# slipstream by sarmalinux

> slipstream is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic. Claude and Claude Code are trademarks of Anthropic, referenced here only to describe compatibility.

slipstream is a Claude Code plugin. You install it into Claude Code in VS Code and it makes Claude work through precise tools instead of whole-file reads, keeps context alive across compaction, ships a guardrailed skill library for production sites on Cloudflare, Supabase, Vercel and Resend, and stands up a live local dashboard so you can watch the agents work.

It is not a CLI you run as a product. There is a small helper binary the plugin calls from its hooks, its slash commands and a bundled MCP server, but you never invoke it directly.

## What you feel on day one

1. **Claude works through precise tools.** A bundled MCP server exposes `sp_map`, `sp_symbol`, `sp_lines` and `sp_search`, so Claude pulls one declaration instead of opening the whole file. See [MCP tools](MCP-Tools) and [Token efficiency](Token-Efficiency).
2. **Memory builds itself, and you can search it.** Every turn is captured as a compact observation and made semantically searchable through a three-layer search (`sp_search_memory` → `sp_timeline` → `sp_observations`), so past work is recoverable without anyone writing it down. See [Observation memory and semantic search](Observation-Memory).
3. **Context survives compaction.** A `PreCompact` hook writes a structured digest before Claude Code trims the conversation; the next session reloads it. See [Lossless compaction](Lossless-Compaction).
4. **You watch the agents in a dashboard.** Session start boots a `127.0.0.1` server and prints the URL into chat; a Memory search panel queries your project's observations. See [Live agent dashboard](Live-Agent-Dashboard).
5. **You see the budget in the statusline.** `cp | ctx 12% ok | mem 4 | obs 37 | skill scoped-read`. See [Statusline](Statusline).

## System diagram

```mermaid
%%{init: {'theme':'base','themeVariables':{'primaryColor':'#0d1117','primaryTextColor':'#f5f7fa','primaryBorderColor':'#38bdf8','lineColor':'#22d3ee','fontFamily':'monospace'}}}%%
flowchart TD
  subgraph CC[Claude Code in VS Code]
    Hooks[Hooks incl. PreCompact]
    Cmds[Slash commands]
    Skills[63 agent skills]
    Agents[Subagents]
    SL[Statusline]
  end
  CC --> MCP[Bundled MCP server sp_*]
  Hooks --> Helper[slipstream helper]
  Cmds --> Helper
  Agents --> MCP
  MCP --> Map[Project map]
  Helper --> Map
  MCP --> Mem[Persistent memory]
  Helper --> Mem
  Hooks -->|PreCompact| Digest[Session digest]
  Digest --> Mem
  Hooks --> Log[(Event log)]
  Log --> Server[Local SSE server 127.0.0.1]
  Server --> UI[Live dashboard]
  SL --> Budget[Context budget]
  Map -->|read index, pull one slice| Tokens[Fewer tokens per read]
  Mem -->|reloaded at session start| Survive[Context survives compaction]
```

## v0.7 highlights

- **[Tabbed dashboard](Dashboard-Tabs).** Five views on one local URL: **Live** (KPI strip, agents, timeline, plan, mind map, per-skill activity), **Project** (project-wide KPIs, 365-day activity heatmap, file leaderboard, kinds donut, lessons grid), **Journal** (per-day digest with prev / today / next nav, six tiles, top files and tools), **Sessions** (open and delete per row, gated behind a modal), **Memory** (full-project observation search with kind filter chips).
- **Six new project endpoints.** `/api/project/summary`, `/api/project/heatmap`, `/api/project/files`, `/api/project/lessons`, `/api/project/day`, `DELETE /api/sessions/:id`. All bound to `127.0.0.1`.
- **Windows hook telemetry persists (v0.7.1).** `emit()` writes in-process and every hook awaits it. The detached-spawn-then-exit pattern silently lost every Windows event; observation memory now builds.
- **MCP-only observation memory populates (v0.7.2).** `foldObservations` gains an opt-in `flushOpen` so the trailing open turn materialises when no closing `stop` event arrives. The four memory-reading `sp_` tools call it in `mcp-only` mode so Cursor, Windsurf and Antigravity see a populated memory the moment they query it.
- **`serverInfo.version` reads from `package.json` (v0.7.1).** No more hardcoded literal lagging behind real releases.
- **Doctor `duplicate-registration` false-positive fixed (v0.7.2).** The check now keys off the detected runtime; a FAIL only fires when the Claude Code plugin is actually loaded alongside a `.mcp.json` slipstream entry.

## v0.6.1 highlights

- **[Dashboard /api/health](Health-Endpoint).** Every dashboard advertises its version, pid and boot timestamp on a tiny local-only JSON endpoint.
- **Version-aware restart.** `sp_dashboard` now probes `/api/health`; if the running version is behind the installed build, the old process is signalled and a fresh dashboard takes the port. No more stale UIs after an upgrade.
- **Stable URL file.** After every start, `<project>/.claude/slipstream/dashboard.url` is written so any caller can find the live URL.
- **New [doctor](Doctor) checks.** `duplicate-registration` flags slipstream wired via both the plugin and `.mcp.json`. `double-emit` flags `SLIPSTREAM_MCP_EMIT=1` set on top of active hooks. `stale-dashboard` flags a running dashboard whose version is behind the installed package.

## v0.6.0 highlights

- **More install paths.** First-class guides for [JetBrains](Install-in-JetBrains), [Cursor](Install-in-Cursor), [Windsurf](Install-in-Windsurf) and [Antigravity](Install-in-Antigravity), alongside the existing [VS Code](Install-in-VS-Code) plugin path.
- **[Map watcher](Map-Watcher).** Optional `--watch-map` mode keeps the project map in step with the working tree, so scoped reads do not return stale ranges after a rename.
- **[Token forecast](Token-Forecast).** The statusline now shows how many steps remain before the warn threshold, so compaction happens on your terms.
- **[Replay export](Replay-Export).** Bundle a session into a portable archive for debugging, sharing or attaching to a bug report.
- **[Configurable redaction](Configurable-Redaction).** A `.claude/slipstream/redact.json` file with default patterns for the obvious leakers and a clean hook for custom rules.
- **[Drift detection](Drift-Detection).** Surfaces stale maps, missing references and gauge-versus-truth disagreement as observations with a clear suppression path.
- **[Per-skill opt %](Per-Skill-Opt).** A breakdown of token savings by skill, so you see which parts of the workflow are pulling their weight.
- **[CI mode](CI-Mode).** A `--ci` flag that emits JSON-line stdout, exits non-zero on drift, and plugs into GitHub Actions with a few lines of YAML.
- **[Lessons](Lessons).** Recurring observations collapsed into durable, citable lessons surfaced through `sp_lessons`.

## Navigation

| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| [Install in VS Code](Install-in-VS-Code) | Marketplace add, install, first run, doctor |
| [MCP tools](MCP-Tools) | The bundled server and every `sp_` tool |
| [Observation memory and semantic search](Observation-Memory) | Self-building memory, the local embedding, three-layer search, lesson distillation |
| [Cross-IDE support](Cross-IDE-Support) | The dashboard, budget gauge and tools in Cursor, Windsurf, Antigravity, VS Code |
| [Lossless compaction](Lossless-Compaction) | The PreCompact digest and the reload |
| [Memory recall](Memory-Recall) | Signal-ranked relevant recall, not load-everything |
| [Live agent dashboard](Live-Agent-Dashboard) | Hooks, event log, server, UI, replay |
| [Statusline](Statusline) | The status bar line and how to enable it |
| [Output style](Output-Style) | The terse, token-lean style |
| [Subagents](Subagents) | sp-shipper, sp-schema, sp-reviewer |
| [Token efficiency](Token-Efficiency) | The worked before/after numbers |
| [Architecture](Architecture) | Repo shape, modules, the data path |
| [Memory system](Memory-System) | The file-based store and the index |
| [Skill engine](Skill-Engine) | The skill contract and loader |
| [Skill catalogue](Skill-Catalogue) | The 63 skills by category |
| [Writing a skill](Writing-a-Skill) | Author a skill that passes validation |
| [Hooks](Hooks) | Every wired hook and what it emits |
| [Configuration and tuning](Configuration-and-Tuning) | Every knob and env var |
| [Data formats](Data-Formats) | Map JSON, memory frontmatter, the event log |
| [Performance and benchmarks](Performance-and-Benchmarks) | Real numbers from this machine |
| [Design decisions](Design-Decisions) | Choices made and alternatives rejected |
| [Security model](Security-Model) | Local-only, redaction, what to trust |
| [Testing strategy](Testing-Strategy) | What the 120 tests cover and why |
| [Examples and recipes](Examples-and-Recipes) | Copy-paste flows |
| [Comparisons](Comparisons) | Versus the obvious alternatives |
| [Integrations](Integrations) | Cloudflare, Supabase, Vercel, Resend |
| [Contributing](Contributing) | Build, test, write an extension |
| [FAQ](FAQ) | Common questions |
| [Troubleshooting](Troubleshooting) | Symptoms and fixes |
| [Roadmap and limitations](Roadmap-and-Limitations) | What I will and will not add |

---
SarmaLinux . sarmalinux.com . [Repository](https://github.com/sarmakska/slipstream)