Codebase Memory Mcp

Codebase Memory MCP

Purpose

Bring up codebase-memory-mcp for a repository, make the HTTP graph UI visible, and prove the graph is usable before relying on it for code discovery.

Requires codebase-memory-mcp, tmux, Node.js, and curl for the UI keepalive workflow.

When to use

• The user asks whether codebase-memory MCP is running or indexed.
• The user wants the graph UI to show up.
• The user asks to initialize, re-index, refresh, or troubleshoot a repository graph.
• The user wants to use search_graph, trace_path, get_code_snippet, query_graph, or related MCP graph tools.
• The user asks to sync this setup to another machine.

Workflow

1. Verify local context first.

• pwd
• git rev-parse --show-toplevel
• git status -sb
• command -v codebase-memory-mcp
• codebase-memory-mcp --version

1. Prefer MCP graph tools when exposed in the current agent session.

• If search_graph, trace_path, or get_code_snippet are callable, use them for code discovery.
• If the tools are not exposed, use the CLI and UI workflow below.

1. Initialize the repository with the helper script:

private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp/scripts/codebase-memory-graph.sh init --repo "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)" --mode full

Use --mode fast for a quick smoke index and --mode full when the graph should be useful for real codebase work.

1. Open the UI.

• The default URL is http://127.0.0.1:9749/.
• The helper starts a tmux keepalive session named cbm--ui.
• The UI port only binds after the MCP server receives an initialize request. Starting codebase-memory-mcp directly can look dead.

1. Prove the graph.

• codebase-memory-mcp cli list_projects
• private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp/scripts/codebase-memory-graph.sh schema --repo "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
• Run a small search_graph query through the MCP tool or CLI before saying the graph is ready.

1. Report exact proof.

• Project name.
• Node and edge counts when available.
• UI URL.
• tmux keepalive session name.
• Any proof gaps, such as missing MCP tool exposure in the current Codex session.

Commands

Run from the dotskills checkout or pass the script path explicitly.

# Configure UI, index, start UI, and run a schema smoke check.
private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp/scripts/codebase-memory-graph.sh init --repo /path/to/repo --mode full

# Start or restart only the UI keepalive.
private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp/scripts/codebase-memory-graph.sh start-ui --repo /path/to/repo

# Show config, indexed projects, and UI listener state.
private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp/scripts/codebase-memory-graph.sh status --repo /path/to/repo

# Stop the keepalive session created by this helper.
private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp/scripts/codebase-memory-graph.sh stop-ui --repo /path/to/repo

Remote Sync

For Vincent's machines, resolve quickssh aliases before touching a host. Legacy quickssh aliases may live in the private .extra/quickssh_hosts.sh file; do not print passwords or secrets from that file.

Remote install pattern:

1. Verify target identity:

ssh -o ServerAliveInterval=15 -o ServerAliveCountMax=3  'hostname; scutil --get ComputerName 2>/dev/null || true; uname -a'

1. Pull dotskills on the remote, or clone it if missing:

ssh  'mkdir -p ~/GIT/_Perso && if [ -d ~/GIT/_Perso/dotskills/.git ]; then git -C ~/GIT/_Perso/dotskills pull --ff-only; else git clone https://github.com/vincentkoc/dotskills.git ~/GIT/_Perso/dotskills; fi'

1. Install the private skill by ensuring the local skill source is present under the remote dotskills checkout and that the user's agent config can discover that checkout. Prefer the existing machine convention if one exists; otherwise create a symlink from the agent skills dir to the dotskills private skill:

ssh  'mkdir -p ~/.agents/skills && ln -sfn ~/GIT/_Perso/dotskills/private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp ~/.agents/skills/codebase-memory-mcp'

1. Verify remote availability:

ssh  'test -f ~/GIT/_Perso/dotskills/private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp/SKILL.md && test -x ~/GIT/_Perso/dotskills/private-skills/codebase-memory-mcp/scripts/codebase-memory-graph.sh && command -v codebase-memory-mcp'

If codebase-memory-mcp is missing on the remote, stop after syncing the skill and report the missing binary. Do not invent an install method without checking the machine's package/source convention.

Inputs

• repo_path: repository root to index.
• mode: fast, moderate, full, or cross-repo-intelligence; default to full for useful repo work and fast for smoke checks.
• port: UI port; default 9749.
• remote_aliases: optional quickssh/SSH aliases to sync.

Outputs

• Indexed project name and graph counts.
• UI URL and listener proof.
• tmux keepalive session name and stop command.
• Remote sync proof per machine: host identity, dotskills HEAD, symlink/install path, and codebase-memory-mcp binary status.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: vincentkoc
• Source: vincentkoc/dotskills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.