cipher

Cipher is a memory-powered AI agent framework that exposes an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for integration with MCP-compatible clients and IDEs. It provides built-in tools for memory extraction, semantic search, and reasoning/reflection, enabling coding assistants and IDEs to access persistent contextual memory across sessions and tools. When run in MCP mode, Cipher acts as an intermediary between your MCP client (e.g., Codex, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf) and the underlying memory and reasoning capabilities, allowing you to store, retrieve, and reason over coding memories with minimal friction. To use the MCP server, configure a server entry (for example, cipher) in your MCP client settings that points to the cipher executable with the --mode mcp flag, along with necessary API keys and environment configuration. The built-in tools include memory management (extract, store, and search), as well as reasoning/reflection capabilities to improve the quality of generated code over time. You can also control the server via the CLI in other modes (interactive, API, UI) if you want to experiment locally before wiring up MCP clients.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js and npm or pnpm installed on your machine
• Git for cloning or pulling the repo (optional if using npm package)

Installing from npm (recommended):

1. Install Cipher globally so it can be launched as an MCP server:

   npm install -g @byterover/cipher
   

2. Verify installation:

   cipher --version
   

Running as an MCP server:

1. Ensure required environment variables are set (either in your shell or via an env file):
   • MCP_SERVER_MODE (e.g., aggregator)
   • OPENAI_API_KEY (or other provider keys if you use multiple models)
   • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (optional)
2. Start Cipher in MCP mode (as configured in mcp_config):

   cipher --mode mcp
   

If you prefer Docker or local development, refer to the README for Docker setup and compilation steps. The MCP server is designed to be lightweight to integrate with external MCP clients, so using the npm package or the binary provides straightforward startup options.

Tips and caveats:

• When running in MCP mode, export environment variables in the shell or your orchestrator; Cipher does not automatically read from a .env file in MCP mode unless you explicitly load it.
• If you need to share memory across team members, configure your memory/storage backend (SQLite, PostgreSQL, or a vector store) via the provided environment variables in the Cipher configuration.
• Ensure that API keys are kept secure and never exposed in client-side code or public repos.
• The MCP server entry (cipher in mcpServers) should specify type stdio by default through the CLI when invoked via the MCP protocol; you can adjust environment options to fit your deployment (e.g., different MCP modes, additional tools, or different memory backends).
• If you encounter connectivity issues with MCP clients, verify that the host and port exposure align with your client configuration and that Firewalls allow the necessary traffic.