MCP setup

OpenMem registers stdio MCP servers in ~/.cursor/mcp.json (and wires session hooks via install-coding-agent). Day-to-day you want the unified openmem server (memory_* tools). Provider-native and NotebookLM servers are optional add-ons.

For why this exists, see Concepts. Install path: Quickstart § Wire your coding agent.

Quick path (recommended)

npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-coding-agent --yes

That installs:

Unified MCP (openmem) — memory_add, memory_search, memory_recall, memory_reflect, memory_consolidate, memory_forget, memory_export / memory_import, ops tools
OpenMem skill + session hooks (Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Cursor CLI)

MCP only (no session hooks):

npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes

Restart Cursor Agent (or your agent’s MCP host) after changes.

Server families

Server key	How to install	Tools	Backend
`openmem`	Default `install-mcp` / `install-coding-agent`	Stable `memory_*`	Active provider (`MEMORY_PROVIDER`): Hindsight, mem0, or Cognee
Provider-native (`mem0`, `cognee`)	`install-mcp --provider-only`	Upstream / repo-specific names	Same HTTP API, different tool surface
`notebooklm`	When NotebookLM sync is on, or `--notebooklm`	`notebooklm_list_banks`, `notebooklm_search`	Search over synced notebooks on the active provider — not a memory engine

Hindsight’s optional in-editor plugin (--hindsight-plugin) is not an MCP entry; it complements unified MCP on Hindsight stacks. See Hindsight.

When to use which

Default: unified `memory_*`

Use when you want one tool contract that survives npx @bcmyguest/openmem switch <provider> without rewriting prompts.

npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes
npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes --notebooklm   # also force NotebookLM MCP

Provider-native (optional)

Use when you already have prompts for upstream tool names:

MEMORY_PROVIDER=mem0 npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes --provider-only
npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes --provider-only   # Cognee when active

mem0: cli/mem0-mcp.mjs → @yeyuan98/mem0-mcp (URL + path to mem0.env in JSON — never the key). Details: mem0.
Cognee: cli/cognee-mcp.mjs (cognee_health, cognee_search; COGNEE_API_URL only). Details: Cognee.

install-mcp --provider-only still merges unified openmem unless you also pass --no-unified-mcp. Both can coexist in mcp.json.

NotebookLM only

npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes --notebooklm-only

Mutually exclusive with --provider-only. Read-only search over synced notebooks — not a substitute for project indexing or memory_*.

Flags

npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes
npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes --notebooklm
npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes --notebooklm-only
MEMORY_PROVIDER=mem0 npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes --provider-only
npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --yes --no-unified-mcp
npx @bcmyguest/openmem install-mcp --dry-run

Flag	Effect
`--yes`	No confirmation prompt
`--dry-run`	Print plan; do not write configs
`--notebooklm`	Enable NotebookLM agent access + merge `notebooklm` MCP
`--notebooklm-only`	Only NotebookLM step
`--provider-only`	Native mem0/Cognee MCP for active provider; skip NotebookLM
`--no-unified-mcp`	Do not merge the `openmem` server

Provider resolution: MEMORY_PROVIDER → ~/.config/hindsight/wizard.conf → hindsight.

Merge behavior: Existing hindsight, codegraph, and notebooklm entries are preserved; mem0/Cognee entries are updated for the active provider.

Portability tools

On the unified server, memory_export / memory_import speak PMM (Personal Memory Manifest). See Portable memory (PMM).

mem0 · Cognee · Hindsight
Architecture — how memory_* maps to provider HTTP
Quickstart