX Runtime dropped Intel Mac (x86_64) wheels starting in v1.24, so install with a compatible ONNX Runtime pin first:
+
+```bash
+pip install basic-memory 'onnxruntime<1.24'
+```
+
+After installation, Intel Mac users have two runtime options:
+
+**Option 1: Use OpenAI embeddings (recommended)**
+
+```bash
+export BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED=true
+export BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=openai
+export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
+```
+
+**Option 2: Use FastEmbed locally**
+
+Keep the same pinned installation and use FastEmbed (default provider):
+
+```bash
+export BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED=true
+export BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=fastembed
+```
+
+## Quick Start
+
+1. Install Basic Memory:
+
+```bash
+pip install basic-memory
+```
+
+2. (Optional) Explicitly enable semantic search:
+
+```bash
+export BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED=true
+```
+
+3. Build vector embeddings for your existing content:
+
+```bash
+bm reindex --embeddings
+```
+
+4. Search using semantic modes:
+
+```python
+# Pure vector similarity
+search_notes("login process", search_type="vector")
+
+# Hybrid: combines FTS precision with vector recall (recommended)
+search_notes("login process", search_type="hybrid")
+
+# Explicit full-text search
+search_notes("login process", search_type="text")
+```
+
+## Configuration Reference
+
+All settings are fields on `BasicMemoryConfig` and can be set via environment variables (prefixed with `BASIC_MEMORY_`).
+
+| Config Field | Env Var | Default | Description |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `semantic_search_enabled` | `BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED` | Auto (`true` when semantic deps are available) | Enable semantic search. Required before vector/hybrid modes work. |
+| `semantic_embedding_provider` | `BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER` | `"fastembed"` | Embedding provider: `"fastembed"` (local) or `"openai"` (API). |
+| `semantic_embedding_model` | `BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_EMBEDDING_MODEL` | `"bge-small-en-v1.5"` | Model identifier. Auto-adjusted per provider if left at default. |
+| `semantic_embedding_dimensions` | `BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_EMBEDDING_DIMENSIONS` | Auto-detected | Vector dimensions. 384 for FastEmbed, 1536 for OpenAI. Override only if using a non-default model. |
+| `semantic_embedding_batch_size` | `BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_EMBEDDING_BATCH_SIZE` | `64` | Number of texts to embed per batch. |
+| `semantic_vector_k` | `BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_VECTOR_K` | `100` | Candidate count for vector nearest-neighbour retrieval. Higher values improve recall at the cost of latency. |
+
+## Embedding Providers
+
+### FastEmbed (default)
+
+FastEmbed runs entirely locally using ONNX models — no API key, no network calls, no cost.
+
+- **Model**: `BAAI/bge-small-en-v1.5`
+- **Dimensions**: 384
+- **Tradeoff**: Smaller model, fast inference, good quality for most use cases
+
+```bash
+# Install basic-memory and enable semantic search
+pip install basic-memory
+export BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED=true
+```
+
+### OpenAI
+
+Uses OpenAI's embeddings API for higher-dimensional vectors. Requires an API key.
+
+- **Model**: `text-embedding-3-small`
+- **Dimensions**: 1536
+- **Tradeoff**: Higher quality embeddings, requires API calls and an OpenAI key
+
+```bash
+export BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED=true
+export BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=openai
+export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
+```
+
+When switching from FastEmbed to OpenAI (or vice versa), you must rebuild embeddings since the vector dimensions differ:
+
+```bash
+bm reindex --embeddings
+```
+
+## Search Modes
+
+### `text` (default)
+
+Full-text keyword search using FTS5 (SQLite) or tsvector (Postgres). Supports boolean operators (`AND`, `OR`, `NOT`), phrase matching, and prefix wildcards.
+
+```python
+search_notes("project AND planning", search_type="text")
+```
+
+This is the existing default and does not require semantic search to be enabled.
+
+### `vector`
+
+Pure semantic similarity search. Embeds your query and finds the nearest content vectors. Good for conceptual or paraphrase queries where exact keywords may not appear in the content.
+
+```python
+search_notes("how to speed up the app", search_type="vector")
+```
+
+Returns results ranked by cosine similarity. Individual observations and relations surface as first-class results, not collapsed into parent entities.
+
+### `hybrid`
+
+Combines FTS and vector results using score-based fusion. This is generally the best mode when you want both keyword precision and semantic recall.
+
+```python
+search_notes("authentication security", search_type="hybrid")
+```
+
+Score-based fusion uses the formula `max(vec, fts) + bonus * min(vec, fts)` to preserve the dominant signal while rewarding results found by both methods.
+
+### When to Use Which
+
+| Mode | Best For |
+|---|---|
+| `text` | Exact keyword matching, boolean queries, tag/category searches |
+| `vector` | Conceptual queries, paraphrase matching, exploratory searches |
+| `hybrid` | General-purpose search combining precision and recall |
+
+## The Reindex Command
+
+The `bm reindex` command rebuilds search indexes without dropping the database.
+
+```bash
+# Rebuild everything (FTS + embeddings if semantic is enabled)
+bm reindex
+
+# Only rebuild vector embeddings
+bm reindex --embeddings
+
+# Only rebuild the full-text search index
+bm reindex --search
+
+# Target a specific project
+bm reindex -p my-project
+```
+
+### When You Need to Reindex
+
+- **Upgrade note**: Migration now performs a one-time automatic embedding backfill on upgrade.
+- **Manual enable case**: If you explicitly had `semantic_search_enabled=false` and then turn it on
+- **Provider change**: After switching between `fastembed` and `openai`
+- **Model change**: After changing `semantic_embedding_model`
+- **Dimension change**: After changing `semantic_embedding_dimensions`
+
+The reindex command shows progress with embedded/skipped/error counts:
+
+```
+Project: main
+  Building vector embeddings...
+  ✓ Embeddings complete: 142 entities embedded, 0 skipped, 0 errors
+
+Reindex complete!
+```
+
+## How It Works
+
+### Chunking
+
+Each entity in the search index is split into semantic chunks before embedding:
+
+- **Headers**: Markdown headers (`#`, `##`, etc.) start new chunks
+- **Bullets**: Each bullet item (`-`, `*`) becomes its own chunk for granular fact retrieval
+- **Prose sections**: Non-bullet text is merged up to ~900 characters per chunk
+- **Long sections**: Oversized content is split with ~120 character overlap to preserve context at boundaries
+
+Each search index item type (entity, observation, relation) is chunked independently, so observations and relations are embeddable as discrete facts.
+
+### Deduplication
+
+Each chunk has a `source_hash` (SHA-256 of the chunk text). On re-sync, unchanged chunks skip re-embedding entirely. This makes incremental updates fast — only modified content triggers API calls or model inference.
+
+### Hybrid Fusion
+
+Hybrid search uses score-based fusion to merge FTS and vector results:
+
+1. Run FTS search to get keyword-ranked results; normalize scores to [0, 1]
+2. Run vector search to get similarity-ranked results (already [0, 1])
+3. For each result, compute: `fused = max(vec_score, fts_score) + 0.3 * min(vec_score, fts_score)`
+4. Sort by fused score
+
+The dominant signal (whichever source scored higher) is preserved, and dual-source agreement adds a bonus. Unlike rank-based fusion, this approach retains score magnitude — a strong vector match stays strong even without an FTS hit.
+
+### Observation-Level Results
+
+Vector and hybrid modes return individual observations and relations as first-class search results, not just parent entities. This means a search for "water temperature for brewing" can surface the specific observation about 205°F without returning the entire "Coffee Brewing Methods" entity.
+
+## Database Backends
+
+### SQLite (local)
+
+- **Vector storage**: [sqlite-vec](https://github.com/asg017/sqlite-vec) virtual table
+- **Table creation**: At runtime when semantic search is first used — no migration needed
+- **Embedding table**: `search_vector_embeddings` using `vec0(embedding float[N])` where N is the configured dimensions
+- **Chunk metadata**: `search_vector_chunks` table stores chunk text, keys, and source hashes
+
+The sqlite-vec extension is loaded per-connection. Vector tables are created lazily on first use.
+
+### Postgres (cloud)
+
+- **Vector storage**: [pgvector](https://github.com/pgvector/pgvector) with HNSW indexing
+- **Local Docker**: use `docker-compose-postgres.yml` (`pgvector/pgvector:pg17`). Plain `postgres:17` lacks the extension; run `CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS vector;` on any external instance before first migration.
+- **Chunk metadata table**: Created via Alembic migration (`search_vector_chunks` with `BIGSERIAL` primary key)
+- **Embedding table**: `search_vector_embeddings` created at runtime (dimension-dependent, same pattern as SQLite)
+- **Index**: HNSW index on the embedding column for fast approximate nearest-neighbour queries
+
+The Alembic migration creates the dimension-independent chunks table. The embeddings table and HNSW index are deferred to runtime because they depend on the configured vector dimensions.

docs/specs/SPEC-LOCAL-PLUS-PUBLISH.md

@@ -0,0 +1,225 @@
+# SPEC-LOCAL-PLUS-PUBLISH: Local+ Published Notes and Privacy Tiers
+
+**Status:** Draft  
+**Date:** 2026-02-14  
+**Owner:** Basic Memory
+
+## Summary
+
+Add a paid Local+ feature that lets users publish selected notes to shareable URLs while keeping the
+main knowledge base local-first. Use this as a product wedge for users who do not want full cloud
+hosting but do want collaboration and distribution features.
+
+This spec also captures a practical position on "zero knowledge" for Local+.
+
+## Context
+
+Basic Memory already has strong local-first primitives and optional cloud routing/sync. A recurring
+request is:
+
+- keep knowledge local by default,
+- pay for selective value-add,
+- share specific outputs externally.
+
+Published Notes fits this model: explicit per-note opt-in, reversible, and easy to understand.
+
+## Goals
+
+1. Provide an Obsidian Publish-style sharing experience for selected notes.
+2. Keep local markdown files as source of truth.
+3. Make sharing compatible with current cloud/auth/billing primitives.
+4. Define clear Local+ packaging that does not degrade OSS local workflows.
+5. Document zero-knowledge constraints so product decisions are explicit.
+
+## Non-Goals
+
+1. Full hosted editing for all notes (Cloud Full remains separate).
+2. Public website builder/CMS features.
+3. Strict cryptographic zero-knowledge server processing for MCP/search in v1.
+
+## Local+ Feature Catalog (Sellable)
+
+Core Local+ candidates:
+
+1. Published Notes (share URL, revoke, expiry, password).
+2. Snapshot Time Machine (point-in-time restore for local projects).
+3. Recovery Drill Reports (automated restore verification).
+4. Device/API Key Governance (per-device keys, revocation, audit trail).
+5. BYO Storage Orchestration (managed setup for user-owned object storage).
+6. Semantic Boost Add-on (higher quality retrieval options while files remain source-of-truth).
+
+Team-oriented add-ons:
+
+1. Team-owned shared links and domain branding.
+2. Role-based publish permissions.
+3. Shared workspace policies for what can be published.
+
+## Proposed MVP: Published Notes
+
+### User Experience
+
+Per note actions:
+
+1. Publish.
+2. Unpublish.
+3. Copy URL.
+4. Regenerate URL.
+5. Set visibility and controls.
+
+Controls:
+
+1. Visibility: `unlisted` (default) or `public`.
+2. Optional password gate.
+3. Optional expiration datetime.
+4. Optional "disable indexing" flag for public mode.
+
+Behavior:
+
+1. Source note remains local markdown.
+2. Publish is explicit opt-in per note.
+3. Unpublish removes public access immediately.
+4. Republish creates a new URL token unless user chooses to keep current URL.
+
+### URL Model
+
+1. Unlisted share URL: high-entropy token path.
+2. Public URL: slug path (optional, later phase).
+3. Team plans can support custom domain mapping in later phase.
+
+### Content Model
+
+v1 published page includes:
+
+1. Rendered markdown body.
+2. Optional metadata (title, updated_at).
+
+v1 excludes:
+
+1. Full graph traversal expansion.
+2. Related note auto-discovery on public pages.
+
+### Sync Model
+
+1. Local file remains canonical.
+2. Publish stores a rendered snapshot plus metadata in cloud.
+3. Update path:
+   - manual "update published version", or
+   - optional auto-update on note change (plan-gated).
+
+## Architecture (v1)
+
+### High-Level Flow
+
+1. Client selects a note to publish.
+2. Client sends publish request with note identifier and policy.
+3. Service resolves note content (local sync artifact or explicit upload payload).
+4. Service stores published artifact and returns share URL.
+
+### Data Model
+
+`published_notes`
+
+1. `id` (uuid)
+2. `tenant_id` or `workspace_id`
+3. `project_id`
+4. `entity_permalink` (or stable external_id)
+5. `share_token` (hashed in DB)
+6. `visibility` (`unlisted`|`public`)
+7. `password_hash` (nullable)
+8. `expires_at` (nullable)
+9. `is_active`
+10. `published_content` (rendered snapshot or reference)
+11. `published_at`
+12. `updated_at`
+
+### API Shape (Draft)
+
+1. `POST /api/published-notes`
+2. `GET /api/published-notes`
+3. `GET /api/published-notes/{id}`
+4. `PATCH /api/published-notes/{id}`
+5. `DELETE /api/published-notes/{id}` (unpublish)
+6. `POST /api/published-notes/{id}/regenerate-url`
+7. `GET /p/{token}` (public resolver)
+
+### CLI Shape (Draft)
+
+1. `bm cloud publish <identifier>`
+2. `bm cloud publish list`
+3. `bm cloud publish update <id>`
+4. `bm cloud publish unpublish <id>`
+5. `bm cloud publish rotate-url <id>`
+
+### Security
+
+1. Default to unlisted URLs.
+2. Store only hashed share tokens.
+3. Passwords hashed server-side.
+4. Enforce expiration at request time.
+5. Log publish/unpublish/rotate events for auditability.
+
+## Packaging and Pricing Direction
+
+Suggested split:
+
+1. OSS Local: no publish URLs.
+2. Local+ Solo: publish URLs + snapshots + recovery.
+3. Local+ Team: solo features + team governance and branding.
+4. Cloud Full: hosted app + full cloud workflows.
+
+Key message:
+"Keep everything local. Publish only what you choose."
+
+## Rollout Plan
+
+1. Phase 1: Unlisted publish URLs + unpublish + regenerate URL.
+2. Phase 2: Password/expiry controls.
+3. Phase 3: Auto-update on note change and basic analytics.
+4. Phase 4: Team branding/domains/policies.
+
+## Zero-Knowledge Position
+
+### Strict Zero-Knowledge Definition
+
+Strict zero-knowledge means the server cannot decrypt note content at all.
+
+### Why This Conflicts with MCP and Search
+
+If server cannot decrypt:
+
+1. MCP tool execution against cloud content cannot read/write semantic content.
+2. Full-text search cannot index plaintext content.
+3. Semantic/vector search cannot generate or query embeddings on plaintext.
+4. Server-side relation resolution and context building become severely limited.
+
+This matches earlier findings: strict zero-knowledge materially handicaps MCP-driven behavior and
+search quality.
+
+### Viable Alternatives (Not Strict Zero-Knowledge)
+
+1. Encryption at rest/in transit with server-side decrypt in trusted runtime.
+   - Preserves MCP/search quality.
+   - Not zero-knowledge cryptographically.
+
+2. Client-side retrieval mode.
+   - Keep MCP/search local; cloud is sync/share/backup relay.
+   - Best for privacy-first users.
+   - Requires local agent availability for advanced retrieval.
+
+3. Limited encrypted indexing.
+   - Blind indexes for exact keywords only.
+   - No high-quality semantic search.
+   - Usually poor UX for natural-language memory recall.
+
+### Recommendation
+
+For Local+:
+
+1. Do not promise strict zero-knowledge for cloud MCP/search paths.
+2. Offer a privacy-first local mode where advanced retrieval stays local.
+3. Clearly label tradeoffs:
+   - "Local private mode" (best privacy, best local retrieval).
+   - "Cloud-assisted mode" (best cross-device/MCP consistency, trusted-runtime decrypt).
+
+This keeps messaging honest and avoids repeating the known incompatibility.
+

docs/specs/SPEC-SCHEMA-IMPL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,368 @@
+# SPEC-SCHEMA-IMPL: Schema System Implementation Plan
+
+**Status:** Draft
+**Created:** 2025-02-06
+**Branch:** `feature/schema-system`
+**Depends on:** [SPEC-SCHEMA](SPEC-SCHEMA.md)
+
+## Overview
+
+Implementation plan for the Basic Memory Schema System. The system is entirely programmatic —
+no LLM agent runtime or API key required. The LLM already in the user's session (Claude Code,
+Claude Desktop, etc.) provides the intelligence layer by reading schema notes via existing
+MCP tools.
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│                   Entry Points                   │
+│  CLI (bm schema ...)  │  MCP (schema_validate)  │
+└──────────┬────────────┴──────────┬──────────────┘
+           │                       │
+           ▼                       ▼
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│              Schema Service Layer                │
+│  resolve_schema · validate · infer · diff        │
+└──────────┬────────────────────────┬──────────────┘
+           │                       │
+           ▼                       ▼
+┌──────────────────────┐ ┌────────────────────────┐
+│   Picoschema Parser  │ │   Note/Entity Access   │
+│  YAML → SchemaModel  │ │  (existing repository) │
+└──────────────────────┘ └────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+No new database tables. Schemas are notes with `type: schema` — they're already indexed.
+Validation reads observations and relations from existing data.
+
+## Components
+
+### 1. Picoschema Parser
+
+**Location:** `src/basic_memory/schema/parser.py`
+
+Parses Picoschema YAML into an internal representation.
+
+```python
+@dataclass
+class SchemaField:
+    name: str
+    type: str                    # string, integer, number, boolean, any, or EntityName
+    required: bool               # True unless field name ends with ?
+    is_array: bool               # True if (array) notation
+    is_enum: bool                # True if (enum) notation
+    enum_values: list[str]       # Populated for enums
+    description: str | None      # Text after comma
+    is_entity_ref: bool          # True if type is capitalized (entity reference)
+    children: list[SchemaField]  # For (object) types
+
+
+@dataclass
+class SchemaDefinition:
+    entity: str                  # The entity type this schema describes
+    version: int                 # Schema version
+    fields: list[SchemaField]    # Parsed fields
+    validation_mode: str         # "warn" | "strict" | "off"
+    frontmatter_fields: list[SchemaField]  # From settings.frontmatter (default: [])
+
+
+def parse_picoschema(yaml_dict: dict) -> list[SchemaField]:
+    """Parse a Picoschema YAML dict into a list of SchemaField objects."""
+
+
+def parse_schema_note(frontmatter: dict) -> SchemaDefinition:
+    """Parse a full schema note's frontmatter into a SchemaDefinition."""
+```
+
+**Input/Output:**
+```yaml
+# Input (YAML dict from frontmatter)
+schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+```
+
+```python
+# Output
+[
+    SchemaField(name="name", type="string", required=True, description="full name", ...),
+    SchemaField(name="role", type="string", required=False, description="job title", ...),
+    SchemaField(name="works_at", type="Organization", required=False, is_entity_ref=True, ...),
+    SchemaField(name="expertise", type="string", required=False, is_array=True, ...),
+]
+```
+
+### 2. Schema Resolver
+
+**Location:** `src/basic_memory/schema/resolver.py`
+
+Finds the applicable schema for a note using the resolution order.
+
+```python
+async def resolve_schema(
+    note_frontmatter: dict,
+    search_fn: Callable,          # injected search capability
+) -> SchemaDefinition | None:
+    """Resolve schema for a note.
+
+    Resolution order:
+    1. Inline schema (frontmatter['schema'] is a dict)
+    2. Explicit reference (frontmatter['schema'] is a string)
+    3. Implicit by type (frontmatter['type'] → schema note with matching entity)
+    4. No schema (returns None)
+    """
+```
+
+### 3. Schema Validator
+
+**Location:** `src/basic_memory/schema/validator.py`
+
+Validates a note's observations and relations against a resolved schema.
+
+```python
+@dataclass
+class FieldResult:
+    field: SchemaField
+    status: str                  # "present" | "missing" | "type_mismatch"
+    values: list[str]            # Matched observation values or relation targets
+    message: str | None          # Human-readable detail
+
+
+@dataclass
+class ValidationResult:
+    note_identifier: str
+    schema_entity: str
+    passed: bool                 # True if no errors (warnings are OK)
+    field_results: list[FieldResult]
+    unmatched_observations: dict[str, int]   # category → count
+    unmatched_relations: list[str]           # relation types not in schema
+    warnings: list[str]
+    errors: list[str]
+
+
+async def validate_note(
+    note: Note,
+    schema: SchemaDefinition,
+    frontmatter: dict | None = None,
+) -> ValidationResult:
+    """Validate a note against a schema definition.
+
+    Mapping rules:
+    - field: string              → observation [field] exists
+    - field?(array): type        → multiple [field] observations
+    - field?: EntityType         → relation 'field [[...]]' exists
+    - field?(enum): [v]          → observation [field] value ∈ enum values
+    - settings.frontmatter field → frontmatter key presence/value
+    """
+```
+
+### 4. Schema Inference Engine
+
+**Location:** `src/basic_memory/schema/inference.py`
+
+Analyzes notes of a given type and suggests a schema based on usage frequency.
+
+```python
+@dataclass
+class FieldFrequency:
+    name: str
+    source: str                  # "observation" | "relation"
+    count: int                   # notes containing this field
+    total: int                   # total notes analyzed
+    percentage: float
+    sample_values: list[str]     # representative values
+    is_array: bool               # True if typically appears multiple times per note
+    target_type: str | None      # For relations, the most common target entity type
+
+
+@dataclass
+class InferenceResult:
+    entity_type: str
+    notes_analyzed: int
+    field_frequencies: list[FieldFrequency]
+    suggested_schema: dict       # Ready-to-use Picoschema YAML dict
+    suggested_required: list[str]
+    suggested_optional: list[str]
+    excluded: list[str]          # Below threshold
+
+
+async def infer_schema(
+    entity_type: str,
+    notes: list[Note],
+    required_threshold: float = 0.95,   # 95%+ = required
+    optional_threshold: float = 0.25,   # 25%+ = optional
+) -> InferenceResult:
+    """Analyze notes and suggest a Picoschema definition."""
+```
+
+### 5. Schema Diff
+
+**Location:** `src/basic_memory/schema/diff.py`
+
+Compares current note usage against an existing schema definition.
+
+```python
+@dataclass
+class SchemaDrift:
+    new_fields: list[FieldFrequency]       # Fields not in schema but common in notes
+    dropped_fields: list[FieldFrequency]   # Fields in schema but rare in notes
+    cardinality_changes: list[str]         # one → many or many → one
+    type_mismatches: list[str]             # observation values don't match declared type
+
+
+async def diff_schema(
+    schema: SchemaDefinition,
+    notes: list[Note],
+) -> SchemaDrift:
+    """Compare a schema against actual note usage to detect drift."""
+```
+
+## Entry Points
+
+### CLI Commands
+
+**Location:** `src/basic_memory/cli/schema.py`
+
+```python
+import typer
+
+schema_app = typer.Typer(name="schema", help="Schema management commands")
+
+@schema_app.command()
+async def validate(
+    target: str = typer.Argument(None, help="Note path or entity type"),
+    strict: bool = typer.Option(False, help="Override to strict mode"),
+):
+    """Validate notes against their schemas."""
+
+@schema_app.command()
+async def infer(
+    entity_type: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Entity type to analyze"),
+    threshold: float = typer.Option(0.25, help="Minimum frequency for optional fields"),
+    save: bool = typer.Option(False, help="Save to schema/ directory"),
+):
+    """Infer schema from existing notes of a type."""
+
+@schema_app.command()
+async def diff(
+    entity_type: str = typer.Argument(..., help="Entity type to diff"),
+):
+    """Show drift between schema and actual usage."""
+```
+
+Registered as subcommand: `bm schema validate`, `bm schema infer`, `bm schema diff`.
+
+### MCP Tools
+
+**Location:** `src/basic_memory/mcp/tools/schema.py`
+
+```python
+@mcp_tool
+async def schema_validate(
+    entity_type: str | None = None,
+    identifier: str | None = None,
+    project: str | None = None,
+) -> str:
+    """Validate notes against their resolved schema."""
+
+@mcp_tool
+async def schema_infer(
+    entity_type: str,
+    threshold: float = 0.25,
+    project: str | None = None,
+) -> str:
+    """Analyze existing notes and suggest a schema definition."""
+```
+
+### API Endpoints
+
+**Location:** `src/basic_memory/api/schema_router.py`
+
+```python
+router = APIRouter(prefix="/schema", tags=["schema"])
+
+@router.post("/validate")
+async def validate_schema(...) -> ValidationReport: ...
+
+@router.post("/infer")
+async def infer_schema(...) -> InferenceResult: ...
+
+@router.get("/diff/{entity_type}")
+async def diff_schema(...) -> SchemaDrift: ...
+```
+
+MCP tools call these endpoints via the typed client pattern (consistent with existing
+architecture).
+
+## Implementation Phases
+
+### Phase 1: Parser + Resolver
+
+Build the foundation — can parse Picoschema and find schemas for notes.
+
+**Deliverables:**
+- `schema/parser.py` — Picoschema YAML → `SchemaDefinition`
+- `schema/resolver.py` — Resolution order (inline → explicit ref → implicit by type → none)
+- Unit tests for all Picoschema syntax variations
+- Unit tests for resolution order
+
+**No external dependencies.** Pure Python parsing of YAML dicts. Can develop and test
+in isolation.
+
+### Phase 2: Validator
+
+Connect schemas to notes and produce validation results.
+
+**Deliverables:**
+- `schema/validator.py` — Validate note observations/relations against schema fields
+- API endpoint: `POST /schema/validate`
+- MCP tool: `schema_validate`
+- CLI command: `bm schema validate`
+- Integration tests with real notes and schemas
+
+**Depends on:** Phase 1 (parser + resolver)
+
+### Phase 3: Inference
+
+Analyze existing notes to suggest schemas.
+
+**Deliverables:**
+- `schema/inference.py` — Frequency analysis across notes of a type
+- API endpoint: `POST /schema/infer`
+- MCP tool: `schema_infer`
+- CLI command: `bm schema infer`
+- Option to save inferred schema as a note via `write_note`
+
+**Depends on:** Phase 1 (parser for output format)
+
+### Phase 4: Diff
+
+Compare schemas against current usage.
+
+**Deliverables:**
+- `schema/diff.py` — Drift detection between schema and actual notes
+- API endpoint: `GET /schema/diff/{entity_type}`
+- CLI command: `bm schema diff`
+
+**Depends on:** Phase 1 (parser), Phase 3 (inference, for frequency analysis)
+
+## Testing Strategy
+
+- **Unit tests** (`tests/schema/`): Parser edge cases, resolution logic, validation mapping,
+  inference thresholds
+- **Integration tests** (`test-int/schema/`): End-to-end with real markdown files, schema notes
+  on disk, CLI invocation
+- Coverage target: 100% (consistent with project standard)
+
+## What This Does NOT Include
+
+- No new database tables or migrations
+- No new markdown syntax (schemas validate existing observations/relations)
+- No LLM agent runtime or API key management
+- No hook integration (deferred)
+- No schema composition/inheritance (deferred)
+- No OWL/RDF export (deferred)
+- No built-in templates (deferred)

docs/specs/SPEC-SCHEMA.md

@@ -0,0 +1,492 @@
+# SPEC-SCHEMA: Basic Memory Schema System
+
+**Status:** Draft
+**Created:** 2025-02-06
+**Branch:** `feature/schema-system`
+
+## Summary
+
+A schema system for Basic Memory that uses [Picoschema](https://genkit.dev/docs/dotprompt/)
+syntax in YAML frontmatter. Schemas validate notes against their existing observation/relation
+structure — no new data model, no migration, just a declarative lens over what's already there.
+
+## Core Principles
+
+1. **Schemas are just notes** — A schema is a note with `type: schema`, lives anywhere
+2. **Use prior art** — Picoschema syntax in YAML frontmatter, no custom notation
+3. **Validation maps to existing format** — Observations and relations, not a parallel data model
+4. **Validation is soft** — Warnings by default, not blocking errors
+5. **Inference over prescription** — Schemas describe reality, emerge from usage
+6. **No built-in agent** — Programmatic core; the LLM already in the session provides intelligence
+
+## Picoschema Syntax
+
+Picoschema is a compact schema notation from Google's Dotprompt that fits naturally in YAML
+frontmatter.
+
+### Supported Types
+
+| Type | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| `string` | Text value |
+| `integer` | Whole number |
+| `number` | Decimal number |
+| `boolean` | True/false |
+| `any` | Any scalar type |
+| `EntityName` | Reference to another entity (capitalized = entity reference) |
+
+### Syntax Rules
+
+```yaml
+schema:
+  name: string, full name                # required field with description
+  email?: string, contact email           # ? = optional
+  role?: string, job title
+  works_at?: Organization, employer       # capitalized type = entity reference
+  tags?(array): string, categories        # array of type
+  status?(enum): [active, inactive]       # enum with allowed values
+  metadata?(object):                      # nested object
+    updated_at?: string
+    source?: string
+```
+
+- `field: type` — required field
+- `field?: type` — optional field
+- `field(array): type` — array of values
+- `field?(enum): [values]` — enumeration
+- `field?(object):` — nested object with sub-fields
+- `, description` — description after comma
+- `EntityName` as type (capitalized) — reference to another entity
+
+## Schema-to-Note Mapping
+
+Schemas validate against the existing Basic Memory note format. No new syntax for note
+authors to learn.
+
+### Mapping Rules
+
+| Schema Declaration | Grounded In | Example Match |
+|--------------------|-------------|---------------|
+| `field: string` | Observation `[field] value` | `- [name] Paul Graham` |
+| `field?(array): string` | Multiple `[field]` observations | `- [expertise] Lisp` (×N) |
+| `field?: EntityType` | Relation `field [[Target]]` | `- works_at [[Y Combinator]]` |
+| `field?(array): EntityType` | Multiple `field` relations | `- authored [[Book]]` (×N) |
+| `tags` | Frontmatter `tags` array | `tags: [startups, essays]` |
+| `field?(enum): [values]` | Observation `[field] value` where value ∈ set | `- [status] active` |
+| `settings.frontmatter` field | Frontmatter key presence/value | `tags: [python, ai]` |
+
+### Key Insight
+
+Schemas don't introduce a new way to store data. They describe the patterns already present
+in observations and relations. A note doesn't have to change how it's written — the schema
+just says "a good Person note has a `[name]` observation and a `works_at` relation."
+
+## Schema Definition
+
+### As a Dedicated Schema Note
+
+```yaml
+# schema/Person.md
+---
+title: Person
+type: schema
+entity: Person
+version: 1
+schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  email?: string, contact email
+  role?: string, job title
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+settings:
+  validation: warn    # warn | strict | off
+  frontmatter:
+    tags?(array): string, note categories
+    status?(enum): [draft, review, published]
+---
+
+# Person
+
+A human individual in the knowledge graph.
+
+Any documentation about this entity type goes here as prose.
+```
+
+Schema notes are regular Basic Memory notes. They show up in search, can have their own
+observations and relations, and can be organized in any folder (though `schema/` is
+the suggested convention).
+
+### Inline Schema in a Note
+
+Notes can carry their own schema directly:
+
+```yaml
+# meetings/2024-01-15-standup.md
+---
+title: Team Standup 2024-01-15
+type: meeting
+schema:
+  attendees(array): string, who was there
+  decisions(array): string, what was decided
+  action_items(array): string, follow-ups
+  blockers?(array): string, anything stuck
+---
+
+# Team Standup 2024-01-15
+
+## Observations
+- [attendees] Paul
+- [attendees] Sarah
+- [decisions] Ship v2 by Friday
+- [action_items] Paul to review PR #42
+- [blockers] Waiting on API credentials
+```
+
+Good for one-off structured notes or prototyping a schema before extracting it.
+
+### Explicit Schema Reference
+
+A note can reference a schema by entity name or permalink:
+
+```yaml
+# projects/basic-memory.md
+---
+title: Basic Memory
+schema: SoftwareProject         # by entity name
+---
+
+# research/llm-memory-patterns.md
+---
+title: LLM Memory Patterns
+schema: schema/research-project  # by permalink
+---
+```
+
+Use cases:
+- Note's `type` differs from the schema it should validate against
+- Multiple schema variants exist for the same domain
+- Applying structure to existing notes without changing their type
+
+## Schema Resolution
+
+When validating a note, schemas resolve in priority order:
+
+```
+1. Inline schema     →  schema: { ... }        (dict in frontmatter)
+2. Explicit ref      →  schema: Person          (string in frontmatter)
+3. Implicit by type  →  type: Person            (lookup schema note with entity: Person)
+4. No schema         →  no validation           (perfectly fine)
+```
+
+```python
+async def resolve_schema(note: Note) -> Schema | None:
+    schema_value = note.frontmatter.get('schema')
+
+    # 1. Inline schema (dict)
+    if isinstance(schema_value, dict):
+        return parse_picoschema(schema_value)
+
+    # 2. Explicit reference (string)
+    if isinstance(schema_value, str):
+        schema_note = await find_schema_note(schema_value)
+        if schema_note:
+            return parse_picoschema(schema_note.frontmatter['schema'])
+
+    # 3. Implicit by type
+    note_type = note.frontmatter.get('type')
+    if note_type:
+        results = await search_notes(f"type:schema entity:{note_type}")
+        if results:
+            return parse_picoschema(results[0].frontmatter['schema'])
+
+    # 4. No schema
+    return None
+```
+
+## Validation
+
+### Modes
+
+Configured in the schema's `settings.validation`:
+
+| Mode | Behavior |
+|------|----------|
+| `off` | No validation |
+| `warn` | Warnings in output, doesn't block (default) |
+| `strict` | Errors that block sync, for CI/CD enforcement |
+
+### Validation Output
+
+For a note missing required fields:
+
+```
+$ bm schema validate people/ada-lovelace.md
+
+⚠ Person schema validation:
+  - Missing required field: name (expected [name] observation)
+  - Missing optional field: role
+  - Missing optional field: works_at (no relation found)
+
+ℹ Unmatched observations: [fact] ×2, [born] ×1
+ℹ Unmatched relations: collaborated_with
+```
+
+"Unmatched" items are informational — observations and relations the schema doesn't cover.
+They're valid. Schemas are a subset, not a straitjacket.
+
+### Frontmatter Validation
+
+Schema notes can declare validation rules for frontmatter keys under `settings.frontmatter`
+using the same Picoschema syntax as the `schema` block:
+
+```yaml
+settings:
+  validation: warn
+  frontmatter:
+    tags?(array): string
+    status?(enum): [draft, review, published]
+```
+
+- Frontmatter rules use the same Picoschema key syntax (`?` for optional, `(enum)`, `(array)`)
+- Only available on schema notes (inline schemas skip frontmatter validation)
+- Checks key presence (required vs optional) and enum value membership
+- Unmatched frontmatter keys not in the schema are silently ignored
+- Missing required frontmatter keys produce a warning (or error in strict mode)
+
+Example output for a missing required frontmatter key:
+
+```
+⚠ Person schema validation:
+  - Missing required frontmatter key: status
+```
+
+### Batch Validation
+
+```
+$ bm schema validate Person
+
+Validating 30 notes against Person schema...
+
+✓ people/paul-graham.md         — all fields present
+✓ people/rich-hickey.md         — all fields present
+⚠ people/ada-lovelace.md        — missing: name
+⚠ people/alan-kay.md            — missing: name, role
+✓ people/linus-torvalds.md      — all fields present
+...
+
+Summary: 22/30 valid, 8 warnings, 0 errors
+```
+
+## Emerging Schemas
+
+### The Problem with Traditional Schemas
+
+Most schema systems require: define schema → create conforming content → fight the schema
+when reality doesn't match. This is backwards. Knowledge grows organically.
+
+### The Basic Memory Approach
+
+```
+Write notes freely → Patterns emerge → Crystallize into schema → Validate future notes
+```
+
+### Schema Inference
+
+Generate schemas from existing notes by analyzing observation and relation frequency:
+
+```
+$ bm schema infer Person
+
+Analyzing 30 notes with type: Person...
+
+Observations found:
+  [name]        30/30  100%  → name: string
+  [role]        27/30   90%  → role?: string
+  [fact]        25/30   83%  (generic — no single field)
+  [expertise]   18/30   60%  → expertise?(array): string
+  [email]        8/30   27%  → email?: string
+  [born]         6/30   20%  (below threshold)
+
+Relations found:
+  works_at      22/30   73%  → works_at?: Organization
+  authored      11/30   37%  → authored?(array): string
+
+Suggested schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+  email?: string, contact email
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+
+Save to schema/Person.md? [y/n]
+```
+
+Frequency thresholds:
+- 100% present → required field
+- 25%+ present → optional field
+- Below 25% → excluded from suggestion (but noted)
+
+### Schema Drift Detection
+
+Track how usage patterns shift over time:
+
+```
+$ bm schema diff Person
+
+Schema drift detected:
+
++ expertise: now in 81% of notes (was 12%)
+- department: dropped to 3% of notes
+~ works_at: cardinality changed (one → many)
+
+Update schema? [y/n/review]
+```
+
+## LLM Integration (AI Guidance)
+
+No agent runtime or API key required. The LLM already in the session uses schemas as
+context for note creation.
+
+### Flow
+
+1. User asks LLM to "write a note about Rich Hickey"
+2. LLM determines `type: Person` is appropriate
+3. LLM calls `search_notes("type:schema entity:Person")` → finds schema
+4. LLM reads schema fields: required `name`, optional `role`, `works_at`, `expertise`
+5. LLM calls `write_note` with observations and relations that satisfy the schema
+
+The schema acts as a creation template. The LLM knows what a "complete" note looks like
+without any custom agent infrastructure.
+
+### MCP Tools
+
+```python
+@mcp_tool
+async def schema_validate(
+    entity_type: str | None = None,
+    identifier: str | None = None,
+    project: str | None = None,
+) -> ValidationReport:
+    """Validate notes against their resolved schema.
+
+    Validates a specific note (by identifier) or all notes of a given type.
+    Returns warnings/errors based on the schema's validation mode.
+    """
+
+@mcp_tool
+async def schema_infer(
+    entity_type: str,
+    threshold: float = 0.25,
+    project: str | None = None,
+) -> SuggestedSchema:
+    """Analyze existing notes and suggest a schema definition.
+
+    Examines observation categories and relation types across all notes
+    of the given type. Returns frequency analysis and suggested Picoschema.
+    """
+```
+
+## CLI Commands
+
+```bash
+# Validate a specific note
+bm schema validate people/ada-lovelace.md
+
+# Validate all notes of a type
+bm schema validate Person
+
+# Validate everything with a schema
+bm schema validate
+
+# Infer schema from existing notes
+bm schema infer Person
+
+# Show schema drift from current definition
+bm schema diff Person
+
+# List all schema notes
+bm search "type:schema"
+```
+
+## Examples
+
+### Complete Person Workflow
+
+**Schema:**
+```yaml
+# schema/Person.md
+---
+title: Person
+type: schema
+entity: Person
+version: 1
+schema:
+  name: string, full name
+  role?: string, job title or position
+  works_at?: Organization, employer
+  expertise?(array): string, areas of knowledge
+  email?: string, contact email
+settings:
+  validation: warn
+---
+
+# Person
+
+A human individual in the knowledge graph.
+```
+
+**Valid note:**
+```yaml
+# people/paul-graham.md
+---
+title: Paul Graham
+type: Person
+tags: [startups, essays, lisp]
+---
+
+# Paul Graham
+
+## Observations
+- [name] Paul Graham
+- [role] Essayist and investor
+- [expertise] Startups
+- [expertise] Lisp
+- [expertise] Essay writing
+- [fact] Created Viaweb, the first web app
+
+## Relations
+- works_at [[Y Combinator]]
+- authored [[Hackers and Painters]]
+```
+
+**Note with warnings:**
+```yaml
+# people/ada-lovelace.md
+---
+title: Ada Lovelace
+type: Person
+---
+
+# Ada Lovelace
+
+## Observations
+- [fact] Wrote the first computer program
+- [born] 1815
+
+## Relations
+- collaborated_with [[Charles Babbage]]
+```
+
+Validation: warns about missing required `[name]` observation. Everything else is optional
+or unmatched (which is fine).
+
+## Future Considerations (Deferred)
+
+These are interesting but out of scope for the initial implementation:
+
+- **Multiple schema inheritance** — `schema: [Person, Author]`
+- **Hook integration** — Pre-write validation via the hooks system
+- **OWL/RDF export** — `bm schema export --format owl`
+- **SPARQL queries** — Schema-aware graph queries
+- **Built-in templates** — `bm schema use gtd`, `bm schema use zettelkasten`
+- **Schema versioning/migration** — Tracking breaking changes across versions

docs/testing-coverage.md

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+## Coverage policy (practical 100%)
+
+Basic Memory’s test suite intentionally mixes:
+- unit tests (fast, deterministic)
+- integration tests (real filesystem + real DB via `test-int/`)
+
+To keep the default CI signal **stable and meaningful**, the default `pytest` coverage report targets **core library logic** and **excludes** a small set of modules that are either:
+- highly environment-dependent (OS/DB tuning)
+- inherently interactive (CLI)
+- background-task orchestration (watchers/sync runners)
+
+### What's excluded (and why)
+
+Coverage excludes are configured in `pyproject.toml` under `[tool.coverage.report].omit`.
+
+Current exclusions include:
+- `src/basic_memory/cli/**`: interactive wrappers; behavior is validated via higher-level tests and smoke tests.
+- `src/basic_memory/db.py`: platform/backend tuning paths (SQLite/Postgres/Windows), covered by integration tests and targeted runs.
+- `src/basic_memory/services/initialization.py`: startup orchestration/background tasks; covered indirectly by app/MCP entrypoints.
+- `src/basic_memory/sync/sync_service.py`: heavy filesystem↔DB integration; validated in integration suite (not enforced in unit coverage).
+
+### Recommended additional runs
+
+If you want extra confidence locally/CI:
+- **Postgres backend**: run tests with `BASIC_MEMORY_TEST_POSTGRES=1`.
+- **Strict backend-complete coverage**: run coverage on SQLite + Postgres and combine the results (recommended).
+
+

installer/README.md

@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-# Basic Memory Installer
-
-This installer configures Basic Memory to work with Claude Desktop.
-
-## Installation
-
-1. Download the latest installer from the [releases page](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/releases)
-2. Unzip the downloaded file
-3. Since the app is currently unsigned, you'll need to:
-   - Right-click (or Control-click) the app
-   - Select "Open" from the context menu
-   - Click "Open" in the warning dialog
-4. Follow the installation instructions
-5. Restart Claude Desktop
-
-The warning only appears the first time you open the app. Future updates will include proper code signing.

installer/icon.svg

@@ -1,64 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<svg viewBox="0 0 512 512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
-  <!-- Background -->
-  <rect x="0" y="0" width="512" height="512" rx="64" fill="#111111"/>
-
-  <!-- Define arrowhead marker -->
-  <defs>
-    <marker id="arrowhead" 
-            markerWidth="10" 
-            markerHeight="10" 
-            refX="8" 
-            refY="5"
-            orient="auto">
-      <path d="M 0 0 L 10 5 L 0 10 Z" 
-            fill="#00cc00"/>
-    </marker>
-  </defs>
-  
-  <!-- State 1 (initial) -->
-  <circle cx="156" cy="256" r="30" fill="none" stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="3"/>
-  
-  <!-- State 2 (accept) -->
-  <circle cx="356" cy="176" r="34" fill="none" stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="3"/>
-  <circle cx="356" cy="176" r="28" fill="none" stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="3"/>
-  
-  <!-- State 3 (accept) -->
-  <circle cx="356" cy="336" r="34" fill="none" stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="3"/>
-  <circle cx="356" cy="336" r="28" fill="none" stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="3"/>
-
-  <!-- Initial arrow -->
-  <path d="M 96 256 L 126 256" 
-        stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="3" fill="none"
-        marker-end="url(#arrowhead)"/>
-
-  <!-- State transitions -->
-  <!-- 1 -> 2 -->
-  <path d="M 180 240
-           Q 260 200, 320 176" 
-        stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="3" fill="none"
-        marker-end="url(#arrowhead)"/>
-        
-  <!-- 1 -> 3 -->
-  <path d="M 180 272
-           Q 260 312, 320 336" 
-        stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="3" fill="none"
-        marker-end="url(#arrowhead)"/>
-
-  <!-- Self loops -->
-  <path d="M 356 142
-           Q 396 142, 396 176
-           Q 396 210, 356 210
-           Q 316 210, 316 176
-           Q 316 142, 356 142" 
-        stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="2" fill="none"
-        marker-end="url(#arrowhead)"/>
-        
-  <path d="M 356 302
-           Q 396 302, 396 336
-           Q 396 370, 356 370
-           Q 316 370, 316 336
-           Q 316 302, 356 302" 
-        stroke="#00cc00" stroke-width="2" fill="none"
-        marker-end="url(#arrowhead)"/>
-</svg>

installer/installer.py

@@ -1,89 +0,0 @@
-import json
-import subprocess
-import sys
-from pathlib import Path
-
-# Use tkinter for GUI alerts on macOS
-if sys.platform == "darwin":
-    import tkinter as tk
-    from tkinter import messagebox
-
-def ensure_uv_installed():
-    """Check if uv is installed, install if not."""
-    try:
-        subprocess.run(["uv", "--version"], capture_output=True, check=True)
-    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, FileNotFoundError):
-        print("Installing uv package manager...")
-        subprocess.run(
-            [
-                "curl",
-                "-LsSf",
-                "https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh",
-                "|",
-                "sh",
-            ],
-            shell=True,
-        )
-
-
-def get_config_path():
-    """Get Claude Desktop config path for current platform."""
-    if sys.platform == "darwin":
-        return Path.home() / "Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json"
-    elif sys.platform == "win32":
-        return Path.home() / "AppData/Roaming/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json"
-    else:
-        raise RuntimeError(f"Unsupported platform: {sys.platform}")
-
-
-def update_claude_config():
-    """Update Claude Desktop config to include basic-memory."""
-    config_path = get_config_path()
-    config_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-
-    # Load existing config or create new
-    if config_path.exists():
-        config = json.loads(config_path.read_text())
-    else:
-        config = {"mcpServers": {}}
-
-    # Add/update basic-memory config
-    config["mcpServers"]["basic-memory"] = {"command": "uvx", "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]}
-
-    # Write back config
-    config_path.write_text(json.dumps(config, indent=2))
-
-
-def print_completion_message():
-    """Show completion message with helpful tips."""
-    message = """Installation complete! Basic Memory is now available in Claude Desktop.
-
-Please restart Claude Desktop for changes to take effect.
-
-Quick Start:
-1. You can run sync directly using: uvx basic-memory sync
-2. Optionally, install globally with: uv pip install basic-memory
-
-Built with ♥️ by Basic Machines."""
-
-    if sys.platform == "darwin":
-        # Show GUI message on macOS
-        root = tk.Tk()
-        root.withdraw()  # Hide the main window
-        messagebox.showinfo("Basic Memory", message)
-        root.destroy()
-    else:
-        # Fallback to console output
-        print(message)
-
-
-def main():
-    print("Welcome to Basic Memory installer")
-    ensure_uv_installed()
-    print("Configuring Claude Desktop...")
-    update_claude_config()
-    print_completion_message()
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    main()

installer/make_icons.sh

@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# Convert SVG to PNG at various required sizes
-rsvg-convert -h 16 -w 16 icon.svg > icon_16x16.png
-rsvg-convert -h 32 -w 32 icon.svg > icon_32x32.png
-rsvg-convert -h 128 -w 128 icon.svg > icon_128x128.png
-rsvg-convert -h 256 -w 256 icon.svg > icon_256x256.png
-rsvg-convert -h 512 -w 512 icon.svg > icon_512x512.png
-
-# Create iconset directory
-mkdir -p Basic.iconset
-
-# Move files into iconset with Mac-specific names
-cp icon_16x16.png Basic.iconset/icon_16x16.png
-cp icon_32x32.png Basic.iconset/icon_16x16@2x.png
-cp icon_32x32.png Basic.iconset/icon_32x32.png
-cp icon_128x128.png Basic.iconset/icon_32x32@2x.png
-cp icon_256x256.png Basic.iconset/icon_128x128.png
-cp icon_512x512.png Basic.iconset/icon_256x256.png
-cp icon_512x512.png Basic.iconset/icon_512x512.png
-
-# Convert iconset to icns
-iconutil -c icns Basic.iconset
-
-# Clean up
-rm -rf Basic.iconset
-rm icon_*.png

installer/setup.py

@@ -1,51 +0,0 @@
-from cx_Freeze import setup, Executable
-import sys
-
-# Build options for all platforms - keep it simple and don't exclude too much
-build_exe_options = {
-    "packages": ["json", "pathlib"],
-    "excludes": [
-        "unittest", 
-        "pydoc",
-        "test"
-    ],
-    # Prevent duplication across dirs
-    "bin_includes": [],
-    "bin_excludes": [],
-    "zip_include_packages": ["*"],
-    "zip_exclude_packages": [],
-}
-
-# Platform-specific options
-if sys.platform == "win32":
-    base = "Win32GUI"  # Use GUI base for Windows
-    build_exe_options.update({
-        "include_msvcr": True,  # Include Visual C++ runtime
-    })
-    target_name = "Basic Memory Installer.exe"
-else:  # darwin
-    base = None  # Don't use GUI base for macOS
-    target_name = "Basic Memory Installer"
-
-executables = [
-    Executable(
-        script="installer.py",
-        target_name=target_name,
-        base=base,
-        icon="Basic.icns"
-    )
-]
-
-setup(
-    name="basic-memory",
-    version=open("../pyproject.toml").read().split('version = "', 1)[1].split('"', 1)[0],
-    description="Basic Memory - Local-first knowledge management",
-    options={
-        "build_exe": build_exe_options,
-        "bdist_mac": {
-            "bundle_name": "Basic Memory Installer",
-            "iconfile": "Basic.icns"
-        }
-    },
-    executables=executables,
-)

integrations/hermes/.coveragerc

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[run]
+source = .
+omit =
+    tests/*
+    tests/**/*
+
+[report]
+fail_under = 85
+show_missing = True

integrations/hermes/.github/workflows/integration.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+name: integration
+
+# Heavier than test.yml — installs the real `basic-memory` CLI via uv, runs
+# every bm_* tool against a live `bm mcp` subprocess. Catches BM-API drift
+# (e.g., a bm release renaming a tool argument) before our users see it.
+concurrency:
+  group: hbm-integration-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  integration:
+    name: Integration tests (real bm + mcp)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        # No cache (no uv.lock to key off — see test.yml comment).
+        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v3
+
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
+        # basic-memory itself requires 3.12+; the bm install needs that.
+        # Hermes-runtime compatibility (3.11) is covered by test.yml.
+        run: uv python install 3.12
+
+      - name: Install basic-memory CLI via uv
+        run: |
+          uv tool install basic-memory
+          # uv puts entry-point shims under ~/.local/bin
+          echo "$HOME/.local/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
+
+      - name: Verify bm is on PATH
+        run: |
+          which bm
+          bm --version
+
+      - name: Run integration tests
+        env:
+          BM_INTEGRATION: "1"
+        run: |
+          uv run --with pytest --with mcp --python 3.12 pytest tests/test_integration.py -v

integrations/hermes/.github/workflows/pr-title.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+name: pr-title
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, edited, synchronize]
+
+jobs:
+  semantic-pr-title:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: amannn/action-semantic-pull-request@v5
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        with:
+          # Conventional-commit types we accept in PR titles + commit subjects.
+          types: |
+            feat
+            fix
+            chore
+            docs
+            style
+            refactor
+            perf
+            test
+            build
+            ci
+          # Single-file plugin — no real submodule structure. We don't require
+          # a scope, but if a contributor uses one we accept these:
+          scopes: |
+            core
+            tests
+            ci
+            docs
+            deps
+          requireScope: false
+          requireScopeForBreakingChange: true

integrations/hermes/.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+name: release
+
+# Manual trigger: Actions → release → Run workflow. Always runs against main
+# (the workflow validates GITHUB_REF). Steps:
+#   1. Compute the new version from the `version` input (patch/minor/major
+#      or explicit semver). The *current* version is read from the latest
+#      git tag (`v*.*.*`) — NOT from __init__.py. This is robust to PRs that
+#      pre-bump __init__.py: the bump always runs from the last released
+#      version, not from whatever the working files happen to say.
+#   2. Update __version__ in __init__.py and version in plugin.yaml to match
+#      the new tag — bringing the files in sync if a PR pre-bumped them.
+#   3. Commit as `chore(release): vX.Y.Z`, tag, push to main + push the tag.
+#   4. Publish a GitHub Release. Body is the matching `## [X.Y.Z]` block from
+#      CHANGELOG.md when present; otherwise auto-generated release notes.
+#
+# Recommended flow: land a PR that adds a `## [X.Y.Z]` section to CHANGELOG.md
+# first, then run this workflow with the matching version so the release notes
+# are the hand-written changelog instead of commit-message-derived notes.
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version:
+        description: "Version bump (`patch`, `minor`, `major`) or explicit semver (`0.3.0`)"
+        required: true
+        default: "patch"
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+concurrency:
+  group: release-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  release:
+    name: Tag and Publish GitHub Release
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Validate trigger is main
+        run: |
+          if [ "$GITHUB_REF" != "refs/heads/main" ]; then
+            echo "::error::release must run against main. Got $GITHUB_REF"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Compute new version
+        id: bump
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          VERSION_INPUT="${{ github.event.inputs.version }}"
+
+          # Current = latest released tag (sort by version, descending; pick
+          # the first v*.*.* tag). NOT __init__.py — a PR may have pre-bumped
+          # the version files, and we don't want to double-bump on top of
+          # that. The bump is computed from the last *released* version.
+          LAST_TAG=$(git tag --list 'v*.*.*' --sort=-v:refname | head -1 || true)
+          if [ -z "$LAST_TAG" ]; then
+            # First release in the repo. Seed with 0.0.0 so a `patch` bump
+            # yields v0.0.1, `minor` yields v0.1.0, `major` yields v1.0.0.
+            # Explicit semver inputs bypass the seed entirely.
+            CURRENT="0.0.0"
+            echo "No prior v*.*.* tag found; seeding current=0.0.0"
+          else
+            CURRENT="${LAST_TAG#v}"
+            echo "Latest released tag: $LAST_TAG (current=$CURRENT)"
+          fi
+
+          if [[ "$VERSION_INPUT" =~ ^(patch|minor|major)$ ]]; then
+            IFS=. read -r MAJ MIN PAT <<< "$CURRENT"
+            case "$VERSION_INPUT" in
+              major) MAJ=$((MAJ + 1)); MIN=0; PAT=0 ;;
+              minor) MIN=$((MIN + 1)); PAT=0 ;;
+              patch) PAT=$((PAT + 1)) ;;
+            esac
+            NEW="${MAJ}.${MIN}.${PAT}"
+          elif [[ "$VERSION_INPUT" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+            NEW="$VERSION_INPUT"
+          else
+            echo "::error::Invalid version input: '$VERSION_INPUT'"
+            echo "::error::Use patch|minor|major or explicit X.Y.Z"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          if [ "$NEW" = "$CURRENT" ]; then
+            echo "::error::New version equals last released ($NEW). Pick a different version."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          # Sanity check: refuse if __init__.py is already ahead of the
+          # version we're about to ship. Catches the "PR bumped to 0.5.0 but
+          # workflow was asked for a patch that would land 0.1.8" foot-gun
+          # before it overwrites the files.
+          FILE_VERSION=$(grep -E '^__version__ = ' __init__.py \
+            | sed -E 's/^__version__ = "([^"]+)".*/\1/')
+          if [ -n "$FILE_VERSION" ] && [ "$FILE_VERSION" != "$CURRENT" ] && [ "$FILE_VERSION" != "$NEW" ]; then
+            echo "::error::__init__.py reports version $FILE_VERSION, but the release would ship $NEW (last tag: $CURRENT)."
+            echo "::error::Reconcile by picking a version input that matches __init__.py, or roll __init__.py back to $CURRENT."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo "New version: $NEW"
+          echo "current=$CURRENT" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "version=$NEW" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "tag=v$NEW" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Refuse if tag already exists
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          TAG="${{ steps.bump.outputs.tag }}"
+          if git rev-parse --verify "refs/tags/$TAG" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "::error::Tag $TAG already exists locally. Pick a different version."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if git ls-remote --tags origin "$TAG" | grep -q "refs/tags/$TAG$"; then
+            echo "::error::Tag $TAG already exists on origin. Pick a different version."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Update version files
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          NEW="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}"
+          sed -i -E "s/^__version__ = \"[^\"]+\"/__version__ = \"${NEW}\"/" __init__.py
+          sed -i -E "s/^version: .*/version: ${NEW}/" plugin.yaml
+
+          # Verify both files changed and that the new version is present.
+          grep -q "^__version__ = \"${NEW}\"" __init__.py
+          grep -q "^version: ${NEW}$" plugin.yaml
+
+          echo "--- diff ---"
+          git --no-pager diff -- __init__.py plugin.yaml
+
+      - name: Configure Git identity
+        run: |
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+
+      - name: Commit and tag
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          TAG="${{ steps.bump.outputs.tag }}"
+          git add __init__.py plugin.yaml
+          if git diff --cached --quiet; then
+            # PR already bumped the files to the target version. Tag the
+            # existing HEAD rather than creating an empty release commit.
+            echo "Version files already at ${TAG}; tagging current HEAD."
+          else
+            git commit -m "chore(release): ${TAG}"
+          fi
+          git tag -a "${TAG}" -m "${TAG}"
+
+      - name: Push commit and tag
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          # HEAD push is a no-op when nothing was committed in this run.
+          git push origin HEAD:main
+          git push origin "${{ steps.bump.outputs.tag }}"
+
+      - name: Extract CHANGELOG section for this version
+        id: changelog
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          VERSION="${{ steps.bump.outputs.version }}"
+          # Pull lines between `## [VERSION]` and the next `## [` heading.
+          SECTION=$(awk -v ver="$VERSION" '
+            $0 ~ "^## \\[" ver "\\]" { found=1; next }
+            found && /^## \[/ { exit }
+            found { print }
+          ' CHANGELOG.md)
+          if [ -z "$SECTION" ]; then
+            echo "::warning::No CHANGELOG.md section found for v${VERSION} — falling back to auto-generated release notes."
+            echo "has_section=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "has_section=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            {
+              echo 'body<<EOF_CHANGELOG'
+              echo "$SECTION"
+              echo 'EOF_CHANGELOG'
+            } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Create GitHub Release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        with:
+          tag_name: ${{ steps.bump.outputs.tag }}
+          name: ${{ steps.bump.outputs.tag }}
+          body: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.body }}
+          generate_release_notes: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.has_section == 'false' }}
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

integrations/hermes/.github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+name: tests
+
+# Cancel an in-progress run when a new commit lands on the same branch — the
+# latest result is the one we care about.
+concurrency:
+  group: hbm-tests-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+on:
+  # Branch pushes already cover PRs (the PR branch tip is what's being tested),
+  # so we don't run the matrix twice for the same commit on push + pull_request.
+  push:
+
+jobs:
+  unit:
+    name: Unit tests (Python ${{ matrix.python-version }})
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        # 3.11 is the runtime Hermes itself ships on today; 3.12-3.14 cover
+        # forward-compat for whenever Hermes upgrades.
+        python-version: ["3.11", "3.12", "3.13", "3.14"]
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install uv
+        # No `enable-cache: true` — the action's default cache key globs for
+        # `uv.lock`, which we don't ship (we use `uv run --with` instead of
+        # `uv sync`). Without a lock file the cache step errors out.
+        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v3
+
+      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        run: uv python install ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+
+      - name: Run unit tests
+        run: uv run --with pytest --python ${{ matrix.python-version }} pytest -q

integrations/hermes/.gitignore

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+__pycache__/
+*.pyc
+.venv/
+.DS_Store
+.pytest_cache/
+*.egg-info/

integrations/hermes/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+# Changelog
+
+All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
+
+The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/), and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
+
+## [0.3.2] — 2026-05-23
+
+### Fixed
+- **Let Basic Memory v0.21.3 self-route workspace-qualified identifiers and URLs.** Hermes no longer injects its configured default project into `bm_read`, `bm_edit`, `bm_delete`, `bm_move`, or `bm_context` calls when the identifier/URL is already workspace-qualified, such as `personal/main/...`, `memory://personal/main/...`, or an organization workspace slug with a 32-character hash suffix. This preserves Basic Memory Cloud's workspace-aware routing while keeping the existing default-project behavior for short/local identifiers.
+
+## [0.3.1] — 2026-05-16
+
+### Changed
+- **Documented the Hermes Agent v0.14.0-compatible `/bm-*` slash-command monkeypatch.** `MONKEYPATCH.md` now distinguishes the plugin's runtime version from the Hermes Agent-side compatibility patch: plugin `v0.3.0` remains the correct runtime release for Hermes Agent `v0.13.x`, while Hermes Agent `v0.14.0` still needs the updated two-part core patch so gateway startup command discovery loads the active exclusive memory provider and the memory-provider collector delegates `register_command` / `register_skill`.
+- **Clarified install guidance for users and agents.** The README known-issue section now points Hermes `v0.13.x` and `v0.14.0` users at the compatibility matrix in `MONKEYPATCH.md`, so agents do not mistake a plugin update for the required Hermes Agent core patch.
+
+### Notes
+- This is a documentation/compatibility-instructions release only. It does not change the plugin runtime code or Basic Memory data behavior. The plugin remains backward-compatible with Hermes Agent `v0.13.x`; the new documentation explains how to patch Hermes Agent `v0.14.0` until the upstream Hermes fix ships.
+
+## [0.3.0] — 2026-05-12
+
+### Added
+- **Per-call project routing on every `bm_*` tool.** All eight tools now accept optional `project` (name) and `project_id` (UUID from `bm_projects`) parameters. The agent can write or read against a project other than the Hermes-configured one — useful when the user asks to write into a different cloud project (e.g. a personal `main` project) without reconfiguring the plugin. `project_id` takes precedence over `project`; both fall back to the configured default when omitted. Workspace routing is handled transparently by BM via `project_id` — no separate workspace parameter is needed.
+- **`bm_projects` and `bm_workspaces` agent tools.** Promotes the discovery logic previously available only as `/bm-project` and `/bm-workspace` slash commands to agent-facing tools. `bm_projects` returns JSON with `name` and `external_id` (UUID) per project so the agent can hand the UUID to `bm_write` / `bm_read` / etc. via `project_id` — the unambiguous form across cloud workspaces. `bm_workspaces` lists BM Cloud workspaces (name, type, role, default flag). Together with per-call routing, these unblock the workflow Drew's friction note flagged: agent picks the right project + workspace before writing, instead of silently operating against the active Hermes memory project.
+- **SKILL.md cross-project workflow** documenting the discovery → route → write → verify recipe end-to-end. Adds a "Permalinks" section covering the three canonical shapes (short, project-qualified, workspace-qualified) and the round-trip property where `bm_write`'s returned permalink self-routes for follow-up reads. A "Cross-project routing" section explains `project` (including workspace-qualified syntax like `"personal/main"`) vs `project_id` and when to use each. Also backfills `bm_recent` documentation (the tool shipped in 0.2.0 but the skill hadn't been updated).
+- **SKILL.md "Further reading" section** linking to the official docs at [docs.basicmemory.com](https://docs.basicmemory.com), with raw-markdown URLs (`/raw/<path>.md`) the agent can `WebFetch` on demand for deeper material — knowledge format, observations & relations, memory URL wildcards, semantic search, cloud routing, BM's full MCP tool surface, and the `llms.txt` sitemap.
+
+### Notes
+- Addresses the routing, discovery, and documentation gaps in the real-world note "Hermes Basic Memory Cloud Task Experience." A proposed `bm_import` tool was evaluated and dropped — `read_file` + `bm_write` already composes the same operation with no new capability, at the cost of one more tool in the surface.
+- The slash commands `/bm-project` and `/bm-workspace` still exist and behave identically — they continue to call `list_memory_projects` / `list_workspaces` directly via the actor. No behavior change for human use.
+
+## [0.2.0] — 2026-05-11
+
+### Added
+- **Plugin-owned `/bm-*` slash commands** for CLI/gateway sessions. Eight commands give humans direct memory-graph access without going through the agent: `/bm-search`, `/bm-read`, `/bm-context`, `/bm-recent`, `/bm-status`, `/bm-remember`, `/bm-project`, `/bm-workspace`. Closes #2.
+- **`bm_recent` tool** wrapping BM's `recent_activity`. Surfaces notes updated within a timeframe (`7d` default, accepts natural language like `"2 weeks"` or `"yesterday"`). Agent-facing and reused by `/bm-recent`.
+- **`remember_folder` config key** (default `"bm-remember"`). Separate from `capture_folder` so manual captures via `/bm-remember` don't intermix with auto-generated session transcripts. Notes are tagged `manual-capture` for further disambiguation.
+
+### Fixed
+- **`ctx.register_skill(...)` was silently no-opping since 0.1.5** in real Hermes installs. Hermes loads memory-provider plugins through a stripped-down `_ProviderCollector` context (`plugins/memory/__init__.py`) that captures only `register_memory_provider`; `register_skill` and `register_command` are not delegated. The plugin now writes directly to `PluginManager._plugin_commands` and `_plugin_skills`, matching the entry shape and name normalization `PluginContext.register_command` / `register_skill` produce. This makes both the new slash commands and the bundled SKILL.md work in current Hermes installs. The clean fix lives upstream — a small patch to teach `_ProviderCollector` to delegate — and once that lands, the reach-in becomes a redundant double-write of identical entries. Forward-compat `ctx.register_command` / `ctx.register_skill` calls remain in place for the future code path.
+
+### Notes
+- `/bm-remember` derives the title from the first non-empty line of the input, trimmed to 80 chars; falls back to `Note YYYY-MM-DD HHMM UTC`.
+- `/bm-workspace` short-circuits in local mode with a one-line explanation. Workspaces are a BM Cloud concept.
+- Mid-session project/workspace switching is intentionally not supported in 0.2.0 — auto-capture would land in unexpected places. Tracked as a follow-up.
+
+## [0.1.7] — 2026-05-10
+
+### Changed
+- **Stronger nudge in `system_prompt_block()`** to steer agents toward the `bm_*` tools instead of shelling out to `bm` CLI. Pre-v0.1.7 the prompt listed the tools neutrally; given Claude/Hermes models' heavy training-data exposure to `bm tool ...` CLI patterns, neutral language wasn't enough — agents reached for the shell by reflex, paying 1-2s of cold-start per call instead of ~0.1s through our persistent MCP connection. New prompt is explicit (**"Use the `bm_*` tools below directly — do not shell out to the `bm` CLI"**) and gives a one-line latency rationale so the model has a reason to follow it.
+- `SKILL.md` mirrors the directive with a "Use `bm_*`, not the `bm` CLI" section + a tool-vs-CLI table.
+
+### Added
+- Regression test `test_system_prompt_block_steers_away_from_cli` locks in the directive language so future prompt edits don't accidentally weaken it.
+
+## [0.1.6] — 2026-05-10
+
+### Fixed
+- **`bm_*` tools were never registered with Hermes's `MemoryManager._tool_to_provider`.** `get_tool_schemas()` was gated on `self._initialized`, but Hermes captures the schema list at *register* time — before `initialize()` runs. The gate caused every session to start with zero tools registered for our provider, so every LLM-issued `bm_search` (and friends) returned `"Unknown tool: bm_search"` from MemoryManager's dispatch. Symptoms were asymmetric: prefetch (recall injection) worked because it's invoked per-turn after init, but tool calls didn't. Schemas are static — they now return unconditionally, with `handle_tool_call()` doing the runtime "is the actor ready?" gate.
+- Regression test pins this so we don't reintroduce it: `test_get_tool_schemas_unconditional` asserts `get_tool_schemas()` returns all 7 schemas on a fresh, uninitialized provider.
+
+## [0.1.5] — 2026-05-10
+
+### Added
+- Bundled `SKILL.md` is now auto-registered via `ctx.register_skill("basic-memory", ...)` during plugin load. No more manual symlink to `~/.hermes/skills/`. The skill is opt-in (resolvable via `skill:view basic-memory:basic-memory`); always-on agent guidance still flows through `system_prompt_block()`.
+
+### Changed
+- README rewritten for community install. Lead command is now `hermes plugins install basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory`. Clone-and-symlink instructions moved to the Development section.
+- Added GitHub Actions CI: unit tests on push and PR.
+- Added this CHANGELOG.
+
+## [0.1.4] — 2026-05-10
+
+### Added
+- `_uv_binary_path()` and `_install_bm_via_uv()`. When `bm` is missing from the host, the plugin runs `uv tool install basic-memory --quiet` once at first `initialize()`. The bm binary lands at `~/.local/bin/bm` — the same canonical path a manual `uv tool install basic-memory` produces, so subsequent manual installs are no-ops rather than creating a second install.
+- 8 new unit tests covering `is_available()` with bm/uv combinations, the install subprocess (success / non-zero exit / OSError / no-uv), and `initialize()` install-or-not branching.
+
+### Changed
+- `is_available()` now returns `True` when **either** `bm` is on disk **or** `uv` is on disk (we can install the missing CLI ourselves).
+- README's prerequisites section: dropped manual basic-memory install requirement; added the one-time ~10s cold-start note.
+
+## [0.1.3] — 2026-05-10
+
+### Fixed
+- README's cloud-mode section described the wrong setup (`bm project add ... --cloud --local-path` + `bm cloud bisync`), which gives a local-mode project with file-level cloud sync rather than true cloud routing. Replaced with `bm project set-cloud <name> --workspace <name>`, which flips the project to `ProjectMode.CLOUD` so tool calls route over HTTPS to `<cloud_host>/proxy` directly. No local files involved.
+- Documented OAuth / API-key auth options, and the `--workspace` requirement when the user belongs to multiple BM Cloud workspaces.
+
+## [0.1.2] — 2026-05-10
+
+### Changed
+- `_default_project()`: `"hermes-memory"` (was `"hermes-{hostname}"`).
+- `_default_project_path()`: `~/hermes-memory/` (was `~/.basic-memory/hermes/`). The previous path violated the principle that `~/.basic-memory/` is reserved for BM's app state, not project storage.
+
+### Added
+- `_bm_known_projects()` reads bm's `~/.basic-memory/config.json`. `BasicMemoryProvider._verify_project_registered()` uses it to refuse initialization when `mode: cloud` is set against a project that isn't registered with bm. Local mode still auto-creates as before.
+- 13 new unit tests for the introspection + bail-out paths.
+
+## [0.1.1] — 2026-05-10
+
+### Added
+- `tests/test_actor.py` — 15 tests covering `_BmMcpActor` lifecycle, call dispatch, timeout-with-cancellation, idempotent shutdown.
+- `tests/test_capture.py` — 25 tests for `sync_turn` (first-write + append paths), `on_session_end` summary shape, and gating.
+- `tests/test_prefetch.py` — 25 tests for `prefetch` / `queue_prefetch` / `_format_prefetch` including forward-compat with unknown response fields.
+- `tests/test_integration.py` — 12 gated tests exercising every tool against a real `bm` MCP server (`BM_INTEGRATION=1` + `bm` + `mcp`). Each session uses a throwaway BM project that's torn down on completion.
+
+### Changed
+- `_BmMcpActor.call` now refuses calls after `shutdown()` (sets `_running=False`) and cancels the underlying coroutine on timeout instead of leaking it.
+- `_format_prefetch` defensively coerces non-string fields and skips non-dict entries.
+- Added module-level `__version__`, kept in sync with `plugin.yaml` (verified by a test).
+
+## [0.1.0] — 2026-05-10
+
+### Added
+- Initial release of the Hermes Memory Provider plugin for Basic Memory.
+- Seven `bm_*` agent tools: `bm_search`, `bm_read`, `bm_write`, `bm_edit`, `bm_context`, `bm_delete`, `bm_move`.
+- Per-turn capture (`sync_turn`) and end-of-session summary (`on_session_end`).
+- Local mode (default) with auto-created BM project; cloud mode with project-name-based routing.
+- Single-file plugin at `__init__.py`, AGPL-3.0-or-later.
+- 84-test pytest suite.
+
+[0.3.2]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.3.2
+[0.3.1]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.3.1
+[0.3.0]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.3.0
+[0.2.0]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.2.0
+[0.1.7]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.1.7
+[0.1.6]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.1.6
+[0.1.5]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.1.5
+[0.1.4]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.1.4
+[0.1.3]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.1.3
+[0.1.2]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.1.2
+[0.1.1]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.1.1
+[0.1.0]: https://github.com/basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory/releases/tag/v0.1.0

integrations/hermes/LICENSE

@@ -0,0 +1,661 @@
+                    GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
+                       Version 3, 19 November 2007
+
+ Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <https://fsf.org/>
+ Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
+ of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
+
+                            Preamble
+
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+software and other kinds of works, specifically designed to ensure
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integrations/hermes/MONKEYPATCH.md

@@ -0,0 +1,269 @@
+# Hermes slash-command monkeypatch
+
+This document describes the Hermes Agent-side patch needed when `/bm-*` slash commands do not appear in the gateway even though the Basic Memory provider itself is installed and working.
+
+This issue is tracked upstream in https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/issues/23603
+
+Agents may use this file as a guide to add support for `/bm-*` slash commands in Hermes Agent builds that do not yet include the upstream fix.
+
+## Current status and compatibility
+
+This is a **Hermes Agent-side** compatibility patch, not a Basic Memory plugin runtime patch.
+
+| Hermes Agent version | Basic Memory plugin version | Guidance |
+|---|---:|---|
+| `v0.13.x` | `v0.3.0` | Plugin `v0.3.0` remains the right runtime release. If `/bm-*` commands are missing, use the Hermes Agent-side monkeypatch below or wait for the upstream Hermes fix. |
+| `v0.14.0` / `v2026.5.16` | `v0.3.1` docs, runtime still equivalent to `v0.3.0` | The plugin runtime still works, but Hermes Agent `v0.14.0` still does **not** include the upstream slash-command discovery fix. Use the v0.14.0-compatible Hermes Agent-side patch below. |
+| Future Hermes release with upstream fix | Latest plugin | Do **not** apply this monkeypatch unless `/bm-*` commands are still absent; the fix should be redundant once Hermes loads active exclusive memory-provider commands during command discovery. |
+
+Checked against Hermes Agent `v2026.5.16` / `v0.14.0` on 2026-05-16: the upstream Hermes release still does **not** include this fix. After applying the Hermes Agent-side patch below locally, `get_plugin_commands()` returns the expected `/bm-*` commands.
+
+Important nuance: recent `hermes-basic-memory` versions include a best-effort PluginManager reach-in that registers commands when the provider is loaded. That workaround alone is not enough for gateway startup discovery in affected Hermes builds, because `get_plugin_commands()` does not load the active exclusive memory provider. The Hermes Agent-side patch is still needed until upstream command discovery loads the active memory provider and the memory-provider collector delegates command/skill registration.
+
+Release/tagging note for agents: `v0.3.1` is a documentation release that clarifies Hermes Agent `v0.14.0` compatibility instructions. It does not require users on Hermes Agent `v0.13.x` to change plugin runtime behavior, and it should not be interpreted as a Basic Memory data/schema migration.
+
+## Problem
+
+`hermes-basic-memory` is an **exclusive memory-provider plugin**. Hermes loads exclusive memory providers through `plugins.memory`, not through the normal `PluginManager` discovery path.
+
+Gateway adapters register native slash commands during startup by calling Hermes's plugin command discovery APIs. In affected Hermes builds, that startup path only sees commands registered by normal plugins. The active memory provider has not been loaded yet, and the memory-provider loader uses a collector that captures only `register_memory_provider(...)`. As a result, commands registered by this plugin with `ctx.register_command(...)` never reach the central plugin command registry before Discord/native slash-command sync.
+
+Symptoms:
+
+- `hermes memory status` shows `Provider: basic-memory` and `Status: available`.
+- Agent tools such as `bm_search`, `bm_read`, and `bm_recent` work.
+- Native slash commands such as `/bm-search`, `/bm-read`, and `/bm-context` are missing after `hermes gateway restart`.
+
+## Target behavior
+
+When Hermes builds its plugin command list, it should also load the configured active memory provider once, allowing that provider to register commands and skills into the same central registries used by ordinary plugins.
+
+After the patch, `get_plugin_commands()` should include commands such as:
+
+```text
+bm-context
+bm-project
+bm-read
+bm-recent
+bm-remember
+bm-search
+bm-status
+bm-workspace
+```
+
+## Files to patch in Hermes Agent
+
+Patch these files in the Hermes Agent repository, not in this plugin repository:
+
+```text
+hermes_cli/plugins.py
+plugins/memory/__init__.py
+```
+
+Recommended tests to add/update in Hermes Agent:
+
+```text
+tests/hermes_cli/test_plugin_cli_registration.py
+tests/hermes_cli/test_plugins.py
+```
+
+## Implementation outline
+
+### 1. Load active memory-provider commands from `get_plugin_commands()`
+
+In `hermes_cli/plugins.py`, add module-level idempotency/recursion guards near the global plugin manager:
+
+```python
+_plugin_manager: Optional[PluginManager] = None
+_memory_provider_command_loads: set[str] = set()
+_memory_provider_command_loading = False
+```
+
+Update `get_plugin_commands()` so it first ensures normal plugin discovery, then best-effort loads the active memory provider before returning the command registry:
+
+```python
+def get_plugin_commands() -> Dict[str, dict]:
+    """Return the full plugin commands dict (name → {handler, description, plugin}).
+
+    Triggers idempotent plugin discovery so callers can use plugin commands
+    before any explicit discover_plugins() call. Also initializes the active
+    memory provider once so exclusive memory-provider plugins can contribute
+    gateway slash commands during startup discovery.
+    """
+    manager = _ensure_plugins_discovered()
+    _ensure_active_memory_provider_commands_loaded()
+    return manager._plugin_commands
+```
+
+Add the helper:
+
+```python
+def _ensure_active_memory_provider_commands_loaded() -> None:
+    """Best-effort load of the active memory provider's slash commands."""
+    global _memory_provider_command_loading
+    if _memory_provider_command_loading:
+        return
+    try:
+        from plugins import memory as memory_plugins
+
+        active = memory_plugins._get_active_memory_provider()
+        if not active or active in _memory_provider_command_loads:
+            return
+        _memory_provider_command_loading = True
+        try:
+            memory_plugins.load_memory_provider(active)
+            _memory_provider_command_loads.add(active)
+        finally:
+            _memory_provider_command_loading = False
+    except Exception as exc:
+        logger.debug(
+            "Failed to load active memory-provider plugin commands: %s",
+            exc,
+            exc_info=_PLUGINS_DEBUG,
+        )
+```
+
+Notes:
+
+- This must be best-effort; command discovery should not break Hermes startup if a memory provider is misconfigured.
+- The recursion guard prevents `load_memory_provider(...)` → provider `register(...)` → `ctx.register_command(...)` → plugin manager access from re-entering endlessly.
+- The load set prevents duplicate provider command registration work.
+
+### 2. Make the memory-provider collector delegate commands and skills
+
+In `plugins/memory/__init__.py`, import `Callable`:
+
+```python
+from typing import Callable, List, Optional, Tuple
+```
+
+When loading a provider directory, pass the plugin/provider name to the collector:
+
+```python
+collector = _ProviderCollector(plugin_name=name)
+```
+
+Replace the collector that only captures `register_memory_provider(...)` with a plugin-context shim that also delegates `register_command(...)` and `register_skill(...)` into the central `PluginManager` registries:
+
+```python
+class _ProviderCollector:
+    """Plugin-context shim used while loading memory providers.
+
+    Memory providers are exclusive plugins and are loaded by this module
+    instead of the general PluginManager. They still need access to the same
+    slash-command and skill registries as normal plugins, otherwise active
+    memory-provider commands are invisible during gateway startup discovery.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, plugin_name: str = "memory-provider"):
+        self.provider = None
+        self.plugin_name = plugin_name
+
+    def register_memory_provider(self, provider):
+        self.provider = provider
+
+    def register_command(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        handler: Callable,
+        description: str = "",
+        args_hint: str = "",
+    ) -> None:
+        """Register a memory-provider slash command with PluginManager."""
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.plugins import _ensure_plugins_discovered
+        except Exception:
+            return
+
+        clean = name.lower().strip().lstrip("/").replace(" ", "-")
+        if not clean:
+            return
+
+        try:
+            manager = _ensure_plugins_discovered()
+        except Exception:
+            return
+
+        plugin_commands = getattr(manager, "_plugin_commands", None)
+        if plugin_commands is None:
+            return
+        plugin_commands[clean] = {
+            "handler": handler,
+            "description": description or "Plugin command",
+            "plugin": self.plugin_name,
+            "args_hint": (args_hint or "").strip(),
+        }
+
+    def register_skill(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        path: Path,
+        description: str = "",
+    ) -> None:
+        """Register a memory-provider skill with PluginManager."""
+        try:
+            from agent.skill_utils import _NAMESPACE_RE
+            from hermes_cli.plugins import _ensure_plugins_discovered
+        except Exception:
+            return
+
+        if ":" in name or not name or not _NAMESPACE_RE.match(name):
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid skill name '{name}'.")
+        if not path.exists():
+            raise FileNotFoundError(f"SKILL.md not found at {path}")
+
+        try:
+            manager = _ensure_plugins_discovered()
+        except Exception:
+            return
+
+        plugin_skills = getattr(manager, "_plugin_skills", None)
+        if plugin_skills is None:
+            return
+        plugin_skills[f"{self.plugin_name}:{name}"] = {
+            "path": path,
+            "plugin": self.plugin_name,
+            "bare_name": name,
+            "description": description,
+        }
+```
+
+Keep existing no-op methods such as `register_tool(...)` and `register_cli_command(...)` as no-ops unless the target Hermes version expects otherwise.
+
+## Verification
+
+From the Hermes Agent repository, run focused compile/tests:
+
+```bash
+python -m py_compile hermes_cli/plugins.py plugins/memory/__init__.py
+python -m pytest \
+  tests/hermes_cli/test_plugins.py::TestPluginCommands::test_get_plugin_commands_loads_active_memory_provider_commands \
+  tests/hermes_cli/test_plugin_cli_registration.py::TestProviderCollectorRegistration \
+  -q -o 'addopts='
+```
+
+Then verify the active config sees the Basic Memory commands:
+
+```bash
+python - <<'PY'
+import hermes_cli.plugins as p
+p._plugin_manager = None
+p._memory_provider_command_loads.clear()
+cmds = p.get_plugin_commands()
+print(sorted(k for k in cmds if k.startswith('bm-')))
+PY
+```
+
+Expected output:
+
+```text
+['bm-context', 'bm-project', 'bm-read', 'bm-recent', 'bm-remember', 'bm-search', 'bm-status', 'bm-workspace']
+```
+
+Finally restart the gateway so native slash commands are synced:
+
+```bash
+hermes gateway restart
+```
+
+For Discord, global command propagation can lag briefly. If the commands do not show immediately, type `/bm` directly or reload the Discord client.

integrations/hermes/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+# hermes-basic-memory
+
+[![License: AGPL v3](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-AGPL_v3-blue.svg)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0)
+
+Hermes Memory Provider plugin that gives [Hermes Agent](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent) a persistent knowledge graph backed by [Basic Memory](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory).
+
+The plugin replaces Hermes's "no external memory provider" with a real graph: search-before-answer recall, per-turn capture, end-of-session summaries, and ten `bm_*` tools the agent can call directly. Local mode by default; one CLI flip switches to true cloud routing through Basic Memory Cloud.
+
+## Install
+
+```bash
+hermes plugins install basicmachines-co/basic-memory --path integrations/hermes
+```
+
+Then activate it in `~/.hermes/config.yaml`:
+
+```yaml
+memory:
+  provider: basic-memory
+```
+
+If you run the gateway, restart it (`hermes gateway restart`). Done.
+
+If your installed Hermes build does not support `--path`, use the final deprecated `basicmachines-co/hermes-basic-memory` pointer release until Hermes subpath installs are available. Ongoing development now lives in [`basic-memory/integrations/hermes`](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/tree/main/integrations/hermes).
+
+The plugin self-installs the `basic-memory` CLI on first init via `uv tool install basic-memory` (one-time ~10s pause if it isn't already present). The bm binary lands at `~/.local/bin/bm` — the same location a manual `uv tool install basic-memory` would produce, so a later manual install or upgrade is a no-op rather than a second install.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- [Hermes Agent](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent)
+- [`uv`](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) on PATH (used for the bootstrap install)
+- The `mcp` Python package in the Hermes venv. If `hermes plugins install` doesn't auto-install it (it follows `pip_dependencies` in `plugin.yaml`), run:
+  ```bash
+  uv pip install --python ~/.hermes/hermes-agent/venv/bin/python mcp
+  ```
+
+### Verify
+
+```bash
+hermes memory status
+```
+
+Expected:
+```
+  Provider:  basic-memory
+  Plugin:    installed ✓
+  Status:    available ✓
+```
+
+## What the agent gets
+
+Ten tools (curated subset of Basic Memory's MCP surface):
+
+| Tool | Use |
+|---|---|
+| `bm_search` | Semantic + full-text search; **call this before answering** |
+| `bm_read` | Fetch a note by title, permalink, or `memory://` URL |
+| `bm_write` | Create a new note (capture decisions, meeting notes, insights) |
+| `bm_edit` | Append, prepend, find/replace, replace-section |
+| `bm_context` | Navigate via `memory://` URLs to find related notes |
+| `bm_delete` | Delete a note |
+| `bm_move` | Move a note to a different folder |
+| `bm_recent` | List notes updated recently (default `7d`; accepts natural-language timeframes) |
+| `bm_projects` | List available projects with their UUIDs (for cross-project routing) |
+| `bm_workspaces` | List Basic Memory Cloud workspaces |
+
+Every read/write tool also accepts optional `project` / `project_id` for per-call routing — write or read against a project other than the configured one without reconfiguring the plugin.
+
+Plus automatic capture:
+- **Per turn**: every user/assistant exchange appends to a running session-transcript note
+- **End of session**: a separate summary note is written, linked back to the transcript via a `summary_of` relation
+
+A bundled skill (`skill:view basic-memory:basic-memory`) gives the agent a longer reference doc on top of the always-on `system_prompt_block`.
+
+## Slash commands
+
+For direct, in-session use without going through the agent (requires Hermes ≥ v0.11.0):
+
+| Command | Use |
+|---|---|
+| `/bm-search <query>` | Search the knowledge graph; returns compact title/permalink/preview rows. |
+| `/bm-read <identifier>` | Read a note by title, permalink, or `memory://` URL. |
+| `/bm-context <identifier>` | Build context for a note (target + related). |
+| `/bm-recent [timeframe]` | Recently updated notes. Default `7d`; accepts `"2 weeks"`, `"yesterday"`, etc. |
+| `/bm-status` | Plugin/provider state: mode, project, capture flags, bm CLI path. |
+| `/bm-remember <text>` | Capture a quick note. Title = first line (≤80 chars), folder = `remember_folder` (default `bm-remember`), tagged `manual-capture`. |
+| `/bm-project` | List all known projects; the active one is marked. |
+| `/bm-workspace` | List BM Cloud workspaces. Cloud mode only — prints an explanatory line in local mode. |
+
+Examples:
+
+```text
+/bm-search Q3 OKRs
+/bm-read decisions/auth-rewrite
+/bm-recent yesterday
+/bm-remember Reminder: switch the staging job to the new image after the rebase lands.
+```
+
+`/bm-project` and `/bm-workspace` are read-only in 0.2.0 — mid-session switching is intentionally not supported because auto-capture would otherwise land in the wrong place. Tracked as a follow-up.
+
+### Known issue: `/bm-*` commands may not appear in some Hermes gateway builds
+
+Plugin v0.2.0 and later register the commands above, but some Hermes Agent gateway builds do not discover slash commands contributed by an **exclusive memory-provider plugin** during startup. The symptoms are:
+
+- the memory tools work for the agent (`bm_search`, `bm_read`, etc.);
+- `hermes memory status` shows `Provider: basic-memory` and `Status: available`; but
+- Discord/native slash command pickers do not show `/bm-search`, `/bm-read`, `/bm-context`, and the other `/bm-*` commands after `hermes gateway restart`.
+
+This is a Hermes Agent plugin-discovery issue, not a Basic Memory runtime issue. It is tracked upstream in [NousResearch/hermes-agent#23603](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/issues/23603). Updating the Basic Memory plugin alone cannot fix affected gateway startup discovery; Hermes Agent itself must include or receive the compatibility patch. Until the upstream Hermes fix is available in your installed Hermes version, use one of these workarounds:
+
+1. apply the Hermes Agent-side patch described in [MONKEYPATCH.md](MONKEYPATCH.md), which includes compatibility notes for Hermes Agent v0.13.x and v0.14.0; or
+2. use the agent tools directly (`bm_search`, `bm_read`, `bm_recent`, etc.) instead of native slash commands.
+
+After applying an updated or patched Hermes build, restart the gateway so Discord/native slash commands are re-synced:
+
+```bash
+hermes gateway restart
+```
+
+If Discord still does not show the commands immediately, type `/bm` directly or reload the Discord client; global command propagation can lag briefly.
+
+## Configuration
+
+Defaults are reasonable for local use:
+
+| Key | Default | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| `mode` | `local` | `local` (in-process) or `cloud` (route through BM Cloud API) |
+| `project` | `hermes-memory` | BM project name |
+| `project_path` | `~/hermes-memory/` | Local mode only — where session notes land |
+| `capture_folder` | `hermes-sessions` | Folder within the project for session notes |
+| `capture_per_turn` | `true` | Append every turn to a session transcript |
+| `capture_session_end` | `true` | Write a summary note when the session ends |
+| `remember_folder` | `bm-remember` | Folder where `/bm-remember` captures land (kept separate from session transcripts) |
+
+To override, write `~/.hermes/basic-memory.json` or run `hermes memory setup basic-memory`:
+
+```json
+{
+  "mode": "local",
+  "project": "hermes-memory",
+  "project_path": "~/hermes-memory/",
+  "capture_per_turn": true,
+  "capture_session_end": true,
+  "capture_folder": "hermes-sessions",
+  "remember_folder": "bm-remember"
+}
+```
+
+In local mode the plugin auto-creates the BM project on first init via `bm project add`. In cloud mode it doesn't — you create the cloud-routed project yourself (see below) and the plugin verifies it's registered before initializing.
+
+### Cloud mode
+
+When `mode: cloud`, tool calls route directly through the BM cloud API — no local file mirror, no bisync. You set this up once with the BM CLI:
+
+```bash
+# Authenticate (OAuth) or save an API key
+bm cloud login                     # OAuth — interactive
+# OR for headless/automation:
+bm cloud create-key "hermes"
+bm cloud set-key bmc_...
+
+# Create the project, then flip it to cloud routing.
+# --workspace is required if you belong to more than one workspace
+# (otherwise BM auto-resolves the only one available).
+bm project add hermes-memory-cloud
+bm project set-cloud hermes-memory-cloud --workspace Personal
+
+# Point the plugin at it
+cat > ~/.hermes/basic-memory.json <<EOF
+{
+  "mode": "cloud",
+  "project": "hermes-memory-cloud",
+  "capture_per_turn": true,
+  "capture_session_end": true,
+  "capture_folder": "hermes-sessions"
+}
+EOF
+
+hermes gateway restart
+```
+
+Tool calls now route from `bm mcp` → `<cloud_host>/proxy` over HTTPS using your OAuth token (or API key). Notes never touch local disk.
+
+**Don't confuse cloud mode with `bm cloud bisync`.** Bisync is rclone-style two-way file sync between a *local* project and cloud storage, intended for keeping local working copies. For agent-driven capture you want true cloud routing (`set-cloud`), not bisync.
+
+## Updating / removing
+
+```bash
+hermes plugins update basic-memory
+hermes plugins remove basic-memory     # then revert memory.provider in config.yaml
+```
+
+## Foot-guns
+
+- **`<memory-context>` tags in notes**: Hermes's streaming output scrubber strips literal `<memory-context>...</memory-context>` blocks from assistant text. If a note contains those tags and the assistant echoes the body verbatim, the echoed copy gets eaten mid-stream. Tool results inbound are unaffected. Avoid those tags in BM notes; if you must include them, fence in a code block.
+- **Single external provider**: Hermes accepts only one external memory provider at a time. Activating basic-memory displaces any other.
+- **CLI cold start**: `hermes -z ...` invocations spawn `bm mcp` per run (~2-5s). Long-running gateway sessions amortize this.
+- **Multiple cloud workspaces**: if your BM Cloud account belongs to more than one workspace, `bm project set-cloud` must be invoked with `--workspace <name>`. Otherwise tool calls fail with "Multiple workspaces are available".
+
+## Development
+
+The plugin is a single-file Python module at `__init__.py`. The Hermes plugin loader expects `register(ctx)` and grep-detects either `register_memory_provider` or `MemoryProvider` in the file.
+
+For local development (point Hermes at your working tree instead of going through `hermes plugins install`):
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory ~/code/basic-memory
+mkdir -p ~/.hermes/plugins
+ln -snf ~/code/basic-memory/integrations/hermes ~/.hermes/plugins/basic-memory
+```
+
+### Running tests
+
+```bash
+# From the monorepo root
+just package-check-hermes
+
+# Or from integrations/hermes
+just check
+
+# Unit tests (fast, hermetic — no Hermes or bm required)
+uv run --with pytest pytest
+
+# Integration tests (gated — exercise every tool against a real bm MCP server)
+BM_INTEGRATION=1 uv run --with pytest --with mcp pytest tests/test_integration.py
+```
+
+The unit suite stubs out Hermes-internal imports (`agent.memory_provider`, `tools.registry`) so it runs without a Hermes install. `mcp` is optional at unit-test time — its absence just makes `is_available()` return False, which the tests verify.
+
+Integration tests require `BM_INTEGRATION=1`, `bm` CLI on PATH, and `mcp` Python package importable. Each session creates a unique throwaway BM project (under `tempfile.mkdtemp`) and removes it on teardown, so they never touch your real BM projects.
+
+## License
+
+AGPL-3.0-or-later, matching [basic-memory](https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory). See [LICENSE](LICENSE).

integrations/hermes/justfile

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Basic Memory Hermes plugin checks
+
+repo_root := "../.."
+
+# Validate plugin.yaml, module entrypoint, bundled skill, and test layout.
+manifest-check:
+    python3 {{repo_root}}/scripts/validate_hermes_plugin.py .
+
+# Unit tests are hermetic and do not require a Hermes install.
+test:
+    uv run --no-project --with pytest --with pytest-cov --python 3.12 pytest -q --cov=. --cov-report=term-missing
+
+# Gated integration test against a real bm MCP server.
+test-int:
+    BM_INTEGRATION=1 uv run --no-project --with pytest --with mcp --python 3.12 pytest tests/test_integration.py -q
+
+# Full local check.
+check: manifest-check test
+
+# Show available recipes
+default:
+    @just --list

integrations/hermes/plugin.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+name: basic-memory
+version: 0.3.2
+description: "Basic Memory — persistent knowledge graph backed by the basic-memory MCP server"
+pip_dependencies:
+  - mcp
+hooks:
+  - prefetch
+  - queue_prefetch
+  - sync_turn
+  - on_session_end
+  - shutdown

integrations/hermes/pytest.ini

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[pytest]
+testpaths = tests
+addopts = -ra
+pythonpath =
+    .
+    tests/stubs
+filterwarnings =
+    ignore::DeprecationWarning

integrations/hermes/requirements-dev.txt

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pytest>=7.0

integrations/hermes/skill/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,242 @@
+---
+name: basic-memory
+description: Use the Basic Memory knowledge graph for persistent memory across sessions. Search before answering; capture decisions, meetings, and insights as notes.
+category: memory
+---
+
+# Basic Memory Knowledge Graph
+
+You have access to a persistent knowledge graph backed by Basic Memory. The graph survives across sessions and is shared with other tools (Claude Desktop, Obsidian, the `bm` CLI). Use the `bm_*` tools below to recall and capture information.
+
+## Use `bm_*`, not the `bm` CLI
+
+**Always invoke the `bm_*` tools directly. Do not shell out to the `bm` CLI for note operations.**
+
+The `bm_*` tools route through a persistent MCP connection — roughly 0.1 seconds per call. Running `bm` from the shell spawns a fresh Python process per call (1-2 seconds of cold-start every time) and bypasses Hermes's automatic per-turn capture, so the session-transcript and summary notes won't reflect what you did.
+
+The CLI is fine when you genuinely need a feature these wrappers don't expose (rare). Otherwise, prefer:
+
+| Use case | Tool (not CLI) |
+|---|---|
+| Search the graph | `bm_search` |
+| Read a note | `bm_read` |
+| Create / update a note | `bm_write` / `bm_edit` |
+| Navigate relations | `bm_context` |
+| Move / delete | `bm_move` / `bm_delete` |
+| What's been touched lately | `bm_recent` |
+| List available projects | `bm_projects` |
+| List cloud workspaces | `bm_workspaces` |
+
+## Tool reference
+
+### `bm_search` — search the graph
+Use **before** answering questions about prior decisions, projects, meetings, or anything that might already be documented.
+
+```
+bm_search({ query: "auth strategy decision", limit: 5 })
+```
+
+### `bm_read` — fetch a note's full content
+After search shows a relevant note, read it for context.
+
+```
+bm_read({ identifier: "decisions/auth-strategy" })
+bm_read({ identifier: "memory://projects/api-redesign" })
+```
+
+### `bm_context` — navigate via memory:// URLs
+Returns the target note plus related notes via traversed relations.
+
+```
+bm_context({ url: "memory://projects/api-redesign", depth: 1 })
+```
+
+### `bm_write` — capture new knowledge
+When the user shares a decision, meeting outcome, or insight worth keeping, capture it. Use clear titles and a folder.
+
+```
+bm_write({
+  title: "API Authentication Decision",
+  folder: "decisions",
+  content: "# API Authentication\n\n## Context\n...\n\n## Decision\n..."
+})
+```
+
+Recommended folders: `projects/`, `decisions/`, `meetings/`, `concepts/`, `weekly/`.
+
+### `bm_edit` — incremental updates
+Operations: `append`, `prepend`, `find_replace` (requires `find_text`), `replace_section` (requires `section`).
+
+```
+bm_edit({
+  identifier: "projects/api-redesign",
+  operation: "append",
+  content: "\n## Update 2026-05-09\nDeployed to staging."
+})
+```
+
+### `bm_delete` / `bm_move` — maintenance
+Use sparingly. `bm_move` takes `new_folder`.
+
+### `bm_recent` — what's been touched lately
+Returns notes updated within a window. Use when there's no specific query yet — e.g. "what was I working on yesterday?"
+
+```
+bm_recent({ timeframe: "7d" })
+bm_recent({ timeframe: "yesterday", limit: 20 })
+bm_recent({ timeframe: "2 weeks", type: "entity" })
+```
+
+`timeframe` accepts natural language (`"yesterday"`, `"2 weeks"`, `"last month"`) or compact forms (`"7d"`, `"24h"`). Default is `7d`.
+
+### `bm_projects` — list available projects
+Returns name, workspace slug, and `external_id` (UUID) per project across local and cloud. Call this when the user names a project that isn't the active one. Route follow-up tool calls either by workspace-qualified name (`project: "personal/main"`) or by UUID (`project_id: "bf2a4c1e-d77f-..."`) — see Cross-project routing below.
+
+```
+bm_projects()
+```
+
+### `bm_workspaces` — list BM Cloud workspaces
+Workspaces are a BM Cloud concept. Returns name, type, role, and default flag. Pair with `bm_projects` when the same project name might exist in more than one workspace and you need to disambiguate.
+
+```
+bm_workspaces()
+```
+
+## Permalinks
+
+A permalink is the canonical, URL-friendly identifier for a note. Three shapes exist; the read/write tools accept all of them:
+
+| Shape | Example | When |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Short** | `decisions/auth-strategy` | Bare `folder/note-slug`. Tools need a `project` (or `project_id`) arg to route — the permalink alone isn't enough. |
+| **Project-qualified** | `main/decisions/auth-strategy` | `project-name/folder/note-slug`. Carries enough context to route without a separate `project` arg. |
+| **Workspace-qualified** | `personal/main/decisions/auth-strategy` | `workspace-slug/project-name/folder/note-slug`. Fully routes, including across cloud workspaces with same-named projects. |
+
+**Important: the permalink returned by `bm_write` already encodes the routing it needs for follow-up reads.** If you wrote with `project="personal/main"`, you get back `personal/main/folder/note-slug` and can call `bm_read({ identifier: <that permalink> })` with no `project` arg. The permalink self-routes.
+
+`memory://` URLs follow the same shapes: `memory://personal/main/decisions/auth-strategy` is valid. The `memory://` prefix is optional for `bm_read` (any of the three permalink shapes works directly); `bm_context` expects the prefix.
+
+## Cross-project routing
+
+Every read/write tool (`bm_search`, `bm_read`, `bm_write`, `bm_edit`, `bm_context`, `bm_delete`, `bm_move`, `bm_recent`) accepts optional `project` and `project_id`:
+
+- `project` — project name, optionally workspace-qualified. Plain (`"main"`) when the name is globally unique; qualified (`"personal/main"`, `"team-paul/research"`) when you need to pick a specific cloud workspace by slug.
+- `project_id` — UUID from `bm_projects` (`external_id` field). The most stable identifier — survives project renames and works across workspaces without qualification. Wins over `project` if both are passed.
+
+Omit both and the call uses the Hermes-configured active project.
+
+```
+# Plain project name (unique)
+bm_write({ title: "...", folder: "...", content: "...", project: "main" })
+
+# Workspace-qualified name (disambiguates same-named projects across workspaces)
+bm_write({ title: "...", folder: "...", content: "...", project: "personal/main" })
+
+# UUID (most stable, survives renames)
+bm_write({ title: "...", folder: "...", content: "...", project_id: "bf2a4c1e-d77f-..." })
+```
+
+`bm_projects` and `bm_workspaces` themselves do **not** take routing — they list across everything.
+
+## Recipe: writing an existing file into a specific project
+
+When the user asks something like *"save this markdown file to my personal `main` project, return the permalink"*:
+
+1. **Discover the project.** Call `bm_projects()` and find the entry matching the user's described project + workspace. You can route by either the workspace-qualified name (`personal/main`) or the UUID (`external_id`).
+
+   ```
+   bm_projects()
+   # → [{name: "main", external_id: "bf2a4c1e-d77f-4b7a-9c3e-5d8a1f0e2b6d", workspace: "Personal", ...}, ...]
+   ```
+
+   If a project name appears in multiple workspaces, use `bm_workspaces()` to confirm which slug you want.
+
+2. **Read the file from disk.** Use Hermes's filesystem tool (not a `bm_*` tool — local files aren't in the graph yet).
+
+3. **Write the note with explicit routing.** Either form works; the workspace-qualified name reads cleaner in logs, the UUID is more durable.
+
+   ```
+   bm_write({
+     title: "StartWithDrew Level 9 Task Queue",
+     folder: "startwithdrew",
+     content: <file body>,
+     project: "personal/main"
+   })
+   # → returns "personal/main/startwithdrew/start-with-drew-level-9-task-queue"
+   # (the returned permalink is workspace-qualified — carries its own routing)
+   ```
+
+4. **Verify by reading back.** No `project` arg needed — the workspace-qualified permalink routes itself.
+
+   ```
+   bm_read({ identifier: "personal/main/startwithdrew/start-with-drew-level-9-task-queue" })
+   ```
+
+Return the permalink (and the project name for clarity) to the user.
+
+## When to use each tool
+
+| Situation | Tool |
+|---|---|
+| User asks about a topic that might already be documented | `bm_search` first, then `bm_read` |
+| User exposes a decision, plan, or meeting outcome | offer to `bm_write` |
+| Updating prior work | `bm_edit` (append for time-ordered logs, replace_section for living docs) |
+| Exploring related concepts | `bm_context` |
+| "What was I working on yesterday?" / no specific query yet | `bm_recent` |
+| User names a project that isn't the active one | `bm_projects` → call read/write tool with `project: "workspace/name"` or `project_id: "<uuid>"` |
+| Same project name might exist in multiple workspaces | `bm_projects` (+ `bm_workspaces` if needed) → route with workspace-qualified `project` or `project_id` |
+| Following up on a freshly-written note | Use the returned permalink directly — it already encodes the routing |
+
+## Note structure
+
+BM treats `- [category]` lines as **observations** and WikiLink lines under `## Relations` as **relations**. Categories (`[decision]`, `[insight]`, `[risk]`, `[fact]`, `[todo]`, …) and relation types (`relates_to`, `implements`, `depends_on`, `blocks`, …) are open-ended — use what fits the content. YAML frontmatter is supported with `title`, `type`, `tags`, and `permalink` as standard fields; any custom fields are allowed. See the [knowledge format docs](https://docs.basicmemory.com/raw/concepts/knowledge-format.md) for the full convention.
+
+```markdown
+# Clear Title
+
+## Context
+Background and current situation.
+
+## Key Points
+- Main insights
+- Important details
+
+## Observations
+- [decision] We chose PostgreSQL for ACID guarantees
+- [insight] Users prefer social login
+- [risk] Deployment lacks rollback path
+
+## Relations
+- relates_to [[Other Note Title]]
+- depends_on [[Database Choice]]
+
+## Next Steps
+- [ ] Implement
+- [ ] Document
+```
+
+## Behavior guidelines
+
+1. **Search before answering.** If the user asks "what did we decide about X?", run `bm_search` first.
+2. **Offer to capture.** When the user shares decisions or meeting outcomes, ask: "Should I save this as a note?"
+3. **Suggest connections.** When a search returns related notes, surface them so the user knows what already exists.
+4. **Don't over-capture.** Auto-capture is already running per turn. Don't create a `bm_write` for every response — only for substantive content the user wants preserved.
+5. **Sensitive info.** Don't capture credentials or personal data without confirmation.
+
+## Footgun
+
+If a note's body contains literal `<memory-context>...</memory-context>` tags, Hermes's streaming output scrubber will eat those tags (and the text between paired ones) when you echo the note verbatim back to the user. Tool *inputs* are unaffected. If you must include such content, fence it in a code block.
+
+## Further reading
+
+Official docs live at [docs.basicmemory.com](https://docs.basicmemory.com). Every page has an AI-friendly raw markdown view at `/raw/<path>.md` (or send `Accept: text/markdown` to the canonical URL). `WebFetch` any of these when you need detail beyond what this skill covers:
+
+- **[Knowledge format](https://docs.basicmemory.com/raw/concepts/knowledge-format.md)** — observation categories, relation types, frontmatter conventions.
+- **[Observations & relations](https://docs.basicmemory.com/raw/concepts/observations-and-relations.md)** — how notes form a graph that's searchable and traversable.
+- **[Memory URLs](https://docs.basicmemory.com/raw/concepts/memory-urls.md)** — title-based addressing, wildcards (`memory://docs/*`), and routing resolution order.
+- **[Projects & folders](https://docs.basicmemory.com/raw/concepts/projects-and-folders.md)** — multi-project layout, folder organization, cloud routing behavior.
+- **[Semantic search](https://docs.basicmemory.com/raw/concepts/semantic-search.md)** — how `bm_search` resolves queries (semantic + full-text).
+- **[MCP tools reference](https://docs.basicmemory.com/raw/reference/mcp-tools-reference.md)** — Basic Memory's full MCP surface (the `bm_*` tools here are a curated subset).
+- **[Cloud routing](https://docs.basicmemory.com/raw/cloud/routing.md)** — local vs cloud project modes, per-project routing setup.
+- **[llms.txt index](https://docs.basicmemory.com/llms.txt)** — full sitemap of raw markdown pages, useful when you need to look up a page not listed above.

integrations/hermes/tests/conftest.py

@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+"""
+Pytest configuration: stub Hermes-internal imports so the plugin loads
+without a Hermes install, and expose the loaded plugin module as a fixture.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import importlib.util
+import json
+import os
+import sys
+import types
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def _stub_hermes_modules() -> None:
+    """
+    The plugin imports `agent.memory_provider.MemoryProvider` and
+    `tools.registry.tool_error`. These are provided by Hermes at runtime,
+    not as a pip-installable package. Stub them before module load so unit
+    tests don't need Hermes installed.
+    """
+    agent_mod = types.ModuleType("agent")
+    agent_mp_mod = types.ModuleType("agent.memory_provider")
+
+    class _StubMemoryProvider:
+        """Stand-in for `agent.memory_provider.MemoryProvider`."""
+
+    agent_mp_mod.MemoryProvider = _StubMemoryProvider
+    sys.modules.setdefault("agent", agent_mod)
+    sys.modules.setdefault("agent.memory_provider", agent_mp_mod)
+
+    tools_mod = types.ModuleType("tools")
+    tools_registry_mod = types.ModuleType("tools.registry")
+
+    def _tool_error(msg: str) -> str:
+        return json.dumps({"error": str(msg)})
+
+    tools_registry_mod.tool_error = _tool_error
+    sys.modules.setdefault("tools", tools_mod)
+    sys.modules.setdefault("tools.registry", tools_registry_mod)
+
+
+_stub_hermes_modules()
+
+
+_PLUGIN_PATH = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__)), "__init__.py")
+_spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("hermes_basic_memory_plugin", _PLUGIN_PATH)
+assert _spec is not None and _spec.loader is not None
+_plugin = importlib.util.module_from_spec(_spec)
+_spec.loader.exec_module(_plugin)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def bm():
+    """The loaded plugin module."""
+    return _plugin
+
+
+# ---- Synthetic MCP CallToolResult objects (no MCP SDK needed at test time) ----
+
+
+class FakeContent:
+    """Stand-in for `mcp.types.TextContent`."""
+
+    def __init__(self, text: str):
+        self.text = text
+
+
+class FakeCallToolResult:
+    """Stand-in for `mcp.types.CallToolResult`."""
+
+    def __init__(self, content_texts, is_error: bool = False):
+        self.content = [FakeContent(t) for t in content_texts]
+        self.isError = is_error
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def fake_result():
+    return FakeCallToolResult
+
+
+# ---- Actor test helpers ----
+
+
+class FakeSession:
+    """
+    Stand-in for `mcp.ClientSession`. `call_tool` is an async coroutine
+    that records every call and returns a configurable CallToolResult.
+
+    - default_response: dict serialized to JSON in the result text
+    - hang: when True, call_tool sleeps long enough to force a client-side timeout
+    - is_error: when True, return value has isError=True
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, default_response=None, hang: bool = False, is_error: bool = False):
+        self.default_response = default_response if default_response is not None else {"ok": True}
+        self.hang = hang
+        self.is_error = is_error
+        self.calls: list = []
+        self.was_cancelled = False
+        self._stub_handlers: dict = {}
+
+    def stub(self, tool_name: str, handler):
+        """Register a per-tool handler. Handler receives (args) and returns a response dict (or raises)."""
+        self._stub_handlers[tool_name] = handler
+
+    async def call_tool(self, name: str, args: dict):
+        self.calls.append((name, dict(args)))
+        if self.hang:
+            try:
+                import asyncio as _a
+
+                await _a.sleep(60)
+            except BaseException as e:
+                # Track cooperative cancellation so tests can verify cleanup
+                if type(e).__name__ in ("CancelledError",):
+                    self.was_cancelled = True
+                raise
+        if name in self._stub_handlers:
+            response = self._stub_handlers[name](args)
+        else:
+            response = self.default_response
+        return FakeCallToolResult([json.dumps(response)], is_error=self.is_error)
+
+
+def make_scripted_actor(
+    bm, session=None, raise_at_init: BaseException | None = None, fake_tools: list | None = None
+):
+    """
+    Build an actor whose `_main()` is replaced with a deterministic version.
+    The fake `_main` mirrors the production happy path (sets _session, _stop_future,
+    fills _tools_cache, signals ready, awaits stop) but skips the stdio subprocess.
+
+    raise_at_init: if set, raised inside _main so we can test failure paths.
+    """
+    import asyncio
+
+    actor = bm._BmMcpActor(["fake-bm", "mcp"])
+    sess = session or FakeSession()
+
+    async def _fake_main():
+        if raise_at_init is not None:
+            actor._init_error = raise_at_init
+            actor._ready.set()
+            raise raise_at_init
+        actor._session = sess
+        actor._stop_future = asyncio.get_running_loop().create_future()
+        actor._tools_cache = fake_tools or [
+            {"name": n, "description": ""}
+            for n in [
+                "search_notes",
+                "read_note",
+                "write_note",
+                "edit_note",
+                "build_context",
+                "delete_note",
+                "move_note",
+            ]
+        ]
+        actor._ready.set()
+        await actor._stop_future
+
+    actor._main = _fake_main  # type: ignore[assignment]
+    actor._test_session = sess  # convenience handle for assertions
+    return actor

integrations/hermes/tests/stubs/agent/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"""Test-only Hermes agent package stub."""

integrations/hermes/tests/stubs/agent/memory_provider.py

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+"""Test-only stand-in for Hermes's memory provider interface."""
+
+
+class MemoryProvider:
+    """Minimal base class used by the plugin during unit tests."""

integrations/hermes/tests/stubs/tools/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"""Test-only Hermes tools package stub."""

integrations/hermes/tests/stubs/tools/registry.py

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+"""Test-only stand-in for Hermes's tool registry helpers."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+
+
+def tool_error(msg: str) -> str:
+    return json.dumps({"error": str(msg)})

integrations/hermes/tests/test_actor.py

@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+"""Tests for _BmMcpActor: lifecycle, call dispatch, timeout, shutdown."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import concurrent.futures
+import json
+import time
+
+import pytest
+
+from tests.conftest import FakeSession, make_scripted_actor
+
+
+# ---- Lifecycle ----
+
+
+def test_new_actor_is_not_running(bm):
+    actor = bm._BmMcpActor(["fake-bm", "mcp"])
+    assert actor._running is False
+
+
+def test_start_brings_actor_up(bm):
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    try:
+        assert actor._running is True
+        assert actor._session is not None
+        assert actor._stop_future is not None
+        assert actor._thread is not None and actor._thread.is_alive()
+        # Tools cache populated
+        names = {t["name"] for t in actor.list_tools()}
+        assert "search_notes" in names
+    finally:
+        actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+
+
+def test_start_is_idempotent_when_thread_alive(bm):
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    try:
+        first_thread = actor._thread
+        actor.start(timeout=5.0)  # second call
+        assert actor._thread is first_thread  # same thread, no new one spawned
+    finally:
+        actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+
+
+def test_start_init_error_raises(bm):
+    boom = ValueError("BM unreachable")
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm, raise_at_init=boom)
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="BM unreachable"):
+        actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    assert actor._running is False
+
+
+def test_start_timeout_raises(bm):
+    """If _ready never gets set within the timeout, start() raises TimeoutError."""
+    import asyncio
+
+    actor = bm._BmMcpActor(["fake-bm", "mcp"])
+
+    async def _hang_forever():
+        # Never call self._ready.set(); start() should time out waiting.
+        await asyncio.sleep(60)
+
+    actor._main = _hang_forever  # type: ignore[assignment]
+
+    with pytest.raises(TimeoutError):
+        actor.start(timeout=0.5)
+    assert actor._running is False
+
+
+# ---- Shutdown ----
+
+
+def test_shutdown_before_start_is_noop(bm):
+    actor = bm._BmMcpActor(["fake-bm", "mcp"])
+    # Should not raise even though nothing is running
+    actor.shutdown(timeout=1.0)
+    assert actor._running is False
+
+
+def test_shutdown_stops_running_actor(bm):
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    assert actor._thread is not None and actor._thread.is_alive()
+    actor.shutdown(timeout=5.0)
+    assert actor._running is False
+    # Thread should exit shortly after stop_future resolves
+    actor._thread.join(timeout=2.0)
+    assert not actor._thread.is_alive()
+
+
+def test_shutdown_is_idempotent(bm):
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+    # Second call should not raise
+    actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+    assert actor._running is False
+
+
+# ---- call() dispatch ----
+
+
+def test_call_before_start_raises(bm):
+    actor = bm._BmMcpActor(["fake-bm", "mcp"])
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        actor.call("search_notes", {})
+
+
+def test_call_after_shutdown_raises(bm):
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="not running"):
+        actor.call("search_notes", {})
+
+
+def test_call_dispatches_through_actor_loop(bm):
+    session = FakeSession(default_response={"results": [], "ok": True})
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm, session=session)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    try:
+        out = actor.call("search_notes", {"query": "hi"}, timeout=5.0)
+        # Output is whatever _extract_mcp_text produces; we just verify it
+        # contains the response payload we configured.
+        assert "ok" in out
+        assert session.calls == [("search_notes", {"query": "hi"})]
+    finally:
+        actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+
+
+def test_call_returns_mcp_extracted_text(bm):
+    session = FakeSession(default_response={"permalink": "p/q/r", "title": "T"})
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm, session=session)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    try:
+        out = actor.call("write_note", {"title": "T"}, timeout=5.0)
+        parsed = json.loads(out)
+        assert parsed["permalink"] == "p/q/r"
+    finally:
+        actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+
+
+def test_call_timeout_raises_and_cancels_coroutine(bm):
+    session = FakeSession(hang=True)
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm, session=session)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    try:
+        t0 = time.monotonic()
+        with pytest.raises(concurrent.futures.TimeoutError):
+            actor.call("search_notes", {}, timeout=0.3)
+        elapsed = time.monotonic() - t0
+        # Sanity: we didn't accidentally wait the full session-side sleep
+        assert elapsed < 2.0
+        # Give the actor loop a moment to propagate the cancellation
+        deadline = time.monotonic() + 2.0
+        while time.monotonic() < deadline and not session.was_cancelled:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+        assert session.was_cancelled is True, (
+            "Expected the underlying coroutine to be cancelled when call() times out"
+        )
+    finally:
+        actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+
+
+def test_list_tools_returns_independent_copy(bm):
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm)
+    actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    try:
+        snapshot = actor.list_tools()
+        snapshot.append({"name": "tampered"})
+        assert "tampered" not in {t["name"] for t in actor.list_tools()}
+    finally:
+        actor.shutdown(timeout=2.0)
+
+
+def test_actor_init_error_logs_and_marks_not_running(bm, caplog):
+    actor = make_scripted_actor(bm, raise_at_init=RuntimeError("server crashed"))
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        actor.start(timeout=5.0)
+    assert actor._running is False