https://github.com/activememory/ctx
ctx: do you remember? — a lightweight, file-based system that enables AI coding assistants to persist, structure, and rehydrate project context across sessions.
https://github.com/activememory/ctx
agent-infrastructure ai-collaboration ai-tooling automation cognitive-continuity context context-management developer-experience developer-tools documentation human-in-the-loop infrastructure knowledge-management llm long-lived-context productivity project-memory state-management tasks workflow
Last synced: about 1 month ago
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ctx: do you remember? — a lightweight, file-based system that enables AI coding assistants to persist, structure, and rehydrate project context across sessions.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/activememory/ctx
- Owner: ActiveMemory
- License: other
- Created: 2026-01-20T07:33:46.000Z (about 2 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-01-29T13:01:37.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-01-29T19:13:56.929Z (about 1 month ago)
- Topics: agent-infrastructure, ai-collaboration, ai-tooling, automation, cognitive-continuity, context, context-management, developer-experience, developer-tools, documentation, human-in-the-loop, infrastructure, knowledge-management, llm, long-lived-context, productivity, project-memory, state-management, tasks, workflow
- Language: HTML
- Homepage: https://ctx.ist
- Size: 1.36 MB
- Stars: 9
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
- Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
- Codeowners: CODEOWNERS
- Security: SECURITY.md
- Agents: AGENTS.md
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README
## `ctx` (*Context*)
> **Context is a system, not a prompt.**
A lightweight, file-based system that enables AI coding assistants to persist,
structure, and rehydrate project context across sessions.
`ctx` works with **any AI tool** that can read files; no model or
vendor lock-in.
**Full documentation: [ctx.ist](https://ctx.ist)**
## The Problem
Most LLM-driven development fails not because models are weak: They fail because
**context is ephemeral**. Every new session starts near zero:
* You re-explain architecture
* The AI repeats past mistakes
* Decisions get rediscovered instead of remembered
## The Solution
`ctx` treats context as infrastructure:
* **Persist**: Tasks, decisions, learnings survive session boundaries
* **Reuse**: Decisions don't get rediscovered; lessons stay learned
* **Align**: Context structure mirrors how engineers actually think
* **Integrate**: Works with any AI tool that can read files
Here's what that looks like in practice:
```text
❯ "Do you remember?"
● Yes. The PreToolUse hook runs ctx agent, and CLAUDE.md tells me to
check .context/sessions/. I'll have context.
❯ "Summarize all sessions we have had so far?"
● Yes. I can ls .context/sessions/ and read each file:
- 2025-01-20: The meta-experiment that started it all
- 2025-01-21: The ctx rename + Claude hooks session
```
That's the whole point: **Temporal continuity across sessions**.
## Installation
Download pre-built binaries from the
[releases page](https://github.com/ActiveMemory/ctx/releases), or build from
source:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/ActiveMemory/ctx.git
cd ctx
CGO_ENABLED=0 go build -o ctx ./cmd/ctx
sudo mv ctx /usr/local/bin/
```
See [installation docs](https://ctx.ist/#installation) for platform-specific
instructions.
## Quick Start
```bash
# Initialize context directory in your project
ctx init
# Check context status
ctx status
# Get an AI-ready context packet
ctx agent --budget 4000
# Add tasks, decisions, learnings
ctx add task "Implement user authentication"
ctx add decision "Use PostgreSQL for primary database"
ctx add learning "Mock functions must be hoisted in Jest"
```
## Documentation
| Guide | Description |
|-------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| [Getting Started](https://ctx.ist) | Installation, quick start, first steps |
| [CLI Reference](https://ctx.ist/cli-reference/) | All commands and options |
| [Context Files](https://ctx.ist/context-files/) | File formats and structure |
| [Integrations](https://ctx.ist/integrations/) | Claude Code, Cursor, Aider setup |
| [Ralph Loop](https://ctx.ist/ralph-loop/) | Autonomous AI development workflows |
## Design Philosophy
1. **File-based**: No database, no daemon. Just markdown and convention.
2. **Git-native**: Context versions with code, branches with code, merges with
code.
3. **Human-readable**: Engineers can read, edit, and understand context
directly.
4. **Token-efficient**: Markdown is cheaper than JSON/XML.
5. **Tool-agnostic**: Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Aider, Copilot, or raw
CLI.
## Contributing
Contributions welcome. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines.
All commits must be signed off (`git commit -s`) to certify the
[DCO](CONTRIBUTING_DCO.md).
## Community
**Open source is better together**.
Join the community to ask questions, share feedback, and connect with
other users:
[Join `#ctx` on `irc.libera.chat`](https://web.libera.chat/#ctx)
## License
[Apache 2.0](LICENSE)