SocratiCode Management

Set up, index, and manage SocratiCode codebase indexing, file watching, code graphs, and context artifacts.

First-Time Setup

1. Check infrastructure: codebase_health — verifies Docker, Qdrant, Ollama/embedding provider, and embedding model
2. Start indexing: codebase_index — runs in background, returns immediately
3. Poll progress: codebase_status — call every ~60 seconds until 100% complete

• This also keeps the MCP connection alive (some hosts disconnect idle connections)

1. Done: Graph auto-builds after indexing. In the default watcher mode, the file watcher auto-starts. Ready to search.

On first use, SocratiCode automatically pulls Docker images, starts containers, and downloads the embedding model (~5 min one-time setup).

Incremental Updates & File Watching

The file watcher keeps the index automatically updated in the default SOCRATICODE_WATCHER=auto mode.

• codebase_watch { action: "start" } — start the watcher (runs catch-up update first)
• codebase_watch { action: "stop" } — stop the watcher
• codebase_watch { action: "status" } — list watched projects (including cross-process)
• codebase_update — manual incremental update (only changed files, synchronous). Usually not needed if watcher is active.

For a deliberate code-index snapshot, configure every MCP process that uses the checkout with SOCRATICODE_WATCHER=off and SOCRATICODE_AUTO_RESUME=off. Search and graph tools keep reading the existing index and graph; run codebase_update and codebase_graph_build only when a refresh is wanted. Use watcher mode manual instead when explicit codebase_watch { action: "start" } should remain available. Never try to restart a watcher whose status says disabled.

Managing Indexes

• codebase_stop — gracefully pause in-progress indexing. Current batch finishes and checkpoints. All progress preserved. Resume with codebase_index.
• codebase_remove — delete entire index (destructive). Safely stops watcher, cancels indexing, waits for graph builds.
• codebase_prune — inventory stored identities; delete one by exact identity, fresh confirmation token and shared-store acknowledgement. Path absence is advisory, never a candidate set.
• codebase_list_projects — list all indexed projects with metadata, graph info, and artifact status.

Managing the Code Graph

The dependency graph is auto-built after indexing. In watcher modes manual and off, graph queries read an existing graph but will ask for an explicit build instead of creating a missing graph as a side effect.

• codebase_graph_build — manually rebuild (background, async). Poll with codebase_graph_status.
• codebase_graph_remove — delete graph (auto-rebuilds on next codebase_index)
• codebase_graph_status — check build progress or graph readiness

Context Artifacts Setup

To index non-code knowledge, create .socraticodecontextartifacts.json in the project root:

json
{
  "artifacts": [
    {
      "name": "database-schema",
      "path": "./docs/schema.sql",
      "description": "PostgreSQL schema — all tables, indexes, constraints, foreign keys."
    }
  ]
}

Supported types: SQL schemas, OpenAPI/Protobuf API specs, Terraform/CloudFormation configs, Kubernetes manifests, architecture docs, environment configs — any text-based file or directory.

• codebase_context_index — manually index/re-index all artifacts (usually auto-triggered)
• codebase_context_remove — remove all indexed artifacts (blocked during indexing)

Troubleshooting

| Problem | Solution | |---------|----------| | Docker not available | Install Docker Desktop from https://docker.com, ensure it's running | | Slow indexing on macOS/Windows | Docker can't use GPU. Install native Ollama from https://ollama.com/download for Metal/CUDA acceleration. Or use cloud embeddings. | | Want cloud embeddings instead | Set EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=openai + OPENAI_API_KEY, or EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=google + GOOGLE_API_KEY | | Search returns no results | Check codebase_status — project may not be indexed. Run codebase_index. | | Stale results | Check codebase_status. Run codebase_update; start the watcher only when status does not say it is disabled. | | Indexing was interrupted | Run codebase_index again — it resumes from the last checkpoint automatically. | | Another process is indexing | codebase_status detects cross-process indexing. Wait for it, or use codebase_stop. |

Key Environment Variables

| Variable | Default | Description | |----------|---------|-------------| | QDRANT_MODE | managed | managed (Docker) or external (remote/cloud Qdrant) | | QDRANT_URL | — | Full URL for remote Qdrant (e.g. https://xyz.cloud.qdrant.io:6333) | | QDRANT_API_KEY | — | API key for remote Qdrant | | EMBEDDING_PROVIDER | ollama | ollama, openai, or google | | OPENAI_API_KEY | — | Required when EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=openai | | GOOGLE_API_KEY | — | Required when EMBEDDING_PROVIDER=google | | OLLAMA_MODE | auto | auto (detect native, fallback Docker), docker, external | | EMBEDDING_MODEL | nomic-embed-text | Model name (provider-specific) | | SEARCH_DEFAULT_LIMIT | 10 | Default result limit for codebase_search (1-50) | | SEARCH_MIN_SCORE | 0.10 | Default minimum RRF score threshold (0-1) | | MAX_FILE_SIZE_MB | 5 | Maximum file size for indexing in MB; must be a complete finite number | | EXTRA_EXTENSIONS | — | Additional file extensions to index (e.g. .tpl,.blade,.hbs) | | SOCRATICODE_WATCHER | auto | auto, manual (explicit start only), or off (no watcher) | | SOCRATICODE_AUTO_RESUME | — | all resumes all stored projects; off disables startup catch-up and interrupted-index recovery |

For full parameter details on every tool, see references/tool-reference.md.