Basic Memory
Local

Local install

Install Basic Memory locally and choose where notes live.

Local mode runs the MCP server on your machine and stores notes in local folders you control.

Install the CLI

uv tool install basic-memory
If you install with Homebrew: brew trust tells Homebrew you accept code from this third-party tap. Recent Homebrew versions warn about untrusted taps, and Homebrew 6 will require the trust step before installing or upgrading from them. On older Homebrew versions the command doesn't exist yet — just skip it.

Start the MCP server

Configure your MCP client to run the server:

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

Restart your MCP client after editing the config.

Choose where notes live

By default, notes are stored in a main project under ~/basic-memory. You can point Basic Memory to any folder by creating a project and setting it as default.

bm project add "work" ~/Documents/work-notes
bm project default "work"

Next steps

CLI Basics

Learn common commands for projects, notes, and search.

Projects and Folders

Organize notes with projects and folder structure.

Copy Content Between Workspaces

Move notes, folders, or whole projects between personal, team, and local workspaces using export/import or MCP.

CLI basics

Common commands for projects, notes, and search.