using-total-recall

name	using-total-recall
description	Initialize total-recall memory system and ensure session_start has been called. Use at session start or when memory features aren't working.

Using total-recall

This skill ensures the total-recall memory system is active for this session.

Immediate Action

1. Call the total-recall session_start MCP tool now (if it already ran server-side, it returns cached results instantly)
2. If session_start is blocked by permissions (e.g., in TUI fullscreen / dontAsk mode):
   • Tell the user: "total-recall session_start was blocked by permissions. The memory system needs mcp__plugin_total-recall_total-recall__session_start allowed to function. You may need to adjust permissions if you want total-recall active this session."
   • Suggest running /total-recall:commands setup to auto-configure permissions for future sessions
   • Proceed without memory features — this is degraded mode, not fatal
3. Announce startup using the returned data:
   • Report tier summary: hot, warm, cold, KB counts from tierSummary
   • Report storage backend from storage (e.g. "sqlite", "cortex", "postgres"). If it shows a fallback like "sqlite (cortex failed)", flag this prominently.
   • If lastSessionAge is present, mention when the last session was
   • If hints are present, briefly surface the most relevant ones
   • Keep it to 2-3 lines max
4. Use hints to inform your behavior throughout the session
5. Incorporate the returned context to inform your responses

Ongoing Behaviors

Once initialized, follow these behaviors throughout the session. Tool calls will be visible to the user.

Handling model bootstrap errors

When session_start returns an error response containing "error": "model_not_ready", parse the JSON payload and follow the recovery flow based on reason:

reason	What it means	What to do
downloading	First-run bootstrap is in progress (90 MB ONNX model). Another process or this one holds the lock.	Wait 5–10 seconds and call session_start again. Repeat up to 12 times (~2 minutes total). Surface a brief status to the user on the first retry: "Total-recall is downloading its embedding model on first run. This is a one-time setup."
missing	Model not present and no bootstrap has started.	Call session_start again to trigger the bootstrap.
corrupted	Model file present but failed checksum (e.g., partial download, bad bundled file, Git LFS pointer).	Call session_start once more — bootstrap will re-download. If it fails again with the same reason, surface the hint field to the user verbatim (it contains manual install instructions) and proceed without memory.
failed	Network failure or other unrecoverable download error.	Surface the hint field verbatim to the user (manual install commands) and proceed without memory features for this session. Do NOT keep retrying — that will only delay the user.

After successful recovery, all subsequent total-recall behaviors (capture, retrieve, session end) should resume normally. If recovery is impossible, the assistant must continue helping the user with their actual task — memory unavailability is a degraded mode, not a fatal error.

Capture (continuous)

When you detect these patterns in user messages, call memory_store:

• Correction: "no", "not that", "actually", "use X instead" -> type "correction"
• Preference: How the user wants things done -> type "preference"
• Decision: Non-obvious architectural or design choices -> type "decision"

Do NOT ask permission — just store it.

Retrieve (continuous)

On each user message that is a question or task request:

1. Call memory_search with the message, searching warm tier
2. If top score < 0.5, also search cold/knowledge tier
3. Use results to inform your response

Session End

1. Call session_context to get current hot tier entries
2. If there are 2+ hot entries, launch the total-recall:compactor agent with the entries as input
3. Parse the agent's JSON decisions and execute them
4. Call session_end for final bookkeeping

Rules

• Let tool calls be visible — users should see that memory is working
• ALWAYS store corrections — highest-value memories
• ALWAYS search warm tier before answering project questions
• NEVER modify host tool files (Claude Code memory/, CLAUDE.md, etc.)