What is Cognova?
What is Cognova?
Personal knowledge management system with an AI agent that has full access to your machine.
What is Cognova?
Cognova is a self-hosted knowledge management system powered by Claude Code. It gives you a personal AI agent that can manage tasks, organize notes, and execute commands on your machine through a web dashboard.
Key capabilities:
- Task & project management -- create, track, and complete tasks with AI assistance
- Vault -- a markdown-based knowledge base organized with the PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive)
- Embedded terminal -- Claude Code runs directly on your server, with full shell access
- Memory system -- the agent remembers decisions, preferences, and context across sessions
- Customizable personality -- configure the agent's name, tone, and behavior during setup
Cognova is a Nuxt 4 application backed by PostgreSQL and managed by PM2.
Cognova gives an AI agent unrestricted access to the machine it runs on. Always install on a dedicated VM or container -- never on a personal machine with sensitive data.
Quick Start
# Install globally
npm install -g cognova
# Run the setup wizard
cognova init
The init wizard walks you through:
- Prerequisite checks (Node >= 22, Python 3, pnpm)
- Agent personality configuration
- Install directory and vault location
- Database setup (local Docker or remote PostgreSQL)
- Network access and admin credentials
Once complete, open http://localhost:3000 and log in with the credentials you chose.
Next Steps
- Installation -- detailed prerequisites and setup
- Configuration -- environment variable reference
- Self-Hosting -- deployment options (Docker, Coolify, bare metal)
- Guide -- feature walkthroughs for the web UI
- Claude Integration -- skills, hooks, rules, and memory