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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.4stax.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

This page explains how kontxt connects to MCP hosts and what “connected” means in practice. For the fastest path, follow the quickstart. If you want host specific instructions, use the guides:
  1. Cursor setup
  2. Claude Desktop setup

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What MCP is in this context

MCP is the protocol your host uses to talk to external tools over a standard interface. kontxt implements an MCP server that exposes your local vault as tools. When kontxt is connected:
  1. Your host can call kontxt tools like get_relevant_context and store_memory.
  2. kontxt can return a small set of relevant memories for the current task.
  3. Your host can inject that context into the prompt before the model responds.

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How kontxt is started by a host

Most hosts start kontxt using a command and argument list. The recommended configuration is: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kontxt": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@4stax/kontxt", "serve"]
    }
  }
}
This runs kontxt in the foreground as a stdio based MCP server.

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Where host config files live

Common locations:
~/.cursor/mcp.json
Some hosts provide a UI that writes these files for you. When in doubt, validate by starting the server manually.

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Verifying your setup

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Step 1: Confirm the vault exists

ls -la ~/.kontxt
You should see vault.db.

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Step 2: Confirm the server starts

npx -y @4stax/kontxt serve
If it starts successfully, stop it with Ctrl+C.

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Step 3: Confirm you can store and retrieve

npx -y @4stax/kontxt add "I prefer TypeScript over JavaScript" -t preference
npx -y @4stax/kontxt search "TypeScript preference"

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Step 4: Confirm the host is actually calling tools

Restart your host completely and ask a question that should depend on stored memory. If the response is consistent with stored preferences, kontxt is working end to end.

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Common failure modes

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The host does not load MCP servers

Fully quit and reopen the host. Most hosts initialize MCP servers at startup only.

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npx is not found

Ensure Node.js is installed and npx is available in your PATH. On macOS, install Node using your preferred method and then restart your terminal and host.

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The vault is empty

If you have never stored anything, retrieval will return no results. Store at least one preference or fact and try again.