context

name	context
description	Manage conversation context — clear the next run's context (one-shot) or compact to permanently reset the session boundary. Use when the user asks to "start fresh", "forget", "clear context", or "reset".

Commands

mrctl clear                  # One-shot: next run starts with no prior messages, then reverts
mrctl compact                # Permanent: all older messages excluded from context going forward
mrctl config set context.mode <clear|context>   # Switch context strategy

clear vs compact

	mrctl clear	mrctl compact
Effect	Excludes prior messages for the next run only	Permanently moves the session boundary forward
After next run	Context window returns to normal	Old messages stay excluded forever
Use when	User wants a one-time fresh start ("forget what we just discussed")	User wants a hard reset ("start over", conversation is too long/confused)

Context modes

Set via mrctl config set context.mode <value>:

• clear (default) — Each message starts fresh. If the user replies to a bot message, the reply chain is included as context.
• context — Sliding window of recent turns is always included.

Sliding-window size for context mode: mrctl config set context.window_size <1-50> (default: 10).

Depth of reply-chain context for clear mode: mrctl config set context.reply_chain_depth <1-50> (default: 10).

All three keys (context.mode, context.window_size, context.reply_chain_depth) can also be set in mercury.yaml under a top-level context: block — values seed the main space on first boot.