Talamus Agent Tool Calling Guide
Agents should prefer the MCP server when available: it exposes read tools for grounded context and write tools that preserve review/provenance rules.
MCP server
talamus mcp install
talamus mcp serve --root . # stdio
talamus-mcp --http --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000
MCP tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
search(query, smart=False) |
Find relevant notes by title and summary; smart=True adds cached LLM query expansion. |
read_note(title, as_of="") |
Read the full Markdown note, optionally as it existed at a past time. |
ask(question) |
Get a cited answer from the configured brain. |
verify(title) |
Check one note against its preserved source and propose a correction if needed. |
recall(question) |
Return raw relevant note context for the agent to reason over. |
overview() |
Show the domain map for orientation. |
neighbors(concept) |
Show typed graph/ontology neighbors for a concept. |
history(title) |
List past versions of a note. |
sources(title) |
Show recorded provenance for a note. |
ontology_status() |
Report schema version, type counts, and typed-edge coverage. |
remember(text, scope="project") |
Save an important session insight into the project or central brain. |
ingest_text(text, name="insight", scope="project") |
Compile selected text into notes without the worth-remembering gate. |
propose_note(text, reason="") |
Put uncertain knowledge into the review queue instead of writing it directly. |
review_list() |
List pending review decisions. |
review_apply(item_id) |
Apply a review item while preserving history. |
review_reject(item_id, reason="") |
Reject a review item and keep the decision logged. |
CLI equivalents
When MCP is unavailable, wrap these commands as tools:
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
talamus search "<query>" [--smart] |
Find candidate notes. |
talamus read "<title>" [--as-of T] |
Read real note content before answering. |
talamus recall "<question>" |
Retrieve context without spending an answer call. |
talamus ask "<question>" [--as-of T] [--trace] |
Get a cited answer and optionally inspect the route. |
talamus verify "<title>" |
Check one note against source provenance. |
The graph and search indexes are routing aids, not answer sources. Agents should
answer from read_note, recall, or ask output and keep citations.