Cache timeline DOM indexes and memoize the timeline so progress and flap updates avoid rescanning or rerendering old messages. Preserve scroll anchors and disclosure state across targeted live message replacements.
Two sides of the same index
Obelisk has two sides that share one SQLite index:
Skill side — an agent skill that lets coding agents search and query their own session history. The agent writes JS queries, runs them locally, answers in plain language.
App side — an Electron desktop app for humans to browse sessions, manage memories, view usage stats, and see weekly recap cards.
Both read from the same ~/.obelisk/obelisk.sqlite database. The indexer reads Claude Code transcripts from ~/.claude/projects and Codex transcripts from ~/.codex/sessions.
Codex support
Obelisk indexes Claude Code and Codex into the same SQLite schema instead of keeping separate databases. Rows carry a source value (claude or codex), and Codex IDs are prefixed with codex: so they cannot collide with Claude session IDs.
Codex root threads become normal Obelisk sessions. Codex child threads are attached through the same subagents table when parent-thread metadata is available. Codex does not emit Claude-style workflow metadata, so workflow tables may be empty for Codex-only history.
For live app refresh, Obelisk watches ~/.claude/projects and ~/.codex/sessions. It does not watch the whole ~/.codex root. Codex's session_index.jsonl is used as lightweight title/update metadata during indexing, not as the message transcript source.
Skill: agent-first retrieval
You can use obelisk like:
/obelisk 上次 auth bug 最后到底改了哪些文件,为什么这么改
/obelisk 这个文件最近在哪些 sessions 里被反复修改
/obelisk 找出最近失败的 tool calls,它们分别发生在哪些任务里
/obelisk 那个 review workflow 的 subagents 各自结论是什么
/obelisk recap this week
Install
npx skills add tommy0103/obelisk-skill
Or manually: copy obelisk-skill/ into your project's .claude/skills/
Then in any Claude Code session:
/obelisk <your question>
First run builds the index (~5 seconds for 100 sessions). After that it rebuilds incrementally.
How it works
You ask a question
↓
Agent writes a JS query against the SQLite index
↓
Runs it via node $SKILL_DIR/scripts/runtime.js --query <script>
↓
Reads the JSON result, answers in natural language
Core API: search(), context(), sql(), plus structured helpers (sessions, memories, summaries, workflows, failures, fileHistory, etc).
Memory layer
When a retrieval produces a conclusion worth keeping, the agent proposes a markdown memory file. After user approval, it registers the file with runtime.js --attune <script>. Memories are recalled via memories() in future sessions — a synthesis cache, not a replacement for raw evidence.
App: A surface for human
A companion desktop app for browsing what the skill indexes.
- Sessions — browse all sessions with search, project filtering, readable tool calls (diffs, terminal output, file viewers)
- Memory — list and detail views for registered memory files
- Activity — GitHub-style heatmap, weekly/cumulative token charts
- Recap — shareable weekly/monthly recap cards with archetype theming
- Settings — data source configuration, auto-refresh, rebuild index
macOS only. Download from Releases.
What gets indexed
| Layer | Source | What's captured |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions | Claude <project>/<sessionId>.jsonl; Codex sessions/YYYY/MM/DD/*.jsonl |
Title, project, timestamps, git branch, source |
| Messages | user + assistant turns | Full text, model, token usage, parent chain |
| Tool calls | every tool invocation | Tool name, input, file paths |
| Subagents | Claude subagents/agent-<id>.jsonl; Codex child threads |
Agent type, description, full conversation |
| Workflows | Claude workflows/wf_<runId>.json |
Script, result, agent count |
| Workflow agents | Claude subagents/workflows/wf_<runId>/ |
Per-agent transcripts |
| Memories | registered markdown files | Conclusions linked to source sessions |
Full-text search via FTS5 covers all layers.
Structure
packages/core/ # @obelisk/core npm workspace (TypeScript + ESM)
├── src/
│ ├── providers/
│ │ ├── types.ts # Provider + IndexRecord contract
│ │ ├── claude.ts # Claude Code adapter (line-incremental)
│ │ └── codex.ts # Codex adapter (full-reparse)
│ ├── persist.ts # Binding-agnostic record writer (upsert/merge)
│ ├── tx.ts # Write transaction + connection config
│ ├── write-coordinator.ts # Bounded retry policy
│ ├── writer-lease.ts # Cross-process single-writer lease (SQLite lock DB)
│ ├── core.ts # buildIndex / searchText / executeQuery / executeAttune
│ ├── indexer.ts # Skill orchestration (discover → persist → finalize)
│ ├── parsing.ts # Pure helpers (node:sqlite-free, app-consumable)
│ ├── db.ts # node:sqlite lifecycle + migrations
│ ├── query.ts # Query/attune sandbox API (helpers)
│ ├── runtime.ts # Thin CLI shell (--build/--search/--query/--attune)
│ └── schema.sql # SQLite schema (single source of truth)
├── package.json
└── dist/ # Generated package JS, declarations, and schema
references/ # Agent-readable docs (progressive disclosure)
├── schema.md
├── api-reference.md
├── query-patterns.md
├── retrieval-semantics.md
├── pitfalls.md
├── recap-patterns.md
├── recap-writing.md
└── recap/ # Per-card pattern + writing references
├── overview.md
├── pattern1-cover.md … pattern5-closing.md
└── writing1-cover.md … writing5-closing.md
app/ # Electron desktop app (electron-vite + Vue)
├── src/main/ # TypeScript main process (consumes shared core)
├── src/preload/ # CJS preload (sandbox)
├── src/renderer/ # Vue renderer
└── electron.vite.config.ts
packaging/ # Skill publish infrastructure
├── skill-package.json
├── skill-README.md
├── skill-LICENSE # MIT (relicensed for the skill artifact)
└── publish-skill.sh
SKILL.md # Skill definition (installed with the artifact)
CONTEXT.md # Project glossary
docs/adr/ # Architecture decision records (0001–0006)
The optional /obelisk recap flow is loaded only for explicit /obelisk recap intent.
It starts at references/recap/overview.md and proceeds card-by-card:
references/recap/pattern1-cover.md+references/recap/writing1-cover.mdreferences/recap/pattern2-thinking.md+references/recap/writing2-thinking.mdreferences/recap/pattern3-vibe.md+references/recap/writing3-vibe.mdreferences/recap/pattern4-workflow.md+references/recap/writing4-workflow.mdreferences/recap/pattern5-closing.md+references/recap/writing5-closing.md
Generated build outputs
packages/core/dist/is produced bynpm run build:core. It is the compiled@obelisk/corepackage: JavaScript, type declarations, andschema.sql.dist/obelisk-skill/is produced bynpm run build:skill. It is the install-ready skill artifact: readable plain JavaScript underscripts/,SKILL.md, references, and the skill package metadata.- Skill publishing stages that artifact at
skills/obelisk/in theobelisk-skillrepository; onlyREADME.mdandLICENSEremain at the repository root fornpx skillsdiscovery.
Both directories are generated and should not be edited by hand. The Electron
app imports packages/core/src/ directly so electron-vite can bundle Core.
Implementation Notes
The index rebuilds incrementally — only new or modified JSONL files are re-parsed.
When the optional app is running, it is the active indexer: it watches Claude
project files and builds in a worker thread. A fresh __app_heartbeat__ alone
means the daemon owns writes, so the skill remains read-only; a separate SQLite
writer lease prevents cross-process writes from overlapping. The
__app_last_successful_build__ marker records index freshness, not ownership.
Zero npm dependencies. Uses Node 22's built-in node:sqlite with FTS5. The entire runtime is ~400 lines.
20K lines of scattered JSONL → something the agent can search() and sql() against in milliseconds.
License
AGPL-3.0 @tommy0103

