GNO - Local Knowledge Engine
Fast local semantic search. Index once, search instantly. No cloud, no API keys.
When to Use This Skill
User asks to search files, documents, or notes
User wants to find information in local folders
User needs to index a directory for searching
User mentions PDFs, markdown, Word docs, code to search
User asks about knowledge base or RAG setup
User wants semantic/vector search over their files
User needs to set up MCP for document access
User wants a web UI to browse/search documents
User asks to get AI answers from their documents
User wants to tag, categorize, or filter documents
User asks about backlinks, wiki links, or related notes
User wants to visualize document connections or see a knowledge graph
Quick Start
gno init # Initialize in current directory
gno collection add ~/docs --name docs # Add folder to index
gno index # Build index (ingest + embed)
gno search "your query" # BM25 keyword search
Command Overview
| Category | Commands | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Search | search, vsearch, query, ask |
Find documents by keywords, meaning, or get AI answers |
| Links | links, backlinks, similar, graph |
Navigate document relationships and visualize connections |
| Retrieve | get, multi-get, ls |
Fetch document content by URI or ID |
| Index | init, collection add/list/remove, index, update, embed |
Set up and maintain document index |
| Tags | tags, tags add, tags rm |
Organize and filter documents |
| Context | context add/list/rm/check |
Add hints to improve search relevance |
| Models | models list/use/pull/clear/path |
Manage local AI models |
| Serve | serve |
Web UI for browsing and searching |
| MCP | mcp, mcp install/uninstall/status |
AI assistant integration |
| Skill | skill install/uninstall/show/paths |
Install skill for AI agents |
| Admin | status, doctor, cleanup, reset, vec, completion |
Maintenance and diagnostics |
Search Modes
| Command | Speed | Best For |
|---|---|---|
gno search |
instant | Exact keyword matching |
gno vsearch |
~0.5s | Finding similar concepts |
gno query --fast |
~0.7s | Quick lookups |
gno query |
~2-3s | Balanced (default) |
gno query --thorough |
~5-8s | Best recall, complex queries |
gno ask --answer |
~3-5s | AI-generated answer with citations |
Retry strategy: Use default first. If no results: rephrase query, then try --thorough.
Common Flags
-n <num> Max results (default: 5)
-c, --collection Filter to collection
--tags-any <t1,t2> Has ANY of these tags
--tags-all <t1,t2> Has ALL of these tags
--json JSON output
--files URI list output
--line-numbers Include line numbers
Global Flags
--index <name> Alternate index (default: "default")
--config <path> Override config file
--verbose Verbose logging
--json JSON output
--yes Non-interactive mode
--offline Use cached models only
--no-color Disable colors
--no-pager Disable paging
Important: Embedding After Changes
If you edit/create files that should be searchable via vector search:
gno index # Full re-index (sync + embed)
# or
gno embed # Embed only (if already synced)
MCP gno.sync and gno.capture do NOT auto-embed. Use CLI for embedding.
Reference Documentation
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Complete CLI reference (all commands, options, flags) | cli-reference.md |
| MCP server setup and tools | mcp-reference.md |
| Usage examples and patterns | examples.md |