ob-labs/memory-powermem/install-memory-powermem-full

PowerMem Memory — Full Guide

Skill id / OpenClaw folder name: install-memory-powermem-full. For the shortest install-only path, use `install-memory-powermem` (quickstart).

This skill folder includes supplementary docs:

• powermem-intro.md — What PowerMem is, features, vs file-based memory.
• config-reference.md — Config keys, state dir, commands.

How It Works

• Auto-Capture: After a conversation, the plugin sends valuable user/assistant text to PowerMem (optional infer / intelligent extraction).
• Auto-Recall: Before each turn, it searches memories and can inject a <relevant-memories> block into context.
• Auto-Experience: Optionally distills procedural experiences and stores them as memories for later recall.

When User Asks to Install

Recommended order (TO C): (1) OpenClaw installed and default model + provider auth configured. (2) Install the memory-powermem plugin. (3) Default CLI uses powermem-ts (npm package `powermem`) via `pmemPath: bundled`—no Python required; the plugin’s npm install / pnpm install pulls powermem, `@langchain/openai`, and native deps (`better-sqlite3`). (4) Optional: use Python pmem from oceanbase/powermem instead by setting `pmemPath` to the venv binary. No `powermem.env` is required for the default path when `useOpenClawModel` is true.

The curl `install.sh` deploys the plugin and OpenClaw entries; with `-y` it may still create `~/.openclaw/powermem/powermem.env` as an optional template—it does not require pip install powermem. That file is not required if the user relies on OpenClaw-injected LLM + default SQLite + bundled npm CLI.

1. Check OpenClaw

openclaw --version. If missing: npm install -g openclaw, openclaw onboard. Ensure `agents.defaults.model` is set (e.g. openai/gpt-4o-mini) and the corresponding provider / API key works for normal chat—the plugin reuses that for PowerMem when `useOpenClawModel` is true (default).

1. Install the plugin

openclaw plugins install /path/to/memory-powermem (or openclaw plugins install memory-powermem from npm), or run `install.sh` from the memory-powermem repo — see One-click plugin deploy (`install.sh`) below for curl / flags / --workdir.

1. PowerMem CLI — default: powermem-ts (npm), no Python

• Plugin default `pmemPath: bundled`: runs the `powermem` npm package (TypeScript / powermem-ts) shipped with the plugin (node_modules/.../powermem/dist/cli.js).
• After openclaw plugins install or `install.sh`, dependencies are installed under the plugin directory; for a local path / symlink install, run `pnpm install` / `npm install` in that directory.
• pnpm 10+: allow `better-sqlite3` install scripts (see plugin `package.json` → `pnpm.onlyBuiltDependencies`) or run `pnpm rebuild better-sqlite3` if the native module failed to build.
• Defaults: Plugin injects SQLite at <OpenClaw stateDir>/powermem/data/powermem.db and LLM + embedding env vars derived from OpenClaw. Typical stateDir is ~/.openclaw unless the user uses another instance (OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR, --workdir).
• Optional `envFile`: Path to a PowerMem .env for extra tuning. If the file exists, pmem loads it; OpenClaw-derived vars still override the same keys when useOpenClawModel is true.
• `useOpenClawModel: false`: Disables injection; user must supply a complete PowerMem config via .env and/or environment variables.

1. Optional: Python CLI instead of bundled npm

For oceanbase/powermem Python pmem: Python 3.10+, venv + pip install powermem, then set `pmemPath` to the absolute path of the pmem binary (gateway may not inherit venv PATH). Verify with `pmem --version`.

1. HTTP path (enterprise / shared server)

• Run `powermem-server` from the same powermem-ts stack (npm) or from a Python/Docker deployment; .env in server working directory with DB + LLM + embedding; e.g. powermem-server --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000.
• Check: curl -s http://localhost:8000/api/v1/system/health (or /api/v2/system/health for v2).

1. Configure OpenClaw

CLI — defaults (recommended, matches plugin defaults): Do not set envFile unless you need a file. Example:

``bash openclaw config set plugins.enabled true openclaw config set plugins.slots.memory memory-powermem openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.mode cli openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.pmemPath bundled openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.useOpenClawModel true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.autoCapture true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.autoRecall true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.autoExperience true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.experienceRecall true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.inferOnAdd true --json ``

CLI — optional `.env` override file:

``bash openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.envFile "$HOME/.openclaw/powermem/powermem.env" ``

(Only matters if that path exists; OpenClaw can still override LLM keys when useOpenClawModel is true.)

HTTP:

``bash openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.mode http openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.baseUrl http://localhost:8000 ``

Optional: apiKey if the server uses auth. For v2, set: ``bash openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.httpApiVersion v2 openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.requestConfig '{"memory_db":{"host":"db-host","port":2881}}' --json ``

1. Verify

Restart gateway, then in another terminal:

``bash openclaw plugins list ``

Confirm memory-powermem is listed and its status is loaded. If it is missing or not loaded, fix install/slot config and restart the gateway before running LTM checks.

``bash openclaw ltm health openclaw ltm add "I prefer coffee in the morning" openclaw ltm search "coffee" ``

One-click plugin deploy (install.sh)

Requires: OpenClaw installed (openclaw --version). The script runs `npm install` (or equivalent) inside the deployed plugin directory so powermem-ts is available; it does not run pip install powermem. Default `pmemPath` is `bundled` (npm CLI).

Default: configures plugin CLI mode. With `-y`, it may still create `~/.openclaw/powermem/powermem.env` as an optional template — not required if you use OpenClaw-injected LLM + default SQLite + bundled CLI.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ob-labs/memory-powermem/main/install.sh | bash

From a local clone (no download):

cd /path/to/memory-powermem && bash install.sh

Non-interactive (defaults: CLI, may seed env file):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ob-labs/memory-powermem/main/install.sh | bash -s -y

Target a different OpenClaw instance:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ob-labs/memory-powermem/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --workdir ~/.openclaw-second

What the script does: resolve OpenClaw workdir → choose or default cli / http and paths → for CLI, optionally seed powermem.env if missing → deploy plugin to <workdir>/extensions/memory-powermem → npm install there → set OpenClaw config (plugins.enabled, slots.memory, entries.memory-powermem).

After (CLI): openclaw gateway, then openclaw ltm health — you usually do not need to edit powermem.env when using plugin defaults.

After (HTTP): start PowerMem with a proper .env in the server cwd, then start the gateway.

Copy a skill into OpenClaw

Copy one skill you want into ~/.openclaw/skills/<skill-name>/ (folder name should match the skill id). The quickstart and full-guide skills are independent.

Quickstart (`install-memory-powermem`) — Linux / macOS:

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/skills/install-memory-powermem
cp /path/to/memory-powermem/skills/install-memory-powermem/SKILL.md \
   ~/.openclaw/skills/install-memory-powermem/

Full guide (`install-memory-powermem-full`) — Linux / macOS: copy all .md files in that folder.

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/skills/install-memory-powermem-full
cp /path/to/memory-powermem/skills/install-memory-powermem-full/*.md \
   ~/.openclaw/skills/install-memory-powermem-full/

Full guide — Windows (PowerShell):

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\skills\install-memory-powermem-full"
Copy-Item "path\to\memory-powermem\skills\install-memory-powermem-full\*.md" `
  "$env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\skills\install-memory-powermem-full\"

Multi-instance OpenClaw (--workdir / OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR)

Install script:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ob-labs/memory-powermem/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --workdir ~/.openclaw-second

Manual config for that instance:

OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR=~/.openclaw-second openclaw config set plugins.slots.memory memory-powermem

Plugin data and default SQLite follow that instance’s stateDir.

Available Tools

Configuration (summary)