basicmachines-co-basic-memory/docs/Getting Started with Basic Memory.md

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Getting Started with Basic Memory

This guide will help you install Basic Memory, configure it with Claude Desktop, and create your first knowledge notes through conversations.

Basic Memory uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect with LLMs. It can be used with any service that supports the MCP, but Claude Desktop works especially well.

Installation

Prerequisites

The easiest way to install basic memory is via uv. See the uv installation guide.

1. Install Basic Memory

v0.13.0 offers multiple installation options:

# Stable release (recommended)
uv tool install basic-memory
# or: pip install basic-memory

# Beta releases (new features, testing)
pip install basic-memory --pre

# Development builds (latest changes)
pip install basic-memory --pre --force-reinstall

Version Information:

• Stable: Latest tested release (e.g., 0.13.0)
• Beta: Pre-release versions (e.g., 0.13.0b1)
• Development: Auto-published from git commits (e.g., 0.12.4.dev26+468a22f)

Important

: You need to install Basic Memory using one of the commands above to use the command line tools.

Using uv tool install will install the basic-memory package in a standalone virtual environment. See the UV docs for more info.

2. Configure Claude Desktop

Edit your Claude Desktop config, located at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "basic-memory",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. You should see Basic Memory tools available in the "tools" menu in Claude Desktop (the little hammer icon in the bottom-right corner of the chat interface). Click it to view available tools.

Fix Path to uv

If you get an error that says ENOENT , this most likely means Claude Desktop could not find your uv installation. Make sure that you have uv installed per the instructions above, then:

Step 1: Find the absolute path to uvx

Open Terminal and run:

which uvx

This will show you the full path (e.g., /Users/yourusername/.cargo/bin/uvx).

Step 2: Edit Claude Desktop Configuration

Edit the Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/uvx",
      "args": [
        "basic-memory",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace /absolute/path/to/uvx with the actual path you found in Step 1.

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

3. Sync changes in real time

Note

: The service will sync changes from your project directory in real time so they available for the AI assistant.

To disable realtime sync, you can update the config. See CLI Reference#sync.

4. Staying Updated

To update Basic Memory when new versions are released:

# Update stable release
uv tool upgrade basic-memory 
# or: pip install --upgrade basic-memory

# Update to latest beta (v0.13.0)
pip install --upgrade basic-memory --pre

# Get latest development build
pip install --upgrade basic-memory --pre --force-reinstall

v0.13.0 Update Benefits:

• Fluid project switching during conversations
• Advanced note editing capabilities
• Smart file management with move operations
• Enhanced search with frontmatter tag support

Note

: After updating, restart Claude Desktop for changes to take effect. No sync restart needed in v0.13.0.

5. Multi-Project Setup (Enhanced in v0.13.0)

By default, Basic Memory creates a project in ~/basic-memory. v0.13.0 introduces fluid project management - switch between projects instantly during conversations.

# Create a new project
basic-memory project create work ~/work-basic-memory  
  
# Set the default project  
basic-memory project set-default work  

# List all projects with status
basic-memory project list

# Get detailed project information
basic-memory project info

New in v0.13.0:

• Instant switching: Change projects during conversations without restart
• Unified database: All projects in single ~/.basic-memory/memory.db
• Better performance: Optimized queries and reduced file I/O
• Session context: Maintains active project throughout conversations

Troubleshooting Installation

Common Issues

Claude Says "No Basic Memory Tools Available"

If Claude cannot find Basic Memory tools:

1. Check absolute paths: Ensure you're using complete absolute paths to uvx in the Claude Desktop configuration
2. Verify installation: Run basic-memory --version in Terminal to confirm Basic Memory is installed
3. Restart applications: Restart both Terminal and Claude Desktop after making configuration changes
4. Check sync status: You can view the sync status by running `basic-memory status .

Permission Issues

If you encounter permission errors:

1. Check that Basic Memory has access to create files in your home directory
2. Ensure Claude Desktop has permission to execute the uvx command

Creating Your First Knowledge Note

1. Open Claude Desktop and start a new conversation.

2. Have a natural conversation about any topic:

   You: "Let's talk about coffee brewing methods I've been experimenting with."
   Claude: "I'd be happy to discuss coffee brewing methods..."
   You: "I've found that pour over gives more flavor clarity than French press..."
   

3. Ask Claude to create a note:

   You: "Could you create a note summarizing what we've discussed about coffee brewing?"
   

4. Confirm note creation: Claude will confirm when the note has been created and where it's stored.

5. View the created file in your ~/basic-memory directory using any text editor or Obsidian. The file structure will look similar to:

   ---
   title: Coffee Brewing Methods
   permalink: coffee-brewing-methods
   tags: [coffee, brewing, equipment]  # v0.13.0: Now searchable!
   ---
   
   # Coffee Brewing Methods
   
   ## Observations
   - [method] Pour over provides more clarity...
   - [technique] Water temperature at 205°F...
   
   ## Relations
   - relates_to [[Other Coffee Topics]]
   

v0.13.0 Improvements:

• Real-time sync: Changes appear immediately, no background sync needed
• Searchable tags: Frontmatter tags are now indexed for search
• Better file organization: Enhanced file management capabilities

Using Special Prompts

Basic Memory includes special prompts that help you start conversations with context from your knowledge base:

Continue Conversation

To resume a previous topic:

You: "Let's continue our conversation about coffee brewing."

This prompt triggers Claude to:

1. Search your knowledge base for relevant content about coffee brewing
2. Build context from these documents
3. Resume the conversation with full awareness of previous discussions

Recent Activity

To see what you've been working on:

You: "What have we been discussing recently?"

This prompt causes Claude to:

1. Retrieve documents modified in the recent past
2. Summarize the topics and main points
3. Offer to continue any of those discussions

Search

To find specific information:

You: "Find information about pour over coffee methods."

Claude will:

1. Search your knowledge base for relevant documents
2. Summarize the key findings
3. Offer to explore specific documents in more detail

See User Guide#Using Special Prompts for further information.

Using Your Knowledge Base

Referencing Knowledge

In future conversations, reference your existing knowledge:

You: "What water temperature did we decide was optimal for coffee brewing?"

Or directly reference notes using memory:// URLs:

You: "Take a look at memory://coffee-brewing-methods and let's discuss how to improve my technique."

Building On Previous Knowledge (Enhanced in v0.13.0)

Basic Memory enables continuous knowledge building:

1. Reference previous discussions in new conversations
2. Edit notes incrementally without rewriting entire documents
3. Move and organize notes as your knowledge base grows
4. Switch between projects instantly during conversations
5. Search by tags to find related content quickly
6. Create connections between related topics
7. Follow relationships to build comprehensive context

v0.13.0 Workflow Examples

Incremental Editing:

You: "Add a section about espresso to my coffee brewing notes"
Claude: [Uses edit_note to append new section]

File Organization:

You: "Move my old meeting notes to an archive folder"
Claude: [Uses move_note with database consistency]

Project Switching:

You: "Switch to my work project and show recent activity"
Claude: [Switches projects and shows work-specific content]

Importing Existing Conversations

Import your existing AI conversations:

# From Claude
basic-memory import claude conversations

# From ChatGPT
basic-memory import chatgpt

After importing, changes sync automatically in real-time. You can see project statistics by running basic-memory project info.

Quick Tips

General Usage

• Basic Memory syncs changes in real-time (no manual sync needed)
• Use special prompts (Continue Conversation, Recent Activity, Search) to start contextual discussions
• Build connections between notes for a richer knowledge graph
• Use direct memory:// URLs with permalinks for precise context
• Review and edit AI-generated notes for accuracy

v0.13.0 Features

• Switch projects instantly: "Switch to my work project" - no restart needed
• Edit notes incrementally: "Add a section about..." instead of rewriting
• Organize with moves: "Move this to my archive folder" with database consistency
• Search by tags: Frontmatter tags are now searchable
• Try beta builds: pip install basic-memory --pre for latest features

Next Steps

After getting started, explore these areas:

1. Read the User Guide for comprehensive usage instructions
2. Understand the Knowledge Format to learn how knowledge is structured
3. Set up Obsidian Integration for visual knowledge navigation
4. Learn about Canvas visualizations for mapping concepts
5. Review the CLI Reference for command line tools
6. Explore OAuth Authentication Guide for secure remote access (v0.13.0)
7. Set up multiple projects for different knowledge areas (v0.13.0)