Quick start

Requires Node.js 22 or later.

npm install -g @dat999zx/knowl
cd your-project
knowl init

knowl init creates or upgrades .knowl/, initializes the database, installs the project guidance files, updates .gitignore, and offers MCP and lifecycle setup for detected agents. It also prepares the local embedding model on a best-effort basis. If the model is unavailable, setup still completes; the CLI lexical query remains available, and MCP can run BM25-only after vectors are disabled.

Record a decision:

knowl decide "Use SQLite" "Use SQLite for local project memory." \
  --reasoning "Keeps storage repository-local and simple to operate." \
  --alternatives PostgreSQL MongoDB \
  --tags database local-first

Inspect and query the project memory:

knowl status
knowl state
knowl query "why sqlite"
knowl doctor

Start a new agent session so the host loads its guidance and lifecycle configuration. MCP knowl_query and the CLI share the same local store and governance rules.