CremindFiles Written
Exactly what each install mode creates on disk under ~/.cremind, plus the environment-variable overrides for staging and offline installs.
Both install modes keep everything under ~/.cremind (the system directory). The tables below are the exact set of files and volumes each mode creates, so you know what to back up, what to inspect, and what to remove for a clean wipe.
System directory vs install directory
CREMIND_SYSTEM_DIR (~/.cremind) holds durable state — profiles, tokens, config, and your database. CREMIND_INSTALL_DIR is install scratch space — the install log, the compose bundle, and caches. The defaults below assume the standard ~/.cremind layout.
Docker mode
| Path | Purpose |
|---|---|
~/.cremind/docker/docker-compose.yml | Compose orchestration for cremind, postgres, qdrant. |
~/.cremind/docker/.env | Secrets and config that Compose substitutes (chmod 600). |
~/.cremind/install.log | Output of compose pull / compose up. |
| Docker named volumes | cremind-data, pg-data, qdrant-data. Persisted across restarts. |
The .env file holds the generated VNC password, ports, app URL, and CORS settings — it is created with chmod 600 because it contains secrets. The named volumes persist your data across container restarts; they are only removed by docker compose down -v.
Native mode
| Path | Purpose |
|---|---|
~/.cremind/venv/ | Python virtualenv with cremind (SPA included). |
~/.cremind/.env | Backend env vars. |
~/.cremind/bootstrap.toml | DB-provider selection. |
~/.cremind/install.log | Output of pip install and cremind db upgrade. |
~/.cremind/install.pid | PID of the install-session server. |
~/.cremind/server.log | cremind serve stdout/stderr. |
The SQLite database lives under the system directory too, alongside the config above, so your data and configuration are all in one place.
Environment-variable overrides
Two environment variables change where the scripts read and write, which is useful for side-by-side staging installs, offline installs, and CI:
| Variable | Effect |
|---|---|
CREMIND_WORKING_DIR | Overrides ~/.cremind for side-by-side staging installs. |
CREMIND_TEMPLATE_BASE | Overrides the URL the scripts fetch templates from (useful for offline installs and CI). |
Cleaning up
To stop and remove everything:
- Docker mode:
cd ~/.cremind/docker && docker compose down -vremoves the containers and the named volumes (all data). Then delete~/.cremind/docker/if you want the compose bundle gone too. - Native mode: stop the server (
kill $(cat ~/.cremind/install.pid)), then remove~/.cremind/venv/and the config/database files under~/.cremind/.
Removing the named volumes (Docker) or the system directory files (native) deletes your profiles, tokens, and database. Back up ~/.cremind first if you might want any of it back.