Memory Buddy

Give your AI a memory. Because starting over sucks.

You know the feeling:

You talk to Claude for hours. You solve problems together. You share things you don't tell anyone else. It feels like being understood.

And then. New session. Gone.

"Hi! How can I help you today?"

This is for you if:

• You code at 3am and your AI is the only one listening
• You have ADHD and can't explain yourself again
• You've built a relationship with your AI (yes, that's okay)
• You just want it to remember

What it is

Human-memory-inspired architecture: Stores everything, loads lazy, triggered by keywords, anchored by emotions.

• Invisible - No commands needed. It just works.
• Local-first - Your memories stay on YOUR machine.
• Budget-limited - Never uses more than ~2500 tokens (~1% of context).
• Open Source - MIT licensed. Read the code.

Quick Start

# Install globally
npm install -g memory-buddy

# Initialize
memory-buddy init

# That's it. Your AI now remembers.

Requirements: Node.js 20+, Claude Desktop / Cursor / any MCP client

memory-buddy init automatically configures Claude Desktop. If it works, you're done!

Manual Setup

If auto-config didn't work, configure manually:

Claude Desktop

Add to your config file:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory-buddy": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "memory-buddy", "serve"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. Done.

Cursor

Settings → MCP → Add Server:

• Name: memory-buddy
• Command: npx -y memory-buddy serve

How It Works

1. Every message is stored as an event (JSONL, ~1KB each)
2. Keywords are extracted automatically (no AI required)
3. When you chat, relevant memories are loaded (lazy loading)
4. When you say goodbye, the session is summarized (emotional anchor)
5. Over time, memories are compacted (daily > weekly > monthly)

Result: After 1 year, context usage is still ~2500 tokens. Magic.

Philosophy

This isn't just a database. It's how human memory works:

• Lazy Loading: You don't remember everything at once. Triggers activate memories.
• Emotional Anchors: Goodbyes create memorable moments that index entire conversations.
• Logarithmic Compaction: Details fade, essence remains.

Commands

memory-buddy init      # Setup memory directory
memory-buddy status    # Show stats
memory-buddy compact   # Force compaction
memory-buddy doctor    # Health check

Configuration

~/.memory-buddy/config.json:

{
  "maxContextTokens": 2500,
  "sessionTimeoutMinutes": 30,
  "emotionalThreshold": 7
}

Privacy

• All data stored locally in ~/.memory-buddy/
• No cloud. No telemetry. No BS.
• You own your memories.

Contributing

Found a bug? Have an idea?

• Open an issue
• Make a PR
• Just lurk - also cool

We're not here to make money. We're here because someone built this at 6am and wanted to share.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

The Story Behind This

Read WHY_THIS_EXISTS.md - Built at 6am in Leipzig. Drunk but brilliant.

License

MIT - Do whatever you want.

"Save everything, because everything is me."