[BUG] ValueError: Level 'debug' does not exist when running basic-memory with Python 3.12+ / macOS

[rgazeredo]

Bug Description

When running basic-memory mcp (version 0.14.2) on macOS with Python 3.12.11, I receive the following error:

ValueError: Level 'debug' does not exist

This error occurs in basic_memory/utils.py during loguru setup, specifically at the call:

logger.add(..., level="debug", ...)

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Steps To Reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Install basic-memory version 0.14.2 via pip or pipx with Python 3.12.11
2. Run: basic-memory mcp
3. The CLI configures loguru logging
4. Execution fails with a ValueError stating "Level 'debug' does not exist"

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Expected Behavior

basic-memory mcp should start the MCP server successfully without raising an exception. The logging configuration should accept a standard log level "DEBUG".

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Actual Behavior

Instead of launching, execution fails with the traceback:

ValueError: Level 'debug' does not exist

This happens because loguru does not recognize "debug" (lowercase) as a valid log level name. Its API (logger.add(..., level="...")) expects uppercase strings like "DEBUG" ([GitHub][1], [GitHub][2], [Loguru][3]).

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Environment

• OS: macOS (Apple Silicon)
• Python version: 3.12.11 (via Homebrew)
• Basic‑memory version: 0.14.2
• Installation method: installed via pipx --python /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.12
• Claude Desktop version (if applicable): N/A

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Additional Context

• No existing issue was found regarding this error in the official repository.
• loguru requires log level names in uppercase (e.g. "DEBUG"); lowercase "debug" is invalid and triggers ValueError ([Loguru][3]).
• The issue appears on Python ≥ 3.12, showing incompatibility with lowercase default log level.

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Possible Solution

As a workaround, edit basic_memory/utils.py and change:

logger.add(..., level="debug", ...)

to:

logger.add(..., level="DEBUG", ...)

For a long‑term fix, the codebase should normalize log level inputs or default to uppercase. Introducing automated tests for Python 3.12+ would also help prevent this in future releases.

[phernandez]

@claude is this still an issue?

[claude]

Claude finished @phernandez's task —— View job

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✅ Good news - this issue has already been fixed!

Todo List:

• Read basic_memory/utils.py to check current log level configuration
• Search for other instances of lowercase log levels in the codebase
• Report findings

Findings:

The issue described in this bug report has already been fixed in the current codebase. Here's what I found:

1. The log level is now correctly uppercase - In /src/basic_memory/config.py:63, the default log level is set to "INFO" (uppercase)

2. All logger.add() calls use the uppercase variable - The setup_logging() function in /src/basic_memory/utils.py passes the log_level parameter directly to logger.add() calls at lines 173 and 184, and this parameter comes from the config which is already uppercase

3. No lowercase log levels found - I searched the entire codebase and found no instances of lowercase log levels being passed to loguru

The fix was likely implemented after version 0.14.2 (the version mentioned in the bug report). The current implementation correctly uses uppercase log levels like "INFO", "DEBUG", etc., which are compatible with loguru's expectations.

This issue can be closed as it's no longer present in the current codebase.

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