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The longmem start command starts the memory daemon process in the background.

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Syntax

longmem start
This command takes no options or arguments.

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What It Does

When you run longmem start, the CLI:
  1. Checks if daemon is already running - Uses health check to avoid duplicate processes
  2. Locates the daemon binary - Looks for longmemd in the bin directory or falls back to daemon.js
  3. Spawns the daemon - Starts as a detached background process
  4. Waits for startup - Pauses 1.5 seconds for daemon to initialize
  5. Verifies health - Confirms daemon is responding to requests

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Output

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Successful Start

$ longmem start
Starting daemon...
Daemon started.

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Already Running

$ longmem start
Daemon already running.

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Installation Missing

$ longmem start
Error: Daemon not found. Run `longmem --tui` to install.

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Failed to Start

$ longmem start
Starting daemon...
Error: Daemon failed to start. Check ~/.longmem/logs/daemon.log

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Under the Hood

The daemon runs as a detached process with:
  • stdio: All streams redirected to /dev/null (logs go to ~/.longmem/logs/daemon.log)
  • detached: Yes - runs independently of parent process
  • unref: Yes - allows parent to exit without waiting
The daemon binary is located at:
  • ~/.longmem/bin/longmemd (installed binary), or
  • ~/.longmem/daemon.js (script fallback)

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Health Check

The start command performs health checks by sending requests to: 
http://127.0.0.1:5939/health
The port may differ based on your configuration (see ~/.longmem/config.json).

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Exit Codes

  • 0 - Daemon started successfully or already running
  • 1 - Failed to start daemon or daemon binary not found

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Troubleshooting

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Daemon fails to start

Check the daemon logs: 
longmem logs
Common issues:
  • Port already in use
  • Database corruption
  • Missing configuration file

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Process exists but not responding

If the daemon process is running but not responding to health checks: 
# Stop any existing process
longmem stop

# Check for stale processes
ps aux | grep longmemd

# Kill manually if needed
kill <PID>

# Start again
longmem start

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Permission errors

Ensure the ~/.longmem directory has correct permissions: 
chmod 700 ~/.longmem
chmod 755 ~/.longmem/bin/longmemd

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What Happens After Start

Once started, the daemon:
  1. Creates PID file at ~/.longmem/longmem.pid
  2. Opens SQLite database at ~/.longmem/longmem.db
  3. Starts HTTP server on configured port (default: 5939)
  4. Begins processing compression queue after 5 seconds
  5. Listens for MCP tool calls and hook observations

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