From b595cb39782816f1f4136eb6206a689b166b75ef Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: wahajahmed010 <wahajahmed010@example.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:31:40 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] docs: fix HOOKS_TUTORIAL.md paths, matcher, and missing
 timeout
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Fixes four issues causing silent hook failures:

1. **Relative paths** → Absolute paths (/absolute/path/to/hooks/...)
   Claude Code resolves hooks from working directory, not repo root.

2. **Wrong matcher** → Stop uses *, PreCompact has no matcher
   PreCompact doesn't use matcher (only Stop hooks do).

3. **Missing timeout** → Added timeout: 30 to both hooks
   Matches hooks/README.md specification.

4. **Ambiguous target** → Specified ~/.claude/settings.local.json
   Clarified global vs project-scoped config.

Also added executable chmod instructions and path replacement note.

Fixes #1037
---
 examples/HOOKS_TUTORIAL.md | 27 +++++++++++++++++++++------
 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/HOOKS_TUTORIAL.md b/examples/HOOKS_TUTORIAL.md
index 3a34b81..7818e59 100644
--- a/examples/HOOKS_TUTORIAL.md
+++ b/examples/HOOKS_TUTORIAL.md
@@ -7,27 +7,42 @@ MemPalace hooks act as an "Auto-Save" feature. They help your AI keep a permanen
 * **PreCompact Hook** (`mempal_precompact_hook.sh`): Saves your context right before the AI's memory window fills up.
 
 ### 2. Setup for Claude Code
-Add this to your configuration file to enable automatic background saving:
+Add this to `~/.claude/settings.local.json` (global) or `.claude/settings.local.json` (project-scoped) to enable automatic background saving:
 
 ```json
 {
   "hooks": {
     "Stop": [
       {
-        "matcher": "", 
-        "hooks": [{"type": "command", "command": "./hooks/mempal_save_hook.sh"}]
+        "matcher": "*", 
+        "hooks": [{
+          "type": "command",
+          "command": "/absolute/path/to/hooks/mempal_save_hook.sh",
+          "timeout": 30
+        }]
       }
     ],
     "PreCompact": [
       {
-        "matcher": "", 
-        "hooks": [{"type": "command", "command": "./hooks/mempal_precompact_hook.sh"}]
+        "hooks": [{
+          "type": "command",
+          "command": "/absolute/path/to/hooks/mempal_precompact_hook.sh",
+          "timeout": 30
+        }]
       }
     ]
   }
 }
 ```
 
+Make the hooks executable:
+```bash
+chmod +x /absolute/path/to/hooks/mempal_save_hook.sh
+chmod +x /absolute/path/to/hooks/mempal_precompact_hook.sh
+```
+
+**Note:** Replace `/absolute/path/to/hooks/` with the actual path where you cloned the MemPalace repository (e.g., `~/projects/mempalace/hooks/`).
+
 ### 3. What changed (v3.1.0+)
 
 Both hooks now have **two-layer capture**:
@@ -48,4 +63,4 @@ mempalace mine ~/.claude/projects/ --mode convos
 
 - **`SAVE_INTERVAL=15`** — How many human messages between saves
 - **`MEMPALACE_PYTHON`** — Python interpreter with mempalace + chromadb. Auto-detects: env var → repo venv → system python3
-- **`MEMPAL_DIR`** — Optional directory for auto-ingest via `mempalace mine`
\ No newline at end of file
+- **`MEMPAL_DIR`** — Optional directory for auto-ingest via `mempalace mine`