# README Update: Add Operational Modes Section
Add this section after the "Features" section in the README.md:
---
## 🚀 Operational Modes
Session-Buddy now supports **two operational modes** to accommodate different use cases:
### ⚡ Lite Mode (NEW!)
**Zero-dependency, in-memory mode for testing and CI/CD**
```bash
session-buddy --mode=lite start
# or
SESSION_BUDDY_MODE=lite session-buddy start
```
**Characteristics:**
- ⚡ In-memory database (`:memory:`)
- 📦 No external dependencies
- ⏱️ Fast startup (< 2 seconds)
- 🧪 Perfect for testing and CI/CD
**Trade-offs:**
- ❌ No data persistence (ephemeral)
- ❌ No semantic search (embeddings disabled)
- ❌ No multi-project coordination
### 💾 Standard Mode (Default)
**Full-featured production mode with persistent storage**
```bash
session-buddy start # Default mode
# or
session-buddy --mode=standard start
```
**Characteristics:**
- 💾 Persistent database (`~/.claude/data/reflection.duckdb`)
- 📦 Full feature set
- 🧠 Semantic search enabled
- 🌐 Multi-project coordination
**Ideal For:**
- ✅ Daily development
- ✅ Production deployments
- ✅ Knowledge base building
### Quick Comparison
| Feature | Lite Mode | Standard Mode |
|---------|-----------|---------------|
| **Setup Time** | < 2 min | ~ 5 min |
| **Persistence** | No (ephemeral) | Yes (persistent) |
| **Database** | `:memory:` | `~/.claude/data/reflection.duckdb` |
| **Embeddings** | Disabled | Enabled |
| **Ideal For** | Testing, CI/CD | Development, Production |
**📖 See [Operational Modes Guide](docs/guides/operational-modes.md) for complete documentation.**
---
Then update the "Usage" section to include mode selection:
---
## Usage
### Starting Session-Buddy
```bash
# Start in standard mode (default)
session-buddy start
# Start in lite mode (fast, no persistence)
session-buddy --mode=lite start
# Using environment variable
SESSION_BUDDY_MODE=lite session-buddy start
# Using startup script
./scripts/dev-start.sh lite
```
---
Then update the "Installation" section:
---
## Installation
### Quick Start (Standard Mode)
```bash
# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/lesleslie/session-buddy.git
cd session-buddy
uv pip install -e .
# Start in standard mode
session-buddy start
```
### Quick Start (Lite Mode)
```bash
# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/lesleslie/session-buddy.git
cd session-buddy
uv pip install -e .
# Start in lite mode (no persistence, fast startup)
session-buddy --mode=lite start
```
### Development Setup
```bash
# Install with dev dependencies
uv sync --group dev
# Run tests
pytest
# Start in lite mode for development
./scripts/dev-start.sh lite
```
---
Finally, add to the "Documentation" section:
---
### Operational Modes
- **[Operational Modes Guide](docs/guides/operational-modes.md)** ⭐ **NEW**
- Lite mode vs standard mode
- Mode selection and configuration
- Migration guide
- Best practices
---
