Documentation
Setup Guide
Download the installer and run it. Cerebro checks your system and handles prerequisites for you. One installer, done.
1Prerequisites
The setup wizard detects and installs these for you on first launch. You can also install them manually beforehand — the wizard will recognize them and skip to launch.
- Claude Code CLI
Installed via the official claude.ai install script. Any Claude subscription tier works. Cerebro uses your existing session — no extra API cost.
- Node.js LTS
Downloaded from nodejs.org. Required by the Claude Code CLI.
- Git (Windows only)
Installed via
winget. macOS and Linux ship with Git already. - Windows 10/11 or Linux (x64)
macOS coming soon. AppImage runs on most modern distros.
2What the setup wizard does
On first launch, Cerebro runs a prerequisite check before starting the main app. Here's exactly what it does, step by step.
Prerequisite wizard — consent-first
System scan
Cerebro checks for Claude Code CLI, Node.js, and Git (Windows only). The wizard lists each item with a green check (found) or amber warning (missing).
Per-item approval
For each missing item you see two options: [Install for me] or [Show manual instructions]. Nothing installs until you click a button.
Official sources only
The wizard pulls exclusively from vendor-official locations — no Professor-hosted infrastructure involved:
- Claude Code CLI —
https://claude.ai/install.sh(macOS/Linux) orhttps://claude.ai/install.ps1(Windows) - Node.js LTS —
https://nodejs.org - Git (Windows) —
winget install --id Git.Git - Git (macOS) —
brew install git
Launch
Once all prerequisites are confirmed, Cerebro opens. On subsequent launches the check runs in under a second.
Transparency by design. Every install action is visible, per-item, and requires explicit user approval. If you prefer to set things up yourself, choose [Show manual instructions] for any item and skip the automated step.
3Install in Four Steps
Download the installer
Grab the latest release from your portal or GitHub. Pick Cerebro-Installer.exe on Windows or Cerebro-Installer.AppImage on Linux.
Run the installer
On Windows, double-click the .exe and follow the wizard. SmartScreen may ask you to confirm — click More info → Run anyway (Cerebro isn't code-signed yet). Troubleshooting guide.
On Linux, chmod +x Cerebro-Installer.AppImage then double-click or run it from a terminal. FUSE required — see FUSE guide if needed.
Complete the setup wizard
The wizard detects Claude Code CLI and Node.js. If either is missing, click [Install for me] — it handles the rest from official sources. Alternatively, sign into Claude Code manually if you prefer:
# Install Claude Code (if you prefer manual)
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
# Sign in
claude loginActivate (Pro only)
Pro and Pro+ subscribers paste the activation code from the dashboard into Cerebro on first launch. Free tier has no activation step — you're already done.
That's it. Open the app and Cerebro is live. The platform auto-registers with Claude Code on first run.
4Optional: Multi-Machine Memory
Want one shared memory across every device you use? Point Cerebro at a NAS-mounted folder.
Shared NAS storage
Recommended for power usersWhat you need
Mount the share
# Replace YOUR_NAS_IP and the share name with your own
sudo mount -t nfs YOUR_NAS_IP:/volume1/AI_MEMORY /mnt/nas
# Or persist via /etc/fstab:
# YOUR_NAS_IP:/volume1/AI_MEMORY /mnt/nas nfs defaults 0 0:: Map a network drive (replace with your NAS IP / share)
net use Z: \\YOUR_NAS_IP\AI_MEMORY /persistent:yesPoint Cerebro at it
Open Cerebro → Settings → Storage. Set the storage path to your mounted share (e.g. /mnt/nas/cerebro or Z:\cerebro). Repeat on every machine. They'll all read and write the same memory database — no sync needed.
5The Creator's Setup
Reference architecture for the home lab Cerebro is developed against. You don't need any of this — Cerebro runs great on a single laptop. This is what happens when you go all-in.
A laptop is enough. The full home lab is for distributed embeddings and 24/7 agents. The same installer powers both.
6What Cerebro Does NOT Require
Common assumptions that are wrong — Cerebro is simpler than you think:
- No Docker
v6 ships as a native installer with the runtime bundled — no containers, no Compose files
- No Python or pip
The installer brings its own runtime — nothing for you to install
- No API keys
Uses your Claude Code subscription directly
- No cloud account
100% local — your data never leaves your machine
- No database server
Built-in SQLite + FAISS, zero config