# Engram — Getting Started (No Technical Knowledge Required)

This guide assumes you have **never used a computer terminal before**. Everything is point-and-click.

---

## Part 1: Install Engram Hub (5 minutes)

### For Mac Users:

1. **Download Docker**
   - Go to https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop
   - Click "Download for Mac"
   - Open the downloaded file (looks like a package)
   - Drag the Docker icon to your Applications folder
   - Open Applications → Docker.app
   - Wait for Docker to finish starting (you'll see a whale icon in the menu bar at the top)

2. **Download Engram**
   - Go to https://github.com/GotThinkSolutions/engram
   - Click the green "Code" button
   - Click "Download ZIP"
   - Double-click the ZIP file to unzip it
   - Move the `engram` folder to your Desktop (or anywhere convenient)

3. **Start Engram**
   - Open the `engram` folder
   - Right-click on `setup.sh`
   - Select "Open With" → "Terminal"
   - Press Enter a few times when it asks questions (the defaults are fine)
   - Wait a minute for it to download and start

4. **Open the Dashboard**
   - Open your web browser
   - Go to: http://localhost:8000
   - You should see the Engram dashboard

**You're done!** Your Engram vault is now running locally.

---

### For Windows Users:

1. **Download Docker**
   - Go to https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop
   - Click "Download for Windows"
   - Run the installer (`.exe` file)
   - Follow the installation wizard
   - Restart your computer when it asks

2. **Download Engram**
   - Go to https://github.com/GotThinkSolutions/engram
   - Click the green "Code" button
   - Click "Download ZIP"
   - Right-click the ZIP file → "Extract All"
   - Move the `engram` folder to your Desktop (or anywhere convenient)

3. **Start Engram**
   - Open PowerShell (search "PowerShell" in the Start menu)
   - Copy and paste this, then press Enter:
     ```
     cd C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop\engram
     .\setup.sh
     ```
   - Replace `YourUsername` with your actual Windows username
   - Press Enter when it asks questions (defaults are fine)
   - Wait a minute for it to download and start

4. **Open the Dashboard**
   - Open your web browser
   - Go to: http://localhost:8000
   - You should see the Engram dashboard

**You're done!** Your Engram vault is now running locally.

---

### For Linux Users:

1. **Install Docker** (varies by Linux distribution)
   - Ubuntu/Debian: `sudo apt-get install docker.io docker-compose`
   - Fedora: `sudo dnf install docker docker-compose`
   - Other distros: https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/

2. **Download Engram**
   ```bash
   git clone https://github.com/GotThinkSolutions/engram.git
   cd engram
   ```

3. **Start Engram**
   ```bash
   chmod +x setup.sh
   ./setup.sh
   ```

4. **Open the Dashboard**
   - Open your browser: http://localhost:8000

**You're done!**

---

## Part 2: Using Your Vault

### Searching for Memories

1. Go to http://localhost:8000/docs
2. Look for the blue "Search" section
3. Click "Try it out"
4. Type what you're looking for (e.g., "debugging", "architecture decisions")
5. Click "Execute"
6. Your results appear below

### Common Questions

**Q: Where are my files stored?**
A: In the `entities/` folder inside Engram. Everything stays on your computer — nothing goes to the cloud.

**Q: Can I stop Engram?**
A: Yes. Go back to where you ran `setup.sh` and press Ctrl+C (hold Control, then press C).

**Q: How do I restart it?**
A: Run `setup.sh` again or type: `docker compose up -d`

**Q: Is it secure?**
A: Yes. Your vault only runs locally. No data leaves your computer unless you explicitly share it.

---

## Part 3: Connect a Jetson (Optional, for Advanced Users)

If you have an NVIDIA Jetson device and want to make it part of your Engram fleet:

1. During the `setup.sh` installation, when it asks "Provision a Jetson node?", say **yes**
2. Follow the prompts (you'll need to know your Jetson's IP address)
3. That's it — the Jetson will automatically join your mesh

---

## Getting Help

If something doesn't work:

1. **Check the Dashboard**: http://localhost:8000 — if you see a page, Engram is running
2. **Read TROUBLESHOOTING.md** in the Engram folder for common issues
3. **Check Docker**: If nothing works, restart Docker (close it and reopen it)
4. **Ask for help**: Open an issue on GitHub with what you tried and what happened

---

## What Just Happened?

Behind the scenes:
- Docker created an isolated container (think: a separate mini-computer inside your computer)
- Engram started inside that container
- You can now search 50,000+ sessions in ~50 milliseconds
- Your data never leaves your machine

That's all. It's that simple.

---

> **Note:** If you want to use Engram as an AI agent helper (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.), install the MCP extension in your AI tool's config. See the README for details. For now, just enjoy searching your vault!