Local Runtime

Coppermind is local-first by default. That means your first successful install should work without cloud signup or manual database setup.

What runs locally

The normal local runtime path includes:

• the coppermind CLI
• the Coppermind daemon
• the local MCP server exposed through coppermind mcp serve
• the managed local memory backend

Users talk to Coppermind. Coppermind owns the local backend details.

The core local commands

npm install -g coppermind
coppermind setup
coppermind daemon start
coppermind doctor
coppermind daemon health

These are the commands that matter for first local success.

What doctor is for

coppermind doctor is the main repair surface for local runtime problems.

Use it when:

• setup did not finish cleanly
• the daemon looks unhealthy
• your client cannot reach the local runtime
• an upgrade left the machine in a drifted state

Use coppermind doctor --check when you want the read-only version.

What stays optional

These are not required for first local success:

• dashboard login
• Coppermind API keys
• hosted sync
• BYODB attach
• local AI assist

Optional local AI assist can be enabled later:

coppermind local-ai on

What healthy local success looks like

• coppermind doctor passes
• coppermind daemon health reports healthy runtime state
• your client is connected through MCP or a runtime-managed integration
• memory operations work without cloud credentials

When cloud becomes relevant

Cloud features matter only when you choose them for:

• hosted sync
• billing and plan controls
• dashboard visibility
• BYODB attach

If you stay local-only, you can ignore that layer.