Installation

Install Mega Brain and set up your AI knowledge management system

Prerequisites

Before installing Mega Brain, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

Node.js

Version 18.0.0 or higher

Download from nodejs.org

Python

Version 3.10 or higher

Download from python.org

Claude Code

Max or Pro plan required

The core runtime for Mega Brain

OpenAI API Key

Required for transcription

Get your key

System Requirements

Component	Requirement	Notes
Operating System	Linux, macOS, or Windows	Windows requires WSL for best compatibility
Memory	4GB RAM minimum	8GB+ recommended for processing large files
Storage	1GB free space	More space needed for your knowledge base
Network	Internet connection	Required for API calls and transcription

Mega Brain uses Claude Code as its core runtime. Make sure you have an active Claude Code Max or Pro subscription before proceeding.

Installation Methods

Quick Install (Recommended)

Install Mega Brain globally using npm:

1. Install via npm

   Run the installation command:

   npm install -g mega-brain-ai
   

   Or use npx to run without installing:

   npx mega-brain-ai install
   
2. Run the setup wizard

   The setup wizard will automatically launch on first use:

   npx mega-brain-ai setup
   

   This interactive wizard will:

   • Check for Python 3.10+ and Node.js 18+
   • Install Python dependencies (PyYAML)
   • Prompt you to configure API keys
   • Validate your API connections
   • Generate your .env file
3. Verify installation

   Check your system status:

   npx mega-brain-ai status
   

   Expected output:

   Mega Brain v1.3.0
   
   SETUP SUMMARY
   
   Tools
     Python 3 ........... OK  3.10.12
     Node.js ............ OK  18.17.0
     pip install ........ OK  installed
   
   API Keys
     OPENAI_API_KEY ..... OK  sk-...
     VOYAGE_API_KEY ..... OK  pa-...
     Google OAuth ....... SKIP not set
   
   .env file ............ WRITTEN
   

Local Development Install

For contributors or users who want to modify the source code:

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/your-org/mega-brain.git
   cd mega-brain
   
2. Install dependencies

   npm install
   
3. Install Python dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

   Or with Python 3:

   python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt
   
4. Run setup

   npm run install-wizard
   

Post-Installation Setup

Verify Python Installation

The setup wizard automatically detects Python. If you need to verify manually:

macOS/Linux

python3 --version
# Should output: Python 3.10.x or higher

Python is required for hooks and intelligence scripts. The minimum version is 3.10, but 3.11+ is recommended for better performance.

Verify Node.js Installation

node --version
# Should output: v18.0.0 or higher

Directory Structure

After installation, your Mega Brain directory will look like this:

mega-brain/
├── .claude/          # Claude Code integration (hooks, skills, commands)
├── agents/           # AI agent definitions and templates
├── artifacts/        # Processing pipeline stages
├── bin/              # CLI tools and entry points
├── core/             # Processing engine and schemas
├── inbox/            # Raw materials input directory
├── knowledge/        # Your knowledge base (playbooks, dossiers)
├── logs/             # Session and processing logs
├── .env              # Your API keys (generated, gitignored)
└── package.json      # Project metadata

Available Packages

Mega Brain comes in different editions based on the layer system:

Layer 1 - Community

Free & Open Source

Core engine, templates, hooks, skills, CLI tools, and agent templates.

Perfect for building your own knowledge system from scratch.

Layer 2 - Pro

Premium Edition

Everything in Community plus:

• Pre-populated knowledge base
• Mind clone agents
• Full pipeline processing
• Conclave multi-agent system

Requires MoneyClub membership.

Layer 3 - Personal

Your Data

Your personal materials, sessions, and environment configuration.

Always stays local and never leaves your machine.

Upgrading Editions

To upgrade from Community to Pro:

npx mega-brain-ai upgrade

You’ll be prompted to validate your MoneyClub email.

Troubleshooting

Python Not Found

If the setup wizard can’t find Python:

1. Ensure Python 3.10+ is installed from python.org
2. Add Python to your system PATH
3. Try using python3 instead of python
4. Restart your terminal after installation

Node Version Too Old

If your Node.js version is below 18:

# Update Node.js using nvm (recommended)
nvm install 18
nvm use 18

# Or download from nodejs.org

Permission Errors on npm Install

If you get EACCES errors:

macOS/Linux

# Use npm's built-in permission fix
npx npm-reinstall-global-without-sudo

# Or install without sudo using npx
npx mega-brain-ai install

Python Dependencies Failed

If pip installation fails:

# Install dependencies manually
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Or with Python 3 explicitly
python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt

# On macOS, you may need:
pip3 install --user -r requirements.txt

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Learn how to ingest your first material and process it through the pipeline

Configuration

Configure API keys and customize Mega Brain for your workflow