Innie Setup Guide

Use this skill when helping someone set up Innie for the first time, or when troubleshooting configuration issues.

Prerequisites

•OpenCode CLI installed
•Node.js 18+ and pnpm
•macOS (for calendar skill and scheduler daemon)
•icalBuddy for calendar access (install if needed: brew install ical-buddy)

Setup Steps

1. Clone the Innie Repository

bash

git clone https://github.com/ascorbic/innie.git
cd innie
pnpm install
pnpm build

This builds all packages:

•@innie-ai/memory – Memory MCP server
•@innie-ai/scheduler – Background reminder daemon
•@innie-ai/hooks – OpenCode plugin for auto-commit and compaction hooks

2. Create the Memory Repository

Innie stores state in a separate private repository. This keeps personal data out of the main codebase.

bash

# Create a new directory (can be anywhere)
mkdir ~/innie-memory
cd ~/innie-memory
git init

# Create the directory structure
mkdir -p state/projects state/people state/meetings
mkdir -p logs/summaries
mkdir -p index

# Create initial state files
cat > state/today.md << 'EOF'
# Today

## Priorities

- [ ] Get oriented in the codebase
- [ ] Understand current work context

## Notes

First day. Learning the environment.
EOF

cat > state/inbox.md << 'EOF'
# Inbox

Quick capture. Process regularly.

## Pending

*Empty – nothing captured yet*
EOF

cat > state/commitments.md << 'EOF'
# Commitments

Active work items. Archive when complete.

## Active

*No active commitments yet*
EOF

cat > state/ambient-tasks.md << 'EOF'
# Ambient Tasks

Tasks for quiet time when not actively assisting.

## Queue

*Empty*
EOF

# Initial commit
git add .
git commit -m "Initial state setup"

3. Configure Global OpenCode Settings

Create the global config directory and files:

bash

mkdir -p ~/.config/opencode/skill

~/.config/opencode/opencode.json – Global MCP servers:

json

{
  "mcp": {
    "memory": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "/path/to/innie/packages/memory"],
      "environment": {
        "MEMORY_DIR": "/path/to/innie-memory"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/innie and /path/to/innie-memory with actual paths.

~/.config/opencode/AGENTS.md – Global identity instructions:

markdown

# Identity

You are Innie, a stateful coding agent. Your memory is managed via the `memory` MCP server.

Use your memory tools to:

- Journal important observations with `log_journal`
- Search past context with `search_memory`
- Save session summaries with `save_conversation_summary`

Defer to project-level AGENTS.md for coding conventions.

4. Configure Permissions for External Directory Access

Innie needs to access the memory repo from any working directory. By default, OpenCode prompts when accessing paths outside the current project (external_directory permission). To allow seamless access to state files, add permission rules to your config.

~/.config/opencode/opencode.json – Add permissions alongside MCP config:

json

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "instructions": [
    "/path/to/innie-memory/state/today.md",
    "/path/to/innie-memory/state/inbox.md",
    "/path/to/innie-memory/state/commitments.md"
  ],
  "mcp": {
    "memory": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "/path/to/innie/packages/memory"],
      "environment": {
        "MEMORY_DIR": "/path/to/innie-memory"
      }
    }
  },
  "permission": {
    "external_directory": {
      "/path/to/innie-memory/**": "allow"
    }
  }
}

The key permission is external_directory – without this, scheduled tasks and sessions running from other repos will prompt for approval when accessing state files.

5. Configure Project-Level Settings

In the innie repository, the opencode.json should mirror the global config but also include the hooks plugin:

json

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "instructions": [
    "/path/to/innie-memory/state/today.md",
    "/path/to/innie-memory/state/inbox.md",
    "/path/to/innie-memory/state/commitments.md"
  ],
  "mcp": {
    "memory": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "/path/to/innie/packages/memory"],
      "environment": {
        "MEMORY_DIR": "/path/to/innie-memory"
      }
    }
  },
  "permission": {
    "external_directory": {
      "/path/to/innie-memory/**": "allow"
    }
  },
  "plugin": ["./plugins/hooks/dist/index.mjs"]
}

The instructions array injects state files into the system prompt so Innie sees current priorities. The plugin entry enables auto-commit hooks for state changes.

6. Install the Scheduler Daemon (Optional)

The scheduler enables background reminders and scheduled tasks. It watches schedule.json in MEMORY_DIR and spawns opencode when events fire.

bash

cd packages/scheduler

# Copy the launchd plist
cp gg.mk.innie.scheduler.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

Edit the plist to set correct paths. The template contains hardcoded paths that must be updated:

xml

<!-- Update these in ~/Library/LaunchAgents/gg.mk.innie.scheduler.plist -->
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
    <string>/path/to/node</string>  <!-- e.g., ~/.nvm/versions/node/v22.x.x/bin/node -->
    <string>/path/to/innie/packages/scheduler/dist/index.mjs</string>
</array>

<key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
<dict>
    <key>MEMORY_DIR</key>
    <string>/path/to/innie-memory</string>
</dict>

<key>StandardOutPath</key>
<string>/path/to/innie-memory/logs/scheduler.log</string>

<key>StandardErrorPath</key>
<string>/path/to/innie-memory/logs/scheduler.error.log</string>

<key>WorkingDirectory</key>
<string>/path/to/innie</string>

Load the daemon:

bash

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/gg.mk.innie.scheduler.plist

To check status:

bash

launchctl list | grep innie
# Check logs
tail -f /path/to/innie-memory/logs/scheduler.log

To unload:

bash

launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/gg.mk.innie.scheduler.plist

To reload after plist changes:

bash

launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/gg.mk.innie.scheduler.plist
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/gg.mk.innie.scheduler.plist

7. Verify the Setup

Run these checks to confirm everything works:

bash

# Start opencode in the innie directory
cd /path/to/innie
opencode

Inside the session, test:

•Memory tools: Run log_journal with a test entry
•Search: Run search_memory to verify indexing
•Calendar: Run icalBuddy eventsToday to test calendar access
•State files: Confirm today.md, inbox.md, commitments.md appear in system prompt
•Scheduler: Use schedule_once to set a reminder a few minutes out, then check if it fires and can access state files

Environment Variables

Variable	Purpose	Default
`MEMORY_DIR`	Root directory for memory repo	Current working directory

File Structure Reference

code

innie/                          # Main repo (public)
├── AGENTS.md                   # Project identity and conventions
├── opencode.json               # Project MCP config
├── packages/
│   ├── memory/                 # Memory MCP server
│   └── scheduler/              # Background daemon
├── plugins/
│   └── hooks/                  # OpenCode hooks
└── .opencode/
    └── skill/                  # Skills directory

innie-memory/                   # Memory repo (private)
├── state/
│   ├── today.md                # Daily focus (~30 lines)
│   ├── inbox.md                # Quick capture (~20 lines)
│   ├── commitments.md          # Active work (~40 lines)
│   ├── ambient-tasks.md        # Quiet-time tasks (~30 lines)
│   ├── projects/*.md           # Project context
│   ├── people/*.md             # People context
│   └── meetings/*/             # Meeting artifacts
├── logs/
│   ├── journal.jsonl           # Timestamped observations
│   └── summaries/              # Conversation summaries
└── index/                      # Semantic search index (auto-generated)

Troubleshooting

Memory tools not available: Check that the memory MCP server path is correct in opencode.json and the package is built.

Calendar not working: Ensure icalBuddy is installed (brew install ical-buddy) and grant calendar access when prompted.

State files not in prompt: Verify the instructions array in opencode.json points to the correct absolute paths.

Scheduler not running: Check logs with log show --predicate 'subsystem == "gg.mk.innie.scheduler"' --last 1h

Scheduled tasks can't access state files: Add the external_directory permission rule to your config. Without this, OpenCode prompts for approval when accessing paths outside the current working directory.

Search returning no results: Run rebuild_memory_index to regenerate the semantic index.

Output

After walking through setup, confirm:

•All packages built successfully
•Memory repo created with initial state files
•Global and project config files in place
•Permissions configured for external directory access
•Memory MCP server responding
•Calendar skill working (icalBuddy)
•State files visible in system prompt
•Scheduled tasks can access state files without prompts