get started

Six steps. Most of them optional.

Install, run the wizard, verify. Steps 04–06 connect the other apps when you want them.

01 · install

One command

macOS, Linux and WSL2:

Windows, in PowerShell:

Alternative — install as a Claude Code plugin instead:

Pick one method — running both registers every hook twice.

There's also a Mac app: Download the .dmg. It's unsigned: right-click the app → Open the first time.

02 · setup

Run the wizard

The installer hands off to it automatically in your terminal. It asks which projects to track, offers the starter pack (22 skills), and optional semantic recall. Plugin-path users run it manually:

03 · verify

Check it's wired into Claude Code

Restart Claude Code so the hooks load, then prove capture works — this writes a synthetic session through the real hooks:

For the full checkup:

Doctor reports what's configured and prints the exact fix for anything that isn't. A captured session looks like a dated note in Daily/ plus a “where you left off” digest at the next session start.

04 · connect

Claude Desktop & Cursor

A small MCP server gives both apps recall and capture. Preview the config, then apply it:

Restart Claude Desktop and Cursor after.

05 · remote · experimental

ChatGPT and claude.ai

Optional and read-only: a remote MCP endpoint runs behind a tunnel so ChatGPT and claude.ai can search the vault. It's still experimental — setup lives in mcp/README.md.

06 · browse

Open the vault in Obsidian

Point Obsidian at ~/.claude/second-brain-vault (or wherever $CLAUDE_MEMORY_DIR points). It's plain Markdown either way; the graph view is prewired by the starter pack's .obsidian config.