Garage Support Center

Setup instructions, troubleshooting guides, and answers to frequently asked questions for Garage — your local-first personal knowledge retrieval engine. Looking for the app itself? Download Garage.

📖 Support Guide 🛠️ Troubleshooting ❓ FAQ

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Explore Support Topics

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Getting Started & Setup

Step-by-step setup for both the native macOS menu bar app and the Python CLI, including source registration and indexing.

View Setup Guide →

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macOS Permissions & TCC

How to grant Full Disk Access for indexing Apple Messages (chat.db), Mail, and protected system directories without errors.

Configure Permissions →

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Embedding Models & Providers

Configure local embedding models with Ollama, LM Studio, or local Llama runners. Backfill vectors and switch models seamlessly.

Manage Models →

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Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Connect your personal knowledge index to LLM clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor via MCP 2.0.

Setup MCP Integration →

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Troubleshooting & Diagnostics

Resolutions for common issues: PostgreSQL startup errors, port conflicts, DNS rebinding blocks, and placeholder downloads.

Troubleshoot Issues →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions regarding local storage footprint, supported formats, search algorithms (RRF), and privacy guarantees.

Read FAQ →

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Privacy & Egress Guarantees

No cloud AI client, one egress choke point with a destination allowlist, and communications that never leave your Mac.

Read Privacy Policy →

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Contact & Bug Reports

How to safely submit diagnostic logs, report bugs, request features, or contact the maintainers on GitHub.

Get Support →

Quick Diagnostic Checklist

If you are experiencing unexpected behavior, check these fundamental items first:

Check Database Status: Ensure PostgreSQL is running. In the macOS App, check the menu bar indicator. In CLI, verify with garage stats.
Verify Full Disk Access: If indexing ~/Library/Messages or ~/Library/Mail, make sure Full Disk Access is granted to GarageApp or your Terminal application under System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Verify Embedding Provider: Ensure Ollama or LM Studio is running locally on your machine before running garage backfill or garage ingest.
Inspect Application Logs: In the macOS App, navigate to the Logs tab to view live streaming logs from PostgreSQL, Ingestion, and the MCP HTTP server.

💡 Need In-Depth Technical Architecture?

For internal pipeline details, schema definitions, and authorship heuristics, check the developer specifications: Architecture Guide, Attribution Engine, and Database Schema Reference.