vestige/docs/STORAGE.md

Storage Configuration

Global, per-project, and multi-Claude setups

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Database Location

All memories are stored in a single local SQLite file:

Platform	Database Location
macOS	~/Library/Application Support/com.vestige.core/vestige.db
Linux	~/.local/share/vestige/core/vestige.db
Windows	%APPDATA%\vestige\core\vestige.db

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Storage Modes

Option 1: Global Memory (Default)

One shared memory for all projects. Good for:

• Personal preferences that apply everywhere
• Cross-project learning
• Simpler setup

# Default behavior - no configuration needed
claude mcp add vestige vestige-mcp -s user

Option 2: Per-Project Memory

Separate memory per codebase. Good for:

• Client work (keep memories isolated)
• Different coding styles per project
• Team environments

Claude Code Setup:

Add to your project's .claude/settings.local.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vestige": {
      "command": "vestige-mcp",
      "args": ["--data-dir", "./.vestige"]
    }
  }
}

This creates .vestige/vestige.db in your project root. Add .vestige/ to .gitignore.

Multiple Named Instances:

For power users who want both global AND project memory:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vestige-global": {
      "command": "vestige-mcp"
    },
    "vestige-project": {
      "command": "vestige-mcp",
      "args": ["--data-dir", "./.vestige"]
    }
  }
}

Option 3: Multi-Claude Household

For setups with multiple Claude instances (e.g., Claude Desktop + Claude Code, or two personas):

Shared Memory (Both Claudes share memories):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vestige": {
      "command": "vestige-mcp",
      "args": ["--data-dir", "~/shared-vestige"]
    }
  }
}

Separate Identities (Each Claude has own memory):

Claude Desktop config - for "Domovoi":

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vestige": {
      "command": "vestige-mcp",
      "args": ["--data-dir", "~/vestige-domovoi"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code config - for "Storm":

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vestige": {
      "command": "vestige-mcp",
      "args": ["--data-dir", "~/vestige-storm"]
    }
  }
}

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Data Safety

Important: Vestige stores data locally with no cloud sync, redundancy, or automatic backup.

Use Case	Risk Level	Recommendation
AI conversation memory	Low	Acceptable without backup—easily rebuilt
Coding patterns & decisions	Medium	Periodic backups recommended
Sensitive/critical data	High	Not recommended—use purpose-built systems

Vestige is not designed for: medical records, financial transactions, legal documents, or any data requiring compliance guarantees.

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Backup Options

Manual (one-time)

# macOS
cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.vestige.core/vestige.db ~/vestige-backup.db

# Linux
cp ~/.local/share/vestige/core/vestige.db ~/vestige-backup.db

Automated (cron job)

# Add to crontab - backs up every hour
0 * * * * cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.vestige.core/vestige.db ~/.vestige-backups/vestige-$(date +\%Y\%m\%d-\%H\%M).db

System Backups

Just use Time Machine (macOS) / Windows Backup / rsync — they'll catch the file automatically.

For personal use with Claude? Don't overthink it. The memories aren't that precious.

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Direct SQL Access

The database is just SQLite. You can query it directly:

sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.vestige.core/vestige.db

# Example queries
SELECT content, retention_strength FROM knowledge_nodes ORDER BY retention_strength DESC LIMIT 10;
SELECT content FROM knowledge_nodes WHERE tags LIKE '%identity%';
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM knowledge_nodes WHERE retention_strength < 0.1;

Caution: Don't modify the database while Vestige is running.