Installation

Hansard requires Node.js 20 or newer. The npm package supplies the CLI and the local browser viewer.

Install globally when Hansard should be available to coding agents and from any working directory:

npm install -g hansard
hansard init

Install inside one project when a pinned local dependency is preferable:

npm install hansard
npx hansard init

Run the published package without retaining a project dependency:

npx hansard init

Hansard does not run install-time lifecycle scripts. Initialization is an explicit step so the package cannot scan sources, create configuration, import history, or start background processes during installation.

Optional system tools

Different importers use different local utilities:

Tool	Used for
`sqlite3`	Codex, Cursor, and Devin SQLite source stores
`rg`	Faster history and recall searches
`unzip`	ZIP exports from web products
`zstd` or `unzstd`	Compressed Codex session files

Run the health check after installation:

hansard doctor

The command reports missing tools, parser-version drift, unavailable source files, search-index state, watcher autostart registration, and whether remote sync is configured. Use hansard status for the live watcher state.

Native macOS app

The npm package does not contain the native desktop bundle. On macOS, hansard app activates a separately installed Hansard application when one is registered. If it is unavailable, Hansard opens the local browser viewer.