Skip to main content
Neither directly. Second Brain connects to a Gemini Proxy Balancer — a separate service that handles API key rotation and load balancing. You configure your Gemini API keys inside the proxy, not inside Second Brain. Second Brain only needs the proxy’s URL, set via GEMINI_PROXY_URL in your .env file.
It depends on the directive the Builder uses:
  • # vault_file: creates or overwrites the named file entirely.
  • # patch_vault_file: applies a surgical edit to specific lines, leaving the rest of the file unchanged.
To avoid accidental overwrites, be explicit in your prompts. Say “edit” or “add a section to” rather than “create” when you want to modify an existing note. The Audit Log records every file operation with before_sha256 and after_sha256 hashes, so you can always review what changed.
Yes. Point OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH at your existing vault folder, or open it from the Recent Vaults or Browse Local tabs in the Vault Launcher. Second Brain indexes all existing notes locally and makes them available as context for agents. Your existing files are not modified until you explicitly ask an agent to change them.
Agents primarily create Markdown files (.md) using the # vault_file: directive. They can also write asset files of other types — such as CSV, JSON, or plain text — using the # vault_asset: directive. Image files and binary files are not supported.
Second Brain writes directly to your vault folder on disk like any other application. Use your existing backup method — Time Machine, git, Obsidian Sync, or a cloud drive — to back up that folder. The Audit Log can also be exported as a CSV file by clicking ↓ Export CSV in the Audit Log view.
Each running instance of Second Brain manages one active vault at a time. Concurrent access by multiple users to the same vault folder is not officially supported and may cause conflicts, particularly with the # patch_vault_file: directive, which relies on the file’s current line content matching what was planned.
Token-Hungry mode activates maximum synthesis — it combines Education, Organization, Research, and Planning modes simultaneously. Every response targets at least 1000 words with maximum depth and exhaustive coverage. Use it when you need comprehensive, encyclopedic output on a topic rather than a concise answer.
Yes. Docker is optional — it just simplifies deployment. To run locally without Docker:
pip install -r requirements.txt
streamlit run src/interfaces/streamlit/ui.py
Make sure Python 3.12 or newer is installed and that GEMINI_PROXY_URL and OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH are set in your environment or in a .env file in the project root before running the command.
GEMINI_MAX_ROUNDS (default: 3) controls how many Manager-directed rounds the pipeline can run before stopping. When the limit is reached the pipeline exits the loop. Any notes or files already written to your vault by that point remain there — partial results are preserved. You can continue with a follow-up prompt to pick up where the task left off.