fix: install reliability for pi install git:... flow

- Replace pi-memory-setup references with npm run setup (bin not globally linked after git install)
- Remove unused @sinclair/typebox peerDependency
- Add Pi coding agent prerequisite callout to README
- Remove redundant npm install step in CI (postinstall was double-compiling)
- Fix stale /usr/local/bin reference in C source comment
- Fix Makefile install target to use ~/.pi/memory/ instead of /usr/local/bin
- Remove npm install step from CONTRIBUTING.md (no deps exist)
- Minor doc alignment across INSTALL.md, RELEASING.md, SKILL.md

Author: Abiola Bakare

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -22,10 +22,7 @@ jobs:
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
         run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y sqlite3 libsqlite3-dev
 
-      - name: Install deps
-        run: npm install
-
-      - name: Build/setup
+      - name: Build native binary
         run: npm run setup
 
       - name: Doctor

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -11,12 +11,13 @@ Thanks for contributing to Pi-Memory.
 ## Local dev
 
 ```bash
-npm install
 npm run setup
 npm run doctor
 npm run test:smoke
 ```
 
+> There are no npm dependencies to install — the core is compiled C and the extension runs inside Pi's runtime. `npm run setup` compiles the native binary.
+
 ## Repo structure
 
 - `native/` — C source + makefile

README.md

@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Pi-Memory (v2)
 
+> **Pi extension** — requires the [Pi coding agent](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono) (`@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent`).
+> Install Pi first, then add Pi-Memory as a package.
+
 Durable memory for Pi agents, built for **low-overhead reliability**:
 - **C core** (`native/pi-memory.c`) for speed + minimal runtime surface
 - **TypeScript extension** (`extensions/pi-memory-compact.ts`) for Pi lifecycle automation
@@ -21,7 +24,7 @@ That keeps startup fast, failure modes simple, and behavior predictable.
 
 ---
 
-## Three-layer memory model (C + TS + DB + markdown bridge)
+## Three-layer memory model
 
 Pi-Memory is designed as a layered system where each layer has a different job:
 

docs/INSTALL.md

@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 # Install Guide
 
+## Platform support
+
+- **macOS** and **Linux** are supported.
+- **Windows** is not currently supported (no native build target).
+
 ## Prerequisites
 
 - Pi installed (`pi` CLI)
 - C compiler (`cc`/`clang`/`gcc`)
-- SQLite development headers (`sqlite3` + `libsqlite3-dev` on Linux)
+- SQLite development headers (`sqlite3` + `libsqlite3-dev` on Linux; included with Xcode CLI tools on macOS)
 
 ## Option A (recommended): single Pi command
 

docs/RELEASING.md

@@ -21,13 +21,15 @@
    git tag vX.Y.Z
    git push origin main --tags
    ```
-5. Publish to npm:
+5. (When npm publishing is live) Publish to npm:
    ```bash
    npm publish --access public
    ```
 
+> npm/bun publish is planned but not currently live. For now, users install via `pi install git:github.com/SiliconState/Pi-Memory`.
+
 ## Post-release checks
 
-- `pi install npm:@siliconstate/pi-memory@X.Y.Z`
+- `pi install git:github.com/SiliconState/Pi-Memory` (primary install path)
 - `~/.pi/memory/pi-memory --version`
 - verify extension hooks and ingest path in a real Pi session

extensions/pi-memory-compact.ts

@@ -574,16 +574,12 @@ export default function (pi: ExtensionAPI) {
 
     const project = getProjectKey(ctx.cwd);
     try {
-      await pi.exec(
-        "pi-memory",
-        [
-          "state",
-          project,
-          "--summary",
-          `Auto-compacting at ${Math.round(ratio * 100)}% context usage`,
-        ],
-        { timeout: 5000 }
-      );
+      await execPiMemory(pi, [
+        "state",
+        project,
+        "--summary",
+        `Auto-compacting at ${Math.round(ratio * 100)}% context usage`,
+      ], { timeout: 5000 });
     } catch {
       // Non-fatal
     }

native/Makefile

@@ -1,26 +1,28 @@
 # pi-memory build
 #
 # Build:   make
-# Install: make install
+# Install: make install   (installs to ~/.pi/memory/pi-memory)
 # Clean:   make clean
 
 CC      = cc
 CFLAGS  = -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -O2 -std=c11
 LDFLAGS = -lsqlite3
 TARGET  = pi-memory
 SRC     = pi-memory.c
-INSTALL = /usr/local/bin
+INSTALL_DIR = $(HOME)/.pi/memory
 
 $(TARGET): $(SRC)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $(TARGET) $(SRC) $(LDFLAGS)
 
 install: $(TARGET)
-	cp $(TARGET) $(INSTALL)/$(TARGET)
-	@echo "installed -> $(INSTALL)/$(TARGET)"
+	mkdir -p $(INSTALL_DIR)
+	cp $(TARGET) $(INSTALL_DIR)/$(TARGET)
+	chmod +x $(INSTALL_DIR)/$(TARGET)
+	@echo "installed -> $(INSTALL_DIR)/$(TARGET)"
 
 uninstall:
-	rm -f $(INSTALL)/$(TARGET)
-	@echo "removed $(INSTALL)/$(TARGET)"
+	rm -f $(INSTALL_DIR)/$(TARGET)
+	@echo "removed $(INSTALL_DIR)/$(TARGET)"
 
 clean:
 	rm -f $(TARGET)

native/pi-memory.c

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  * Single binary. Works 6 months from now. Works 6 years from now.
  *
  * Build:   make
- * Install: make install   (copies to /usr/local/bin)
+ * Install: make install   (copies to ~/.pi/memory/pi-memory)
  *
  * Usage:
  *   pi-memory log decision <title> --choice <str> [--context <str>]

package.json

@@ -53,13 +53,11 @@
   ],
   "peerDependencies": {
     "@mariozechner/pi-ai": "*",
-    "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent": "*",
-    "@sinclair/typebox": "*"
+    "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent": "*"
   },
   "peerDependenciesMeta": {
     "@mariozechner/pi-ai": { "optional": true },
-    "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent": { "optional": true },
-    "@sinclair/typebox": { "optional": true }
+    "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent": { "optional": true }
   },
   "pi": {
     "extensions": [

scripts/doctor.mjs

@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ for (const c of checks) {
 }
 
 if (failed.length) {
-  console.log("\nRun: pi-memory-setup");
+  console.log("\nRun: npm run setup");
+  console.log("from the pi-memory package directory (typically ~/.pi/agent/git/github.com/SiliconState/Pi-Memory).");
   process.exit(1);
 }