Installation

Quick Start

Install Kiro Memory globally and run the setup wizard:

npm install -g kiro-memory
kiro-memory install

The install command auto-detects your editor and configures hooks, rules files, and MCP server entries. You can also target a specific editor with flags.

Requirements

• Node.js >= 18.0.0
• Build tools (Linux/WSL only): build-essential and python3 for native module compilation

Linux / WSL Users

Install build tools before running npm install:

sudo apt-get install -y build-essential python3

Per-Editor Setup

Claude Code

Claude Code uses a hooks system for automatic capture plus an MCP server for tool access.

kiro-memory install --claude-code

This creates a .claude/hooks.json file in your project root with four hooks:

Hook	Event	Purpose
PreToolUse	Before tool execution	Inject context at session start
PostToolUse	After tool execution	Capture file writes, commands, research
Notification	User prompt submitted	Store user prompts for session tracking
Stop	Session ends	Generate session summary and checkpoint

The hooks configuration points to the Kiro Memory CLI, which processes events and stores observations automatically.

info

Claude Code hooks are project-scoped. Run kiro-memory install --claude-code in each project directory where you want memory tracking.

MCP server is also configured automatically, giving Claude Code access to all 10 Kiro Memory tools (search, store, resume, etc.).

---

Cursor

Cursor uses a rules file for context injection and MCP configuration for tool access.

kiro-memory install --cursor

This creates two files:

1. Rules file at .cursor/rules/kiro-memory.mdc:

The rules file instructs Cursor to inject Kiro Memory context at session start and store observations during the session. It contains directives for the AI assistant to call the MCP tools automatically.

2. MCP configuration in .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kiro-memory": {
      "command": "kiro-memory",
      "args": ["mcp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

tip

After installation, restart Cursor to load the new MCP server configuration.

---

Windsurf

Windsurf uses a rules file and MCP configuration, similar to Cursor.

kiro-memory install --windsurf

This creates:

1. Rules file at .windsurfrules:

Contains instructions for the Windsurf AI to use Kiro Memory tools for context injection and observation storage.

2. MCP configuration in the Windsurf MCP settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kiro-memory": {
      "command": "kiro-memory",
      "args": ["mcp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

---

Cline

Cline uses an instructions file and MCP configuration.

kiro-memory install --cline

This creates:

1. Instructions file at .clinerules:

Contains directives for the Cline assistant to interact with Kiro Memory tools.

2. MCP configuration in Cline's MCP settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kiro-memory": {
      "command": "kiro-memory",
      "args": ["mcp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

---

Generic MCP Editor

Any editor that supports the Model Context Protocol can use Kiro Memory. Add the following to your editor's MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kiro-memory": {
      "command": "kiro-memory",
      "args": ["mcp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

You will need to manually instruct your AI assistant to call the get_context tool at session start and the store_observation tool during the session.

Install from Source

For development or customization, install from the GitHub repository:

git clone https://github.com/auriti-web-design/kiro-memory.git
cd kiro-memory
npm install
npm run build
npm run install:kiro

info

When installing from source, use npm run install:kiro instead of kiro-memory install to link the local build.

Verify Installation

After installation, run the diagnostics command:

kiro-memory doctor

This checks:

• Node.js version compatibility
• Global installation integrity
• Hook/rules file presence for detected editors
• MCP server configuration
• Worker service availability
• Database connectivity
• Embedding service status

Example output:

Kiro Memory Doctor
==================
[OK] Node.js v20.11.0 (>= 18 required)
[OK] kiro-memory v1.7.1 installed globally
[OK] Claude Code hooks configured
[OK] MCP server entry found
[OK] Worker reachable at http://127.0.0.1:3001
[OK] Database: ~/.kiro-memory/kiro-memory.db (284 observations)
[OK] Embeddings: 94% coverage (267/284)

Updating

Update to the latest version:

npm update -g kiro-memory

After updating, re-run the install command for your editor to pick up any configuration changes:

kiro-memory install --claude-code  # or --cursor, --windsurf, --cline

Uninstalling

Remove the global package:

npm uninstall -g kiro-memory

To remove stored data:

rm -rf ~/.kiro-memory

To clean up editor-specific files:

• Claude Code: Delete .claude/hooks.json (or remove the Kiro Memory entries)
• Cursor: Delete .cursor/rules/kiro-memory.mdc and the MCP entry from .cursor/mcp.json
• Windsurf: Remove Kiro Memory directives from .windsurfrules and the MCP entry
• Cline: Remove Kiro Memory directives from .clinerules and the MCP entry