@commanderzero/devmemory

Persistent, cross-tool coding memory for AI agents — the Node/npx client for DevMemory. It's a thin MCP server that saves and restores your coding context (goals, decisions, code, errors, next steps) through a DevMemory backend, so you can switch between Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, etc. without losing state.

No Python required. Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows — needs only Node ≥ 18.

Published as @commanderzero/devmemory (the bare devmemory name is blocked by npm as too similar to an existing package). The CLI command it installs is still devmemory.

Quick start

Point your tools at your DevMemory backend (get an API key from its dashboard):

npx -y @commanderzero/devmemory@latest install --tool cursor \
  --api-key dm_key_your_key \
  --host https://your-devmemory.onrender.com

Use --all to configure every detected tool, or --tool <name> for one of: claude-code, cursor, windsurf, claude-desktop, antigravity, cline, kilo. Restart the tool afterward.

Always pin @latest. A bare npx @commanderzero/devmemory can reuse an older copy from the npx cache — pinning forces a fresh fetch so you never run a build that predates a flag.

That writes an MCP entry that launches the server via npx:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "devmemory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@commanderzero/devmemory", "mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DEVMEMORY_API_KEY": "dm_key_your_key",
        "DEVMEMORY_HOST": "https://your-devmemory.onrender.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Runner vs. permanent command

npx is a runner: it downloads and runs once, leaving no devmemory command behind. Great for install, but afterward devmemory start will say command not found. For a permanent devmemory on your PATH, install it once:

npm install -g @commanderzero/devmemory

Then devmemory start, devmemory stop, etc. work with no prefix. If you'd rather not install globally, keep prefixing: npx -y @commanderzero/devmemory@latest start.

Commands

| Command | What it does | |---------|--------------| | devmemory / devmemory mcp | Start the MCP stdio server (what AI tools launch) | | devmemory install --tool <name>\|--all --api-key <key> [--host <url>] | Write the MCP config for a tool | | devmemory install --tool claude-code --config-dir <dir[,dir…]> | Target specific Claude Code profile dirs (auto-detects CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR) | | devmemory start | Attach the current project, restore its context, begin saving | | devmemory continue | Re-attach the active project in a new tool and restore context | | devmemory stop / devmemory status | Detach / show the active session | | devmemory inject [--cwd <dir>] [--host <url>] [--api-key <key>] | Write the latest resume prompt to CLAUDE.md |

Multiple Claude Code profiles (--config-dir)

Claude Code reads $CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR/.claude.json when that env var is set. Install into several profiles at once with a comma-separated list, no spaces:

npx -y @commanderzero/devmemory@latest install --tool claude-code \
  --api-key dm_key_your_key --host https://your-backend \
  --config-dir ~/.claudeAcme,~/.claudeBeta,~/.claude

Commas only — no spaces. ~/a,~/b, not ~/a, ~/b. A space makes your shell split the list into separate arguments and the client errors with Unknown option '--config-dir'. --config-dir requires ≥ 0.3.3.

Environment

• DEVMEMORY_HOST — backend URL (default http://localhost:8765)
• DEVMEMORY_API_KEY — API key (fallback when --api-key / the tool arg is omitted)
• CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR — Claude Code only: when set, install --tool claude-code writes to <dir>/.claude.json instead of ~/.claude.json. Comma-separated for multiple profiles.

Troubleshooting

• devmemory: command not found — you ran install via npx (a runner — it leaves no command behind), or a global install's bin dir isn't on your PATH. Fix: npm install -g @commanderzero/devmemory, then ensure its bin dir is on PATH. On Linux the npm global prefix is often the root-owned /usr/local, so a plain npm install -g needs sudo. Avoid sudo by using a user prefix once:

  npm config set prefix ~/.local          # ~/.local/bin is usually already on PATH
  npm install -g @commanderzero/devmemory

• bad interpreter: .../python3: No such file or directory — that's a Python devmemory shim whose interpreter was deleted/moved. It does not affect this Node client (there is no interpreter shim). Use the npx/npm commands here, or delete the dead shim (rm ~/.local/bin/devmemory) and reinstall.
• Unknown option '--config-dir' — either a space in the comma list (see above) or a stale npx cache serving a build older than 0.3.3. Pin @latest.
• Invalid or revoked API key (but the key works on the dashboard) — a stale ~/.devmemory/api_key file is shadowing it. Key resolution order is --api-key → DEVMEMORY_API_KEY → ~/.devmemory/api_key → ~/.devmemory/config.json, so an old key in the file beats a fresh install. Re-run install (v0.3.5+ keeps both files in sync) or delete the stale file: rm ~/.devmemory/api_key.

Tools exposed to the agent

save_context, save_tasks, update_task, get_context, start_session, end_session, list_sessions_tool, generate_resume_prompt, list_projects_tool — identical to the Python client, all backed by the DevMemory REST API.

MIT © Yuguda Kolo