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Quickstart Guide

Quickstart Guide

Get MSP running in under 5 minutes. Choose your path based on your needs—from minimal setup to full context engineering stack.

Choose Your Setup Path

🚀 Path 1: MSP Lite (2 minutes)

Perfect for: Trying MSP, solo projects, minimal dependencies

🧠 Path 2: Full Stack (15 minutes)

Perfect for: Teams, complex projects, full context engineering

🛠️ Path 3: Custom Build (30 minutes)

Perfect for: Specific integrations, enterprise needs

🚀 MSP Lite - Just the Essentials

The fastest way to experience MSP's power. No databases, no complex setup—just pure context tracking.

Step 1: Download MSP

# Windows/Mac/Linux with PowerShell
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://msp.sessionprotocol.dev/install/msp-lite.ps1" -OutFile "msp.ps1"

# Or with curl
curl -o msp.ps1 https://msp.sessionprotocol.dev/install/msp-lite.ps1

Step 2: Start Your First Session

.\msp.ps1 start

# Output:
🚀 MSP Session Started!
📁 Session ID: msp-2025-07-16-143022
📊 Project: my-project
💾 State saved to: .msp/state.json

Step 3: Track Your Work

# Record progress
.\msp.ps1 update "Created user model" 10
.\msp.ps1 update "Added validation" 15

# Make a decision
.\msp.ps1 decide "Using email for username" --reason "Better UX"

# Hit a blocker
.\msp.ps1 blocker "Database connection timeout"

Step 4: End With Context

.\msp.ps1 end

# Output:
✅ Session Complete!
⏱️ Duration: 2h 34m
📈 Progress: 0% → 15% (+15%)
💡 Decisions: 1
🚨 Blockers: 1
📄 Summary saved to: .msp/sessions/2025-07-16-143022.md

What You Get with MSP Lite

  • ✅ Local JSON state tracking
  • ✅ Session history in markdown
  • ✅ Progress visualization
  • ✅ Decision documentation
  • ✅ Zero dependencies
  • ✅ Works offline

🧠 Full Stack - Complete Context Engineering

The complete MSP experience with Neo4j knowledge graph, Obsidian notes, and Linear integration.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Clone MSP Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/msp.git
cd msp

Step 2: Run Setup Script

.\scripts\setup-msp.ps1

# Setup wizard will guide you through:
# - Neo4j connection
# - Obsidian vault location
# - Linear API token (optional)

Step 3: Verify Installation

.\msp.ps1 validate

# ✅ Neo4j: Connected
# ✅ Obsidian: Vault found
# ✅ Linear: Authenticated
# ✅ State: Ready

Step 4: Start Context Engineering

.\msp.ps1 start --project "my-app" --epic "LIN-234"

# Neo4j browser opens
# Obsidian daily note created
# Linear issue updated
# Full context loaded

Full Stack Features

  • 🧠 Neo4j Knowledge Graph

    • Queryable decision history
    • Relationship mapping
    • Pattern detection

  • 📝 Obsidian Integration

    • Daily session notes
    • Decision documents
    • Linked knowledge base

  • 📋 Linear Sync

    • Automatic issue updates
    • Progress tracking
    • Comment history

Quick Commands Reference

Essential Commands

.\msp.ps1 start              # Begin session
.\msp.ps1 update "msg" [%]   # Track progress
.\msp.ps1 decide "choice"    # Document decision
.\msp.ps1 end                # Complete session
.\msp.ps1 status             # Current state

Context Commands

.\msp.ps1 recall             # Load previous context
.\msp.ps1 context            # Export for AI
.\msp.ps1 graph              # Visualize in Neo4j

Recovery Commands

.\msp.ps1 recover            # Auto-recover crashed session
.\msp.ps1 validate           # Check system health
.\msp.ps1 repair             # Fix inconsistencies

Common First Session

Here's what a typical first session looks like:

# 1. Start your day
.\msp.ps1 start --target "Build user authentication"

# 2. Break it down
.\msp.ps1 route
# MSP suggests subtasks based on target

# 3. Work and track
.\msp.ps1 update "Created User model with email field" 20
.\msp.ps1 decide "BCrypt for password hashing" --reason "Industry standard"
.\msp.ps1 update "Implemented password hashing" 40

# 4. Hit a snag
.\msp.ps1 blocker "JWT library compatibility issue"

# 5. Make progress
.\msp.ps1 update "Resolved JWT issue - downgraded to v2" 50
.\msp.ps1 update "Login endpoint working" 75

# 6. Wrap up
.\msp.ps1 end --summary "Basic auth complete, need to add OAuth next"

# 7. Next day - instant context!
.\msp.ps1 start
# MSP loads: "Yesterday: Auth 75% done, OAuth next, JWT v2 working"

Troubleshooting Quick Start

MSP won't start

# Check for existing session
.\msp.ps1 status

# Force recover if needed
.\msp.ps1 recover --force

Neo4j connection failed

# Verify Neo4j is running
.\msp.ps1 validate --neo4j

# Reset connection
.\scripts\setup-neo4j.ps1 --reset

Obsidian not syncing

# Check vault path
.\msp.ps1 config show

# Update path
.\msp.ps1 config set obsidian.vault "C:\correct\path"

Next Steps

After Your First Session

  1. Explore your graph: Open Neo4j Browser and run:

    MATCH (s:Session)-[r]->(n)
RETURN s, r, n

  2. Export context for AI:

    .\msp.ps1 context --format ai | clip

  3. Review your patterns:

    .\msp.ps1 analyze --last-week

Level Up Your Workflow

Quick Tips

  1. Update frequently: Small updates > big summaries
  2. Decide explicitly: Document the why, not just the what
  3. Use targets: Start with clear goals for better routing
  4. Export regularly: Feed your AI assistant with context

Ready to never lose context again? Choose your path above and start your first MSP session!

Keywords: MSP quickstart, get started with MSP, MSP installation, context engineering quickstart, MSP setup guide, 5-minute MSP setup

For AI Understanding: This quickstart guide provides three paths to get started with MSP: Lite (2-minute minimal setup with local storage), Full Stack (15-minute complete setup with Neo4j, Obsidian, and Linear), and Custom Build (30-minute tailored setup for specific needs). Each path includes step-by-step instructions, commands, and expected outputs.

Next: Implementation Guide →

MSP Technical Specification

Complete technical specification for implementing MSP. Includes session lifecycle, state management, data models, storage schemas, and integration requirements.

Implementation Guides

Comprehensive implementation guides for MSP across different scenarios. From solo developers to enterprise teams, master context engineering with proven patterns.