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

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Getting Started with Basic Memory	note	docs/getting-started

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.

Installation

1. Install Basic Memory

# Install with uv (recommended)
uv install basic-memory

# Or with pip
pip install basic-memory

Important

: You need to install Basic Memory using one of the commands above to use the command line tools. The uvx command mentioned in the Claude Desktop configuration is only for enabling Claude to access Basic Memory.

2. Configure Claude Desktop

To enable Claude to read and write to your knowledge base, edit the Claude Desktop configuration file (usually at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):

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

This configuration uses uvx to execute Basic Memory without requiring a full installation in Claude's environment.

3. Start the Sync Service

Start the sync service to monitor your files for changes:

# One-time sync
basic-memory sync

# For continuous monitoring (recommended)
basic-memory sync --watch

The --watch flag enables automatic detection of file changes, keeping your knowledge base current.

Creating Your First Knowledge Note

1. Start a conversation in Claude Desktop about any topic:

   You: "Let's talk about coffee brewing methods I've been experimenting with."
   

2. Have a natural conversation about the topic

3. Ask Claude to create a note:

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

4. Claude creates a Markdown file in your ~/basic-memory directory

5. View and edit the file with any text editor or Obsidian

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

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

Basic Memory enables continuous knowledge building:

1. Reference previous discussions in new conversations
2. Add to existing notes through conversations
3. Create connections between related topics
4. Follow relationships to build comprehensive context

Importing Existing Conversations

Import your existing AI conversations:

# From Claude
basic-memory import claude conversations

# From ChatGPT
basic-memory import chatgpt

After importing, run basic-memory sync to index everything.

Quick Tips

• Keep basic-memory sync --watch running in a terminal window
• 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 when you need precise context
• Use git to version control your knowledge base
• Review and edit AI-generated notes for accuracy

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