# FluctlightDB quickstart

FluctlightDB is an embedded memory database for AI agents. It runs inside your Python process. A brain is a directory. There is no server to start and no account to open. The software is beta.

## Install

`pip install "fluctlightdb[native]"`

The [native] extra pulls the compiled Rust core. Without it you get the pure-Python fallback, which is slower and is not what the measurements were taken on.

The same line, the canonical sample and the checkpoint note are also on [the install page](/install).

## A brain, in a few lines

This is the canonical sample. It was run against the published package, and it is the same sample the rest of the site shows.

```python
from fluctlightdb import connect_embedded

brain = connect_embedded("./my-agent-brain")   # one directory per agent, in-process
brain.experience("User prefers dark mode", context="settings", salience=0.7)
brain.experience("Wallet balance is $42.10", context="ledger:wallet",
                 verified=True, source_uri="file://wallet.json")

hits = brain.activate("dark mode")             # cue -> ranked recalls
brain.checkpoint()                             # durable; survives restart
```

experience() writes a memory. activate() recalls from a cue. checkpoint() is what makes the directory survive the process.

Offline, recall is lexical: a cue has to share tokens with what was stored. Paraphrase recall needs a semantic vector from an embedder you bring.

## Where to go next

- [Install](/install)
- [Documentation](/docs#first-brain)
- [Glossary](/glossary)
- [Playground](/playground)
- [Paper](/paper)