Configuration Reference
l0-memory can be configured via environment variables and VS Code settings.
Environment Variables
These variables affect the behavior of the ltm binary, whether run as a CLI or an MCP server.
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
LTM_DB | Absolute path to the SQLite database file. | ~/.long-term-memory/memories.db |
LTM_SCOPE | Sets the default scope for all commands. | user |
LTM_DEBUG | If set to 1, enables verbose debug logging to stderr. | (empty) |
LTM_LOG_FILE | Path to a file where debug logs should be appended. | (empty) |
LTM_EMBEDDING_URL | OpenAI-compatible /v1/embeddings base URL. Enables hybrid retrieval. Empty = FTS-only. | (empty) |
LTM_EMBEDDING_MODEL | Embedding model name passed to the endpoint. | (empty) |
LTM_EMBED_DISABLE | Set to 1 to force the vector path off even when a URL is configured. | (empty) |
LTM_EMBED_TIMEOUT | Per-request embedding timeout as a Go duration (e.g. 3s). | 5s |
LTM_CONFLICT_DISABLE | Set to 1 to disable automatic local conflict resolution (Auto-Supersede) on save. | (empty) |
LTM_SERVE_TOKEN | Bearer token required by ltm serve on every route except GET /health. If unset, a random token is generated once and persisted 0600 at <db-dir>/serve-token. | (generated) |
Debugging
Setting LTM_LOG_FILE automatically enables LTM_DEBUG. This is useful for troubleshooting MCP connection issues where stderr might be swallowed by the host.
VS Code Settings
These settings are available in the VS Code Settings UI under the l0-memory section.
l0-memory.binaryPath
Type: string | Default: "" The absolute path to the ltm binary. If left empty, the extension will attempt to auto-discover the binary in common locations and the extension's bundled bin/ folder.
l0-memory.dbPath
Type: string | Default: "" Overrides the SQLite database path. This effectively sets the LTM_DB environment variable for the extension's internal operations.
l0-memory.defaultScope
Type: enum | Default: "user" Options: user, ask, repo:current. Determines the scope used when adding a new memory from the sidebar. repo:current will attempt to use the name of your active workspace folder.
l0-memory.groupByScope
Type: boolean | Default: false When enabled, the Memories tree view will group entries under collapsible scope nodes.
l0-memory.sortBy
Type: enum | Default: "updated" Options: updated, created, key, scope. Sets the default sort order for the Memories tree view. Note that pinned items always appear at the top regardless of this setting.
l0-memory.autoStartMCP
Type: boolean | Default: false If true, the extension will spawn a background MCP server on activation. This is generally unnecessary if you are using an MCP host like Claude Code that starts its own instance.