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title Getting Started with Basic Memory
type note
permalink 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.

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

# Install with uv (recommended).  
uv tool 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.

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 with uv (recommended)
uv tool upgrade basic-memory 

# Or with pip 
pip install --upgrade basic-memory

Note: After updating, you'll need to restart Claude Desktop and your sync process for changes to take effect.

5. Change the default project directory

By default, Basic Memory will create a project in the basic-memory folder in your home directory. You can change this via the project [[CLI Reference#project|cli command]].

# Add a new project  
basic-memory project add work ~/work-basic-memory  
  
# Set the default project  
basic-memory project default work  

# List all configured projects  
basic-memory project list

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
---

# Coffee Brewing Methods

## Observations
- [method] Pour over provides more clarity...
- [technique] Water temperature at 205°F...

## Relations
- relates_to [[Other Coffee Topics]]

  6. Start the sync process in a Terminal window (optional):

    basic-memory sync --watch

    Keep this running in the background.

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

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, the changes will be synced. Initial syncs may take a few moments. You can see info about your project by running basic-memrory project info.

Quick Tips

  • Basic Memory will sync changes from your project in real time.
  • 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 a permalink when you need precise context. See [[User Guide#Using memory // URLs]]
  • Use git to version control your knowledge base (git integration is on the roadmap)
  • 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