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Synopsis

claude-mem install [options]
Set up claude-mem integration with Claude Code by installing hooks, configuring the MCP server, and creating necessary directories.

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Description

The install command sets up claude-mem:
  1. Creates directory structure at ~/.claude-mem
  2. Installs Claude Code hooks
  3. Configures Chroma MCP server
  4. Updates Claude Code settings
  5. Adds instructions to CLAUDE.md

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Options

OptionDescriptionDefault
--forceOverwrite existing installationfalse
--save-on-clearAuto-compress when using /cleartrue
--dir <path>Custom installation directory~/.claude-mem
--skip-backupDon’t backup existing configfalse
--quietSuppress outputfalse

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Examples

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Basic Installation

claude-mem install
Output: 
🧠 claude-mem Installer
────────────────────────────────

✅ Creating directories... Done
✅ Installing hooks... Done (3 hooks)
✅ Configuring MCP server... Done
✅ Updating settings... Done
✅ Adding CLAUDE.md instructions... Done

Installation complete! Restart Claude Code to activate.

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Force Reinstall

Overwrites any existing installation: 
claude-mem install --force

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Custom Directory

Install to a different location: 
claude-mem install --dir ~/custom/claude-mem

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Quiet Mode

Minimal output for scripts: 
claude-mem install --quiet && echo "Success"

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What Gets Installed

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Directory Structure

~/.claude-mem/
├── index/              # Chroma database
├── archives/           # Compressed transcripts
├── hooks/              # Claude Code hooks
│   ├── pre-compact.js
│   ├── session-start.js
│   └── session-end.js
├── trash/              # Deleted items
├── logs/               # Activity logs
└── settings.json       # Configuration

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Claude Code Settings

Updates ~/.claude/claude_code_settings.json: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chromadb-claude-mem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-chromadb"]
    }
  }
}

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CLAUDE.md Instructions

Adds to ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md: 
<!-- CLAUDE-MEM INSTRUCTIONS -->
- Collection name: "claude_memories"
- Use mcp__claude-mem__chroma_query_documents for search
- Compressed archives in ~/.claude-mem/archives/
<!-- /CLAUDE-MEM INSTRUCTIONS -->

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Interactive Mode

Without options, the installer uses interactive mode: 
🧠 Welcome to claude-mem installer!

? Existing installation detected. What would you like to do?
  › Create backup and reinstall
    Skip backup and reinstall
    Cancel

? Enable auto-save on /clear command?
  › Yes (recommended)
    No

? Installation directory?
  › Use default (~/.claude-mem)
    Custom directory

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Backup and Recovery

When detecting an existing installation:
  1. Creates timestamped backup
  2. Saves to ~/.claude-mem/backups/
  3. Can restore with claude-mem restore-backup
Example backup: 
~/.claude-mem/backups/
└── backup-2025-09-15T10-30-00/
    ├── settings.json
    ├── hooks/
    └── index/

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Troubleshooting

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Permission Denied

On macOS/Linux, use sudo: 
sudo npm install -g claude-mem
claude-mem install

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Claude Code Not Found

Ensure Claude Code is installed: 
# Check for Claude executable
which claude

# If not found, download from:
# https://claude.ai/code

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Hooks Not Working

After installing:
  1. Quit Claude Code completely (Cmd+Q / Ctrl+Q)
  2. Reopen Claude Code
  3. Verify with claude-mem status

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MCP Server Issues

Test MCP server directly: 
npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-chromadb
If this fails, reinstall: 
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-chromadb

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Post-Installation

After installing:
1

Restart Claude Code - Complete restart required
2

Verify Installation - Run claude-mem status
3

Test Memory - Start a session and check context loads

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Uninstalling

To remove claude-mem: 
claude-mem uninstall
Removes hooks but preserves memories.

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See Also