Zed MCP Server Basic Memory

🚀 Basic Memory MCP Server Extension for Zed Editor

This extension integrates Basic Memory into the Assistant of Zed Editor as a context server.

Basic Memory allows you to build persistent knowledge through natural conversations with large language models and keeps everything in simple Markdown files on your computer.

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12+
• uv installed

⚠️ Important Note

This extension currently requires Zed to support MCP tools, which is still in development. Although you can install the extension now, its functionality will be available in future updates when Zed adds support for MCP tools. Please follow Zed's releases for updates.

📦 Installation

1. Install uv and Basic Memory

pip install uv
uv tool install basic-memory

2. Install the Extension

Go to: Zed > Extensions. Or use the command palette to search for "extensions".

3. Configure the Extension

Add the following to your Zed settings:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "mcp-server-basic-memory": {
      "settings": {
        "project": "optional-project-name"
      }
    }
  }
}

The project setting is optional:

• If specified, Basic Memory will use the named project to store and access notes.
• If omitted, the default project will be used for Basic Memory (usually stored in ~/basic-memory/config.json or set via the environment variable BASIC_MEMORY_PROJECT).

You can configure these settings:

• Globally in your Zed settings.json.
• Per project in the project settings.
• Or omit them to use Basic Memory's default project.

💻 Usage Examples

Basic Usage

After configuration, Basic Memory will be available in the Zed Assistant. You can use the following prompts:

• “Create a note about software architecture patterns.”
• “What do I know about functional programming?”
• “Search my notes for information about React hooks.”

Multiple Projects

Basic Memory supports multiple projects to separate different types of notes. If you work on different codebases or topics, you may want to maintain a separate knowledge base for each.

Extension Building

This extension needs to be compiled to WebAssembly (WASM):

1. Add the WASM target to your Rust toolchain:

rustup target add wasm32-wasip1

2. Build the extension:

cargo build --target wasm32-wasip1 --release

Local Testing

To test locally:

1. Build the extension following the steps above.
2. Open extensions in Zed (⌘ + Shift + E).
3. Click “Install Development Extension” and select the extension directory.
4. Your development extension will override any published versions with the same name.

💡 Usage Tip

Note that when installed as a development extension, Zed will automatically use the build files in the target directory.

📚 Documentation

For more detailed information, visit:

• Basic Memory Documentation
• GitHub Repository

📄 License

This project is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (“License”). You may obtain a copy of the License at: http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

This extension interfaces with the basic-memory MCP server, an independent product developed by Basic Machines and licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License, Version 3.0 (AGPL - 3.0). The license for the basic-memory MCP server can be found at: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.html

Please note that while this extension itself is distributed under the Apache 2.0 license, features related to basic-memory may be subject to its AGPL - 3.0 license terms.