Documentation

Installation

Getting started with Inner Context is simple. Use our installation script to set up the CLI tool on your system:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://innercontext.com/install.sh | sh

This works on macOS, Linux, and Windows (WSL). The installer will automatically download the appropriate binary for your system and add it to your PATH.

Creating Your First Context

Inner Context works with markdown files that contain your thoughts, values, and knowledge. Start by creating a dedicated folder for your context documents:

Step 1: Create Your Context Folder

mkdir ~/my-context
cd ~/my-context

Step 2: Create Your First Markdown Files

Create some basic markdown files to get started. Here are some examples:

values.md - Document your core values and principles:

# My Core Values

## Authenticity
I believe in being genuine and true to myself in all interactions.

## Growth
I value continuous learning and personal development.

## Compassion
I strive to treat others with kindness and understanding.

goals.md - Outline your personal and professional aspirations:

# My Goals

## Professional
- Build meaningful software that helps people
- Develop expertise in AI and machine learning
- Lead a team of talented engineers

## Personal
- Maintain work-life balance
- Travel to new places and experience different cultures
- Stay physically and mentally healthy

knowledge.md - Capture domain-specific knowledge and expertise:

# My Knowledge Areas

## Software Engineering
- 10+ years experience in web development
- Expert in JavaScript, Python, and Go
- Strong understanding of distributed systems

## Philosophy
- Interested in stoicism and practical philosophy
- Studied ethics and moral reasoning
- Apply philosophical thinking to daily decisions

Running Inner Context

Once you have your markdown files ready, run Inner Context against your folder:

innercontext ~/my-context

The tool will analyze your documents and begin the philosophical dialogue process.

Your First Question Session

When you first run Inner Context, it will:

  1. Analyze Your Content - The tool reads through all your markdown files and understands the structure and content of your thoughts.
  2. Identify Gaps - Using symbolic logic and AI analysis, it identifies areas where your thinking might be incomplete or contradictory.
  3. Generate Questions - Based on this analysis, it creates thoughtful questions designed to help you explore and expand your understanding.
  4. Engage in Dialogue - You'll be presented with questions one at a time, allowing you to reflect and respond thoughtfully.

Example First Session

Here's what a typical first session might look like:

$ innercontext ~/my-context

Analyzing your context...
Found 3 documents with 127 concepts.
Identifying logical connections...

Question 1 of 5:

You mention "authenticity" as a core value, but also "growth" 
and "compassion." When these values conflict - for instance, 
when being authentic might hurt someone's feelings - how do 
you prioritize between them?

Your response: _

After you answer, Inner Context will:

  • Process your response and update your context
  • Generate follow-up questions based on your answer
  • Help you explore the implications of your thinking
  • Suggest new areas for reflection

Building Your Practice

Inner Context is designed to be used regularly. Each session builds upon previous ones, creating a deeper and more coherent understanding of yourself over time. The tool learns from your responses and adapts its questions to help you explore new territory in your thinking.

As you continue using Inner Context, you'll notice:

  • Your values become more clearly defined and consistent
  • Contradictions in your thinking are identified and resolved
  • Your knowledge becomes better organized and interconnected
  • Your AI interactions become more aligned with your authentic intentions

Privacy and Security

Your personal context never leaves your local machine. Inner Context uses symbolic logic and local AI processing to analyze your content without sending it to external servers. This ensures your most personal thoughts and values remain completely private and under your control.