Set up Thegram Desktop and connect a storage source · r5
Archived revision r5, recorded 2026-10-12T08:40:15.725Z. Current page: Set up Thegram Desktop and connect a storage source.
Start with a file you control
Section titled “Start with a file you control”The Mac app is the direct route when you want to inspect and edit .gram documents in a native workspace. Begin by following the install instructions linked from the product site and opening a document from a location you chose. The desktop README describes a local mode that works without server requests; signing in is a separate choice. This distinction is useful: a local document workflow should not be described as requiring a Vault account, and signing in should not be treated as automatically granting access to a separate storage provider.
Before connecting anything, decide which copy is canonical. A local folder, personal Drive folder, or mounted Vault may have different ownership and synchronization behavior. Do not move a source file into a cloud account merely to make the UI appear populated. The app’s format boundary says .gram and its history are canonical; derived search, graph, and vector data can be rebuilt.
Open and read
Section titled “Open and read”Use the native file-open flow to choose a .gram file or folder. The desktop design uses a document list, central content, an inspector, and graph/history navigation. A selected historical revision is a read-only view; it is not a direct rollback. To make an intentional change based on old text, return to the current state and edit or copy the desired material into a new change. If Core reports a stale write or invalid history, preserve the original file and resolve that condition rather than replacing it with a hand-edited reconstruction.
A useful first check is whether the title, typed records, relationships and rich body appear as expected. A graph edge expresses a stored relation; visual proximity or a search result can be a derived candidate, not a fact written into the file. Likewise a status label or scope field describes data but does not change its permission model.
Connect a Thegram account or Drive
Section titled “Connect a Thegram account or Drive”Desktop documentation separates account authentication from storage mounting. Account sign-in uses the configured identity flow. Google Drive connection is separately consented to, and personal Drive and company Shared Drive flows are distinct. A logged-in user may see a company Vault mounted according to their role; a Drive connection is not simply the account login screen under a different name. Read the prompts carefully and confirm which account and folder are being connected.
After authorizing a source, inspect the displayed path and document identity before editing. Remote storage synchronization can introduce stale states or conflicts; the desktop README says agent imports should preserve stale conflict rather than silently overwrite. If two copies disagree, retain both until the application’s conflict workflow identifies the intended current file. A self-hosted connection may expose an optional advanced mTLS route, but that is not a prerequisite for ordinary local use.
Example workflow
Section titled “Example workflow”Suppose you have a local launch-review.gram and want to read team evidence. First open the local file and identify its current revision and any link to evidence. If shared material lives in a team Vault, sign in only if needed, then verify that the expected Vault appears under the correct identity and role. If a personal Drive is the actual source, use its separate consent flow and inspect that folder instead. Read the decision and its evidence together. For a new decision, create a separate decision record and link the supporting evidence; do not overwrite an old accepted fact to make a conclusion look historically true.
Tradeoffs and limits
Section titled “Tradeoffs and limits”Local mode reduces dependence on accounts and network availability, but it does not automatically share a file across devices. Remote storage may be convenient, but account identity, provider consent, organization roles, sync state and conflict handling become relevant. Do not infer that every deployment supports every provider, or that every desktop checkout has the same release status. The separate sandboxed Mac App Store edition is in preparation, with App Store entitlements, a privacy manifest, and installer-signing work; no App Store release is evidenced. Its README and acceptance file are inherited from the desktop line and retain a Source-r2 TEST/UNRESOLVED-license boundary, not a statement of App Store release status. The public 0.9.6 README also records Core license status as UNRESOLVED; notarization does not imply license review.
For exact screen names and supported behavior, read the current Desktop README, docs/ui-design.md, and docs/architecture.md; for server-backed operations read the Vault specification and current install guide. This guide describes decision points, not an account grant or verified live login session.
Install and enable agent access
Section titled “Install and enable agent access”Thegram requires an Apple silicon Mac (M1 or later) and macOS 26 or later. Download Thegram.dmg from the official install page, open it, drag Thegram to Applications, eject the disk image, and open the app from Applications. Account sign-in is optional; the install guide says local files can be used without an account. To let a coding agent read and write project memory, open Thegram > Settings… (⌘,), choose Agent Connections, set Agent Access to Read and Write, and wait until Connection says Running. Install the agent from the Agent Apps section or follow the command for that agent. Node.js 22 or later is required. The connection works on this Mac while Thegram is open; choose Read instead if the agent should not write. Codex asks once whether to trust plugin hooks. Grant write access only to an agent and project you intend to authorize.
Sources
Section titled “Sources”Instructions are based on Desktop README and design/architecture docs, installation materials, Vault contract, and App Store test-line acceptance status.
Source
Section titled “Source”Source: Desktop application README
Internal source reviewed at revision b6c769a0365166ba943d8501abb639bd09c00c6e (main: README.md; docs/ui-design.md; docs/architecture.md); not publicly available.
Source: Desktop UI design
Internal source reviewed at revision b6c769a0365166ba943d8501abb639bd09c00c6e (main: docs/ui-design.md); not publicly available.
Source: Desktop architecture
Internal source reviewed at revision b6c769a0365166ba943d8501abb639bd09c00c6e (main: docs/architecture.md); not publicly available.
Source: Sandboxed App Store edition README; not release evidence
Internal source reviewed at revision b3389ce165fa80d46873df3f4fb6951d98fbeb60 (main: README.md; inherited from the desktop line); not publicly available.
Source: App Store acceptance text; not release evidence
Internal source reviewed at revision b3389ce165fa80d46873df3f4fb6951d98fbeb60 (main: docs/acceptance.md; inherited from the desktop line); not publicly available.
Source: Vault service contract
Internal source reviewed at revision a193a190141054e07b268f0a38489467db82a335 (README.md; docs/SPEC.md); not publicly available.
Source: Product installation instructions
Reference: https://thegram.one/install/
Knowledge
Section titled “Knowledge”Knowledge: Local file workflow is independent of account login
Desktop documents local mode without server requests; authentication and storage mounting are separate choices.
Reference: → Supports: Choose identity and storage separately
Knowledge: Choose identity and storage separately
Account sign-in, Google Drive consent, company Vault role and local files represent distinct access paths.
Knowledge: Test builds do not establish official release readiness
The App Store checkout says official release remains blocked by unresolved Core licensing and incomplete acceptance.
Source and renderer evidence
- Canonical source SHA-256
42e7762197f86ddcd8d72728149a17217efe516bbb752e7d89572d21f59338a7- Selected revision
r5 · sha256:c03aa284467c04081d990a40847f759d409b02ff914448e206db0155d95841f1- Local renderer
configured local Thegram renderer · API thegram-web-render/1- Core source
git+https://github.com/clab-one/thegram-format.git?rev=b16489e1d0d77d38f82d2f61776524737aa31557#b16489e1d0d77d38f82d2f61776524737aa31557
Canonical source: 5.gram