Install Memex

Install memex

⚠ For ClawHub reviewers, security scanners, and curious users

This skill is an installer for memex — a local-first MCP memory server. Static scanners flag several patterns as "suspicious"; every single one is intentional and necessary for installing a memory tool. Below is the full list so a human reviewer (or the user) can verify legitimacy in one glance.

What the skill instructs the agent to do:

Hard guarantees (codified in the "Safety rules" section below):

• Agent shows every shell command BEFORE running it
• User can say "stop" / "no" at any step, agent halts
• sudo is NEVER run without an explicit user "yes"
• MCP config files are MERGED, never overwritten — existing entries preserved
• Memex at runtime emits zero outbound network traffic (it's local-first by design — see PRIVACY section in repo README)

Source code: github.com/parallelclaw/memex-mvp (MIT). All commands above are visible in docs/install.sh and the published memex-mvp npm package.

You are installing memex on this machine. Memex is a local-first MCP server that captures the user's AI conversations across Claude Code, Cowork (including subagents), Cursor, Obsidian, and Telegram exports into a searchable SQLite + FTS5 index that any MCP-compatible agent can query through 18 standard tools (memex_search, memex_recent, memex_overview, memex_store_document, plus the memex_telegram_* family added in v0.10+).

Repo: https://github.com/parallelclaw/memex-mvp Landing: https://memex.parallelclaw.ai npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/memex-mvp

How memex works (read this so you don't get confused by paths below)

Memex has its OWN storage at ~/.memex/data/memex.db. It READS from each tool's native data location automatically — Claude Code from ~/.claude/projects/, Cursor from its state.vscdb, Cowork from its sessions dir, Obsidian from configured vaults. You do NOT need to change where Claude Code, Cursor, or any other tool saves its data. Memex is a passive observer.

Prerequisite

This skill only works if you are running INSIDE an AI agent that has direct access to the user's shell — i.e. one of: Claude Code (CLI), Cursor, Cline, Continue, or Zed. Web-based agents (ChatGPT in browser, Claude.ai web, Claude Desktop without tools, etc.) cannot execute npm/file operations. If you are NOT a CLI-based agent with shell access, stop now and tell the user to use the manual install at https://memex.parallelclaw.ai/#quickstart.

Discovery — do this BEFORE the numbered steps

Scan the user's setup so you can tailor advice and tell them exactly what memex will pick up.

1. Identify which MCP client you're running inside (you should know from context — Claude Code CLI, Cursor, Cline, Continue, or Zed).
2. Run these read-only checks one by one:

   ls -d ~/.claude/projects 2>/dev/null
   ls -d ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/local-agent-mode-sessions 2>/dev/null
   ls -d ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor 2>/dev/null
   ls ~/.continue/config.json 2>/dev/null
   ls -d ~/.config/zed 2>/dev/null
   

3. Report to the user in plain language:
   • "You're running inside [X]. I will edit [path] in step 2 below."
   • "Tools with data found on this machine: [list]"
   • "Tools NOT found (memex won't capture from these): [list]"
   • "After install, memex will auto-index conversations from: [detected sources]"
4. Wait for the user's "ok" before starting step 1.

Fast path — one-line installer (try this first)

memex ships a hosted bash installer that does steps 1, 3, and 4 in a single run — and also wires up Claude Code's MCP entry if claude is on PATH. It's idempotent (safe to re-run), auto-fixes the EACCES case by moving npm's prefix to ~/.npm-global, and prompts before enabling the auto-context hook.

Show this command to the user, explain what it does, get their explicit ok, then run:

curl -fsSL https://memex.parallelclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

What the script does, in order:

1. Checks Node ≥ 20.
2. npm install -g memex-mvp — on EACCES, sets npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global, appends PATH to ~/.zshrc, retries.
3. memex-sync install with --auto-context yes (Brian Chesky hook into ~/.claude/settings.json — preserves other hooks).
4. memex-sync scan — backfills existing history.
5. claude mcp add memex --scope user -- memex if Claude Code CLI is detected.

After the script finishes:

• If the user is in Claude Code (CLI) → install is complete. Skip straight to step 6 (verification + restart). Also do step 5 (offer Telegram capture).
• If the user is in Cursor / Cline / Continue / Zed → the npm install + daemon + auto-context + scan are done, but the GUI client's MCP config still needs the memex entry. Skip step 1 (already installed), skip step 3 (daemon already installed) and skip step 4 (scan already ran). Do step 2 (wire MCP into the GUI client's config), step 5 (offer Telegram), and step 6 (verify + restart).

If the script fails for any reason — non-zero exit, weird output, user uncomfortable piping curl to bash — fall back to the Manual install below.

To inspect what the script does first: curl -fsSL https://memex.parallelclaw.ai/install.sh | less (don't pipe to bash).

Manual install (if the fast path didn't fit)

Do these in order. Show each command before running it. Stop and ask if anything fails or looks wrong.

1. Install memex from npm

npm install -g memex-mvp

If you get EACCES (macOS system Node), recommend Option B (permanent prefix fix) by default and proceed unless the user explicitly chooses sudo.

Say to the user:

"Hit EACCES — your Node is installed in a system directory that npm can't write to without admin rights. Two fixes:

A) Quick: sudo npm install -g memex-mvp — one-time, requires your password B) Permanent fix: I'll move npm's install location to your home directory. After this, no npm install -g will ever ask for sudo again, for any package. Five commands, one-time.

I recommend B — it's a permanent improvement that benefits all your future Node tools, not just memex. Proceed with B?"

If the user agrees (or says anything like "ok", "yes", "default", "go", "B") — proceed with B without further questions:

mkdir -p ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
npm install -g memex-mvp

If the user explicitly picks A (or says "sudo", "fast", "quick"), use sudo:

sudo npm install -g memex-mvp

After the install completes, verify with which memex (should print an absolute path) and memex --version (should print the version).

Important if Option B was used + user already had memex from a prior sudo install: the old sudo-installed copy in /usr/local/lib/node_modules/memex-mvp/ is now orphaned (PATH prefers the new home install). Mention this once:

"By the way, you have an older sudo-installed memex copy in /usr/local/lib/. It's harmless but takes ~60 MB. Clean it up when convenient: sudo npm uninstall -g memex-mvp — not urgent."

Don't run that uninstall yourself — let the user decide when.

If node or npm are missing, STOP and tell the user to install Node.js (recommend nvm.sh or brew install node). Don't try to install Node yourself.

Verify: which memex prints an absolute path; memex-sync --help runs without error.

2. Wire memex into the MCP client

Common config locations:

Tell the user which one you've inferred and which file you'll edit. If unclear, ask.

Read the existing config (if present). Show the user a diff before saving.

Get the absolute path to the memex binary — GUI apps (Cursor, Cline, Claude Desktop) on macOS often don't inherit shell PATH, so a bare "command": "memex" fails with spawn memex ENOENT. Run:

which memex

Capture that path (e.g. /Users/<you>/.npm-global/bin/memex or /usr/local/bin/memex). If it's a shim, also run realpath $(which memex) to resolve to the real binary.

MERGE this entry into mcpServers — never overwrite other servers the user has:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memex": {
      "command": "<absolute path from which memex>"
    }
  }
}

One path, no args. The published npm package wires up its own entry point.

If the config file doesn't exist, create the parent directory and write a minimal valid file with just memex.

Verify: re-read the file after save; confirm memex entry is present and command is an absolute path.

3. Turn on live auto-capture + auto-context (v0.8+)

memex-sync install

During memex-sync install, you'll see a prompt:

Auto-context (Brian Chesky mode):
  When you open Claude Code in a project, memex can inject 500-1500 tokens
  of relevant context so Claude knows what you were doing — without you
  having to ask. Adds a SessionStart hook to ~/.claude/settings.json.
  Other hooks (e.g. gstack) are preserved.

  Enable? [Y/n]

Answer Y unless the user has stated privacy concerns about Claude seeing context from their other AI conversations. Auto-context is the "10/10 magic moment" of memex — without it the install ships at base capability. Other hooks (gstack, custom) are preserved untouched.

For non-interactive flows (CI / scripts): pass --auto-context yes or --yes.

memex-sync status

status should print "daemon installed", "running (PID …)", "watching N sessions".

Verify: status output shows a non-zero PID. Also run memex hook status — should show INSTALLED if auto-context was accepted.

4. Backfill existing history

The daemon only catches NEW sessions going forward. To index everything already on disk:

memex-sync scan

This walks ~/.claude/projects/, Cowork sessions, Cursor state.vscdb, and any configured Obsidian vaults once, ingesting whatever exists.

Optionally:

memex-sync backfill-projects

Tags older conversations with their project_path so memex_list_projects works on them.

Verify: after scan, memex-sync status shows a non-zero "ingested" count.

5. Offer Telegram-export capture (v0.10+)

After the core install is done, proactively ask:

"Memex can also remember your Telegram chats — work, family, group chats, whatever you want indexed. Want me to set that up too? It's about 2 minutes."

If yes, run memex_telegram_check (MCP tool) or memex telegram check (CLI). The result tells you the user's state and the next step. Walk them through:

• No Telegram Desktop? → Give the download URL from the check output. Wait for them to install + log in.
• Logged in <24h ago? → Tell them: "Telegram blocks export for the first 24h. Wait ~X hours, then come back."
• Ready to export? → Show the click-path: open chat → ⋮ menu (top-right) → "Export chat history" → format HTML or JSON → Export.

After the user exports, memex's daemon auto-detects the file in /Downloads/Telegram Desktop/ within ~7 seconds and stages it in `/.memex/pending/`. Then:

• Call memex_telegram_pending to list staged exports (chat name, msg count, date range).
• Present as a numbered list, ask which to import. Accept indices, titles, or natural language ("import family and work, skip bank").
• Call memex_telegram_import with selected indices/titles. The chat is added to the allow-list — future re-exports auto-merge via UNIQUE(msg_id).
• For sensitive chats user doesn't want (Bank, Therapist, etc.), call memex_telegram_skip.

⚠ Existing exports back-fill (v0.10.13+): if the user had Telegram Desktop exports SITTING IN ~/Downloads/Telegram Desktop/ BEFORE memex was installed, the daemon's chokidar watcher may or may not detect them (race with FSEvents on first run). The fast remedy is memex telegram scan — it walks the Downloads dir and stages every ChatExport_* folder (HTML or JSON, both work). v0.10.13's memex-sync install also runs this scan automatically at the end, but if the user already installed pre-0.10.13, OR if memex telegram pending reports zero entries despite a populated Downloads dir, run memex telegram scan explicitly. Both HTML and JSON formats are supported — don't tell the user to re-export in JSON.

Optional — clickable native macOS banner (v0.10.4+): memex can fire a macOS notification the moment an export is staged. Default OFF for privacy. If the user wants this:

brew install terminal-notifier             # required for clickable banner
memex telegram notifications on            # enable; default: titles hidden
memex telegram notifications on --show-titles   # include chat names in banner

When enabled with terminal-notifier, clicking the banner opens (auto-detect priority): Claude Code CLI in a fresh Terminal tab → Claude Desktop → Terminal with memex telegram pending. The CLI launch path triggers the SessionStart hook → Brian Chesky moment. Override target: memex telegram notifications target <auto|claude-cli|claude-desktop|terminal|none>.

Other useful Telegram commands (no MCP-tool wiring needed):

memex telegram check          # diagnostic: Desktop? login age (24h)? watcher?
memex telegram open-pending   # one-shot: open pending list in best client
memex telegram mode auto      # auto-import allow-listed chats on re-export
memex telegram status         # decisions counts (allowed/skipped/blocked)

Privacy is the core promise. Never auto-import. Always get explicit per-chat consent on the first round.

If the user declines Telegram setup ("not now" / "skip"): say "OK, I'll skip Telegram. You can run memex telegram check anytime later to start." Don't push.

6. Tell the user what to do next

Tell the user to fully quit and reopen the MCP client (Cmd+Q on macOS) so it picks up the new memex tools.

🌟 OFFER TO IMPORT THEIR EXISTING DATA RIGHT NOW (v0.10.12+): before anything else, ask the user if they have a Telegram export or a chat-history file sitting somewhere on disk that they'd like to load. Many users come with a result.json they exported yesterday, sitting in ~/Downloads/ or a project folder. Don't make them figure out memex's "magic paths" — just ask:

"Do you have any chat exports already on disk you want loaded into memex right now? Tell me the path (e.g. ~/Downloads/result.json or ~/projects/memex/result.json) — I'll handle it."

Then call memex_import_file({path: "<their-path>"}). The tool auto-detects format (Telegram JSON / HTML / Claude JSONL / Cowork JSONL), respects the privacy gate for Telegram (returns needs_consent with a preview — surface it, get user OK, retry with force: true), and gives you a structured result in one call. Do not use bash mv/cp to shuffle files into ~/.memex/inbox/ — that was the old workflow and burned ~10k tokens per file. Use memex_import_file instead.

🌟 ALSO STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS (v0.10.8+): offer to run memex web --open for them right now. It's the single most magical post-install moment — a local browser tab opens at http://127.0.0.1:8765 with 5 pages showing every conversation memex has captured, dialogue rendered as chat-bubbles, full-text searchable. Verbatim — not AI-summarized. Read-only, localhost-only, Ctrl+C to stop. Phrase it naturally, e.g.:

"I can open a local web dashboard that lets you actually see what memex captured — every message, in chat-bubble form, searchable. It's just a browser tab on localhost:8765. Run it now? It's a way better demo than asking me search queries blind."

Then run memex web --open (in a backgrounded shell if your shell wrapper supports it — otherwise tell the user to run it themselves in another terminal). Wait for them to react before continuing.

After that, suggest other ways to confirm end-to-end:

• "show me what memex has in memory" → triggers memex_overview
• "what projects has memex captured" → triggers memex_list_projects
• "search memex for [recent topic]" → triggers memex_search
• "save https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_We_May_Think to memex" → triggers memex_store_document and teaches the user that URL-saving exists (v0.6+)
• Open Claude Code in any project the user worked on recently — the SessionStart auto-context (v0.8+) should kick in and Claude will mention prior work before the user types anything. This is the "Brian Chesky moment" — the magical-first-impression of memex.
• (if Telegram was set up) memex telegram check — confirms daemon's Telegram-Downloads watcher is active and shows the user's full capture pipeline state.

These confirm everything works end-to-end.

Brian Chesky moment beyond Claude Code (v0.10.7+): the SessionStart hook works only in Claude Code CLI. But starting v0.10.7, the same proactive behaviour is taught to agents in Cursor / Cline / Continue / Zed / Claude Desktop via SERVER_INSTRUCTIONS — these agents call memex_overview automatically on first interaction, read its telegram_pending field, and surface pending exports in their first reply. Slightly higher latency (one MCP roundtrip vs hook's instant inject), but same UX.

CLI fallback (v0.7+): if the MCP integration doesn't pick up in the user's client for any reason, tell them they can verify memex from the terminal directly — same binary, no MCP needed:

memex overview      # confirms memex itself is healthy
memex search "foo"  # FTS search from CLI
memex list          # list conversations
memex --help        # command reference

This is also useful for agents without native MCP support (OpenCode + Kimi, plain shell scripts, CI pipelines) — they can shell out to memex directly.

Safety rules — read before starting

• If node or npm aren't installed, stop and tell the user to install Node.js (recommend nvm.sh or brew install node). Don't try to install Node yourself.
• Never run rm, sudo, or anything destructive without explicit confirmation from the user.
• Show every command before running it. If the user says "no" or "stop", halt and explain.
• If a step fails, do NOT auto-retry or auto-fix — tell the user what failed and ask how to proceed.
• When editing the MCP config, always preserve existing entries. If you can't merge cleanly, abort and tell the user.
• Do NOT modify the host application's settings beyond adding the memex entry to its mcpServers config. Specifically: do not redirect where Cursor / Claude Code / any other tool saves its data. Memex reads from each tool's native location automatically. The only file you should touch is the MCP config file listed in step 2.
• Stay focused on the main install task. If sidetracked into a sub-task (changing workspace, fixing an unrelated config issue, looking up something else), once it's done you MUST return to the memex install and explicitly tell the user: "OK, back to memex install. We were at step N — should I continue?". Don't go silent after a side task. Don't assume the user wants to abandon the install — always confirm.

Begin

Greet the user, confirm which MCP client you're running inside, and run the Discovery checks before any install actions. After Discovery, propose the fast path (curl one-liner) first — it covers ~90% of cases in one shot. After the core install completes, proactively offer Telegram-export capture (step 5) unless the user has already declined. Only fall back to the manual flow if the user objects, the script fails, or you're inside a GUI client where you'll still need to do step 2 manually after the script runs.