COA Goldfish MCP is a crash-safe developer's work journal that captures, stores, and helps recall your coding session progress across projects.
Core Features:
Create Checkpoints: Save progress with descriptions, context, files, and git branch info for crash-safe development
Restore Sessions: Resume work after crashes or breaks with minimal or full restoration options
Search History: Use fuzzy search and natural language queries to find past work across checkpoints, memories, and workspaces
View Timeline: Get chronological work session overviews organized by date and workspace for standups or reviews
Summarize Sessions: Generate AI-condensed summaries of recent work or specific sessions
Manage TODOs: Create, view, and update task lists with statuses and priorities tied to your current session
Store Quick Notes: Remember temporary thoughts or reminders with optional tags and auto-expiration
Cross-Project Support: Work across multiple workspaces with smart normalization and integration with other MCP tools like ProjectKnowledge and CodeSearch
Designed for seamless integration with AI coding assistants to enable proactive checkpointing and context restoration.
Automatically captures git commits through hooks system to preserve development context and create memory checkpoints when code changes are committed.
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@COA Goldfish MCPsave checkpoint: finished auth middleware with rate limiting"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
COA Goldfish MCP (.NET)
Your development session's "flight recorder" - now with SQLite persistence and behavioral enforcement
๐ What is Goldfish (.NET)?
Goldfish .NET is a crash-safe developer's work journal rebuilt from the ground up with:
SQLite Database - Fast, reliable persistence with Entity Framework Core
Behavioral Enforcement - AI agents guided to use tools correctly and consistently
Streamlined Architecture - 7 unified tools that work as a cohesive system
Global Workspace Support - Cross-project TODOs and plans
Optional API Sync - Enterprise-ready with offline-first design
10x Performance - Faster data correlations and queries
Related MCP server: SDOF Knowledge Base
๐ Installation
Method 1: Global .NET Tool (Recommended)
# Install as global .NET tool
dotnet tool install -g COA.Goldfish
# Add to Claude Code MCP configuration
# Edit ~/.claude/settings.json:{
"mcpServers": {
"goldfish": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "goldfish",
"args": [],
"env": {}
}
}
}Method 2: Local Development
# Clone and build
git clone [repository-url]
cd "COA Goldfish MCP/dotnet"
dotnet build
# Run directly
dotnet run --project src/COA.Goldfish.McpServer
# Or add to Claude Code with full path:
# "command": "C:/path/to/COA Goldfish MCP/dotnet/src/COA.Goldfish.McpServer/bin/Debug/net9.0/COA.Goldfish.McpServer.exe"๐ Core Tools (Streamlined Architecture)
Unified Smart Tools
Goldfish .NET provides 7 main tools that enforce a cohesive workflow:
1. mcp__goldfish__plan - Strategic Planning with Discovery Accumulation
Design features and create implementation roadmaps
Track discoveries and lessons learned during development
Generate TODO lists automatically from plans
Active Plan Concept - ONE active plan per workspace at a time
You: "Create a plan for implementing OAuth2 authentication"
Goldfish: Creates structured plan with items, discoveries field, and optional TODO generation2. mcp__goldfish__todo - Smart Task Management
Create and manage persistent TODO lists
Active List Concept - ONE active TODO list per workspace
Smart keyword resolution:
"latest","active","current"Automatic cleanup of completed/stale tasks
You: "Add urgent task to active list"
Goldfish: Adds to your current active TODO list without needing exact IDs3. mcp__goldfish__checkpoint - Session State Management
Save/restore complete work context with workspace detection
Automatic file tracking, git branch capture, session correlation
Behavioral Enforcement - AI agents guided to checkpoint regularly
You: "Save checkpoint: Completed JWT implementation with refresh tokens"
Goldfish: Captures description, active files, git branch, session context4. mcp__goldfish__standup - Cross-Tool Progress Summaries
Daily/weekly/project summaries across all workspaces
Enhanced Reporting - Correlates data from checkpoints, TODOs, plans
Timeline integration for comprehensive progress tracking
You: "Generate daily standup report"
Goldfish: Shows yesterday's checkpoints, TODO progress, plan updates across all projects5. mcp__goldfish__recall - Context Restoration
Quick access to recent memories and work context
Cross-tool search for finding past decisions and solutions
No parameters needed - just instant context restoration
You: "What was I working on?"
Goldfish: Shows recent checkpoints, active TODOs, current plans6. mcp__goldfish__chronicle - Decision and Progress Tracking
NEW - Replaces standalone Intel tool with integrated decision tracking
Auto-populated from other tools or manual entry creation
Chronological progress logging for audit trails
You: "Record decision: Using PostgreSQL over MongoDB for better transaction support"
Goldfish: Creates chronicle entry with timestamp, links to related plans/TODOs7. mcp__goldfish__workspace - Active Work State Management
NEW - Manages active plan and TODO list per workspace
Enforces the "ONE active item" concept for focused work
Cleanup orphaned work and validate workspace state
You: "Set active plan to user-authentication-plan"
Goldfish: Makes this the active plan, deactivates others, validates workspace state๐ฏ Key Improvements Over TypeScript Version
Behavioral Enforcement System
AI Agent Guidance - Tools work together as a system, not isolated commands
Active Work State - Enforces ONE active plan and TODO list per workspace
Automatic State Management - Prevents stale/orphaned work items
Workflow Validation - Ensures proper tool usage patterns
Performance & Architecture
SQLite + Entity Framework Core - 10x faster than JSON file operations
Structured Queries - Complex data correlations and cross-tool summaries
Transaction Safety - ACID compliance for data integrity
Automatic Migrations - Schema updates handled seamlessly
Enterprise Features
Optional API Sync - Sync data across teams/devices with offline-first design
Global Workspace - Cross-project TODO lists and plans using
__global__workspaceAudit Trails - Complete history via Chronicle entries
Backup & Recovery - Built-in database backup during migrations
๐ Database Schema
Core Entities
public class WorkspaceState
{
public string WorkspaceId { get; set; }
public string? ActivePlanId { get; set; } // ONE active plan
public string? ActiveTodoListId { get; set; } // ONE active TODO list
public DateTime LastActivity { get; set; }
}
public class Plan
{
public string Id { get; set; }
public string WorkspaceId { get; set; }
public string Title { get; set; }
public string Description { get; set; }
public PlanStatus Status { get; set; } // Draft, Active, Complete, Abandoned
public List<string> Items { get; set; }
public List<string> Discoveries { get; set; } // NEW - replaces Intel tool
public DateTime CreatedAt { get; set; }
}
public class TodoList
{
public string Id { get; set; }
public string WorkspaceId { get; set; }
public string Title { get; set; }
public bool IsActive { get; set; } // Active list concept
public List<TodoItem> Items { get; set; }
public DateTime CreatedAt { get; set; }
}
public class ChronicleEntry // NEW - Decision tracking
{
public string Id { get; set; }
public string WorkspaceId { get; set; }
public DateTime Timestamp { get; set; }
public ChronicleEntryType Type { get; set; } // Decision, Milestone, Issue, Resolution
public string Description { get; set; }
public string? RelatedPlanId { get; set; } // Link to plans
public string? RelatedTodoId { get; set; } // Link to TODOs
}๐ง Configuration
Database Location
# Default: ~/.coa/goldfish/goldfish.db
# Override with connection string:
export GOLDFISH_DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING="Data Source=/custom/path/goldfish.db"
# Or set base path (goldfish.db will be created there):
export COA_GOLDFISH_BASE_PATH="/custom/goldfish/storage"API Sync (Optional)
{
"Goldfish": {
"Sync": {
"Enabled": true,
"ApiUrl": "https://your-goldfish-api.com",
"ApiKey": "your-api-key"
}
}
}Behavioral Enforcement Levels
{
"Goldfish": {
"Enforcement": {
"Level": "StronglyUrge", // None, Suggest, StronglyUrge, Require
"RequireActiveWork": true,
"AutoCleanupDays": 7
}
}
}๐ Usage Examples
Morning Workflow
You: "What's my current work state?"
Goldfish:
- Active Plan: "User Authentication System" (3/7 items complete)
- Active TODO: "API Endpoints" (2 pending tasks)
- Last Checkpoint: "JWT validation complete" (yesterday 4:30 PM)Strategic Planning
You: "Create plan for database migration to PostgreSQL"
Goldfish: Creates plan with structured items, then asks:
"Would you like me to generate a TODO list from this plan?"
You: "Yes, create TODO list"
Goldfish:
- Creates TODO list with plan items
- Sets as active TODO list
- Links plan and TODO list in databaseCross-Workspace Reporting
You: "Generate weekly standup across all projects"
Goldfish:
## Weekly Standup (Sept 2-8, 2025)
**Completed Across All Projects:**
- goldfish-mcp: Migration to .NET complete (23 checkpoints)
- api-project: OAuth2 integration (15 checkpoints)
- client-portal: UI redesign phase 1 (8 checkpoints)
**Active Work:**
- 3 active plans across projects
- 12 pending TODO items
- Next: API testing and deploymentDecision Tracking
You: "Record decision: Using Entity Framework Core over Dapper for better migration support"
Goldfish: Creates chronicle entry linked to current active plan, searchable in future๐งช Development & Testing
# Run all tests
dotnet test
# Run specific test project
dotnet test tests/COA.Goldfish.McpServer.Tests/
dotnet test tests/COA.Goldfish.IntegrationTests/
# Development with hot reload
dotnet watch run --project src/COA.Goldfish.McpServer
# Database migrations
dotnet ef migrations add NewMigration --project src/COA.Goldfish.McpServer
dotnet ef database update --project src/COA.Goldfish.McpServer๐ฆ Migration from TypeScript Version
If you have existing TypeScript Goldfish data:
# Run migration tool (will scan ~/.coa/goldfish automatically)
cd dotnet
dotnet run --project src/COA.Goldfish.Migration
# Or specify custom paths:
dotnet run --project src/COA.Goldfish.Migration -- "/custom/json/path" "Data Source=/custom/db/path"Note: Migration preserves all checkpoints, TODO lists, and plans while converting them to the new SQLite schema.
๐ฏ Behavioral Philosophy
Active Work Concept
ONE active plan per workspace - Enforces focused strategic work
ONE active TODO list per workspace - Prevents task fragmentation
Automatic cleanup - Stale work items are automatically archived
AI agent guidance - Built-in templates encourage proper usage patterns
Tool Priorities for AI Agents
Plan (90) - Strategic thinking first
Todo (95) - Task management
Checkpoint (100) - Session persistence
Standup (85) - Progress reporting
Recall (80) - Context restoration
Chronicle (75) - Decision tracking
Workspace (70) - State management
๐ Architecture Overview
src/
โโโ COA.Goldfish.McpServer/ # Main MCP server
โ โโโ Program.cs # Entry point with behavioral enforcement
โ โโโ Models/ # EF Core entities
โ โโโ Services/ # Business logic layer
โ โ โโโ Storage/ # Database context and services
โ โ โโโ WorkspaceService.cs # Workspace state management
โ โ โโโ SyncService.cs # Optional API sync
โ โโโ Tools/ # 7 MCP tools
โ โโโ Templates/ # Behavioral adoption templates
โโโ COA.Goldfish.Migration/ # Data migration from TypeScript๐ Deployment
Global Tool Package
# Build and pack
dotnet pack src/COA.Goldfish.McpServer -c Release
# Install locally for testing
dotnet tool install -g COA.Goldfish --add-source ./src/COA.Goldfish.McpServer/bin/Release
# Publish to NuGet (when ready)
dotnet nuget push COA.Goldfish.*.nupkg --api-key YOUR_API_KEY --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.jsonContainer Deployment (API Sync Server)
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:9.0
COPY . /app
WORKDIR /app
EXPOSE 80
ENTRYPOINT ["dotnet", "COA.Goldfish.McpServer.dll"]๐ License
MIT License - Build amazing workflows with structured persistence!
Ready to upgrade? The .NET version provides everything the TypeScript version offered, plus enterprise features, better performance, and AI agent behavioral enforcement for more productive development sessions.