Cortex is a local-first macOS dashboard for daily plans, habits, coursework, contacts, calendars, and finances. Personal data stays encrypted on your Mac. A local API and MCP server let agents work with the same records.

App page · Project notes

Run locally

Requires macOS on Apple Silicon and Node.js 22.12 or newer.

npm install
npm run electron:dev

For a web-only development view, run npm run dev. Native calendar and Keychain features require Electron.

Build

npm test
npm run electron:build

The packaged app is written to release/mac-arm64/Cortex.app. Back up the installed app before replacing it.

Agent access

Keep Cortex running, then build its MCP server:

cd mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

Point your MCP client at node /absolute/path/to/cortex/mcp-server/dist/index.js. The server uses the app's local API on port 3456. Phone access requires your own Tailscale network.

Cloud billing setup is in docs/cloud-cost-setup.md. Use read-only cloud credentials.

The Project time API supports timer ownership and PR attachments for saved work sessions.

Phone gym setup covers HTTPS access, workout recovery, screen control, and rest notifications.

Brand assets

The original abstract symbol, custom lettering, and combined logo live in public/brand. Run npm run brand:generate to rebuild the app, tray, favicon, and PWA icons from the symbol SVG.

License

MIT.