# Perenna

A shared memory layer for AI agents: notes live as Markdown in a separate Git repo and stay reachable from several clients.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 61
- Author: scarletkc
- License: MIT · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/scarletkc/Perenna
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/perenna

## What it does

Perenna keeps an agent's long-term notes in a plain Git repository instead of a vendor cloud. Every memory is a Markdown file you can read, edit, diff or back up on your own. Reading, writing and deleting are split into separate MCP tools, so nothing drags a chat history along.

Retrieval runs through a local Vexor index that can be rebuilt from Git whenever you need. Several local agent processes are handled with cross-process locking. Transports cover local stdio, a loopback-only Streamable HTTP endpoint, and remote HTTP behind OAuth.

You need Python 3.12+, Git and `uv` before anything starts. Search stays dead until a Vexor embedding provider is configured: run `uvx vexor init`, then check it with `uvx vexor doctor` from the environment that launches the MCP client. Pick local embeddings and the install becomes `perenna[local]`. Local data sits under `~/.perenna/` unless you point it elsewhere.

## Requirements
- Needs: Python and uv (commands run via uvx)
- Environment variables: `PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE`, `VEXOR_API_KEY`, `VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY`, `VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add --env PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE=<PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE> --env VEXOR_API_KEY=<VEXOR_API_KEY> --env VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY=<VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY> --env VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON=<VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON> --transport stdio perenna -- uvx perenna
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from perenna <command>

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add perenna --env PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE=<PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE> --env VEXOR_API_KEY=<VEXOR_API_KEY> --env VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY=<VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY> --env VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON=<VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON> -- uvx perenna
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from perenna <command>

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "perenna": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "perenna"
            ],
            "env": {
                "PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE": "<PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE>",
                "VEXOR_API_KEY": "<VEXOR_API_KEY>",
                "VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY": "<VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY>",
                "VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON": "<VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from perenna <command>

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "perenna": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "perenna"
            ],
            "env": {
                "PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE": "<PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE>",
                "VEXOR_API_KEY": "<VEXOR_API_KEY>",
                "VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY": "<VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY>",
                "VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON": "<VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from perenna <command>

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE=<PERENNA_GIT_REMOTE> -e VEXOR_API_KEY=<VEXOR_API_KEY> -e VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY=<VEXOR_REMOTE_RERANK_API_KEY> -e VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON=<VEXOR_CONFIG_JSON> perenna uvx perenna
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from perenna <command>

## When to use it
- carry agent notes across different MCP clients
- share one memory store between Claude and Claude
- rebuild the search index from Git after it breaks
- sync memories between machines over a private repo
- hand-edit what the agent remembers in Markdown

## Example prompts
- Save the auth scheme we settled on into memory
- Search memory for what we decided about database migrations
- Install the memory skill for Claude: `perenna skill install --agent codex`

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md