| 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
mrctl compact
mrctl config set context.mode <clear|context>
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.