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Common Issues

Problem: After running npx nia-wizard@latest, the nia command fails, behaves unexpectedly, or still shows the old local-sync daemon.Cause: The deprecated nia-sync package (installed via pip or uv) ships a binary also called nia. It shadows the new CLI that the wizard installs.Solution:
  1. Uninstall the old package:
pip uninstall nia-sync   # or: uv pip uninstall nia-sync
  1. Clear your shell’s command cache and verify:
hash -r              # reset shell lookup cache (bash/zsh)
which nia            # should point to the new CLI, not a pip path
On Windows (PowerShell):
Get-Command nia      # should point to the new CLI, not a pip path
  1. Re-run the wizard:
npx nia-wizard@latest
Problem: The mcp.json file doesn’t exist in the expected location.Solution: You can create the file manually. The mcp.json file should be located at:
  • macOS (Cursor): ~/.cursor/mcp.json
  • macOS (Windsurf): ~/.windsurf/mcp.json
  • macOS (Claude Desktop): ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows (Cursor): %APPDATA%\Cursor\mcp.json
  • Windows (Windsurf): %APPDATA%\Windsurf\mcp.json
  • Windows (Claude Desktop): %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
  • Linux (Cursor): ~/.config/cursor/mcp.json
  • Linux (Windsurf): ~/.config/windsurf/mcp.json
Create the directory if it doesn’t exist, then create the mcp.json file with the configuration from the installation guide.Example:
# For Cursor on macOS
mkdir -p ~/.cursor
touch ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Then add the configuration:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nia": {
      "command": "pipx",
      "args": ["run", "--no-cache", "nia-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "NIA_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "NIA_API_URL": "https://apigcp.trynia.ai/"
      }
    }
  }
}
Problem: After installation, the Nia tools don’t appear in your MCP client (Cursor, Claude Desktop, etc.).Solution: This usually happens when the MCP server isn’t installed globally. Make sure you’ve installed using pipx for global installation:
# Install pipx first if you haven't
pip install pipx

# Install nia-mcp-server globally
pipx install nia-mcp-server
Why pipx is recommended:
  • pipx installs packages globally in isolated environments
  • Tools are available system-wide
  • No conflicts with other Python packages
  • Automatic PATH management
After installing with pipx:
  1. Update your MCP configuration to use pipx run
  2. Restart your MCP client completely
  3. Check if tools appear in the MCP tools section
If you previously installed with pip, uninstall first:
pip uninstall nia-mcp-server
pipx install nia-mcp-server
Problem: Getting an error that no API key was provided.Solution:
  1. Ensure you’ve replaced YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key from app.trynia.ai
  2. Check that the environment variable is correctly set in your MCP configuration
  3. Verify there are no typos in the environment variable name NIA_API_KEY
  4. Make sure there are no extra spaces or hidden characters in your API key
Example of correct configuration:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nia": {
      "command": "pipx",
      "args": ["run", "--no-cache", "nia-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "NIA_API_KEY": "sk-proj-abc123xyz789",  // Replace with your actual key
        "NIA_API_URL": "https://apigcp.trynia.ai/"
      }
    }
  }
}
Problem: Getting “command not found” when trying to use pipx.Solution: Install pipx first:
# On macOS with Homebrew
brew install pipx
pipx ensurepath

# On Windows
pip install pipx
pipx ensurepath

# On Linux
pip install pipx
pipx ensurepath
After installation, you may need to:
  1. Restart your terminal
  2. Add pipx to your PATH if not done automatically
  3. Verify installation with pipx --version
Problem: Getting rate limit errors when using Nia tools.Solution:
  • You’ve used your allocated requests for the current period
  • Check your usage at app.trynia.ai
  • Consider upgrading your plan for more requests
  • Free tier includes 3 indexing jobs and limited searches
Problem: The sync daemon can’t read iMessage, Apple Notes, Contacts, or other personal data sources. You may see “permission denied” or “database locked” errors.Solution: Personal data sources require Full Disk Access on macOS:
  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
  2. Click the + button and add your terminal app (Terminal, iTerm2, Warp, etc.)
  3. If running via an IDE terminal (VS Code, Cursor), add that IDE too
  4. Restart the sync daemon: nia (it auto-restarts the watcher)
Still failing? Some sources need to be closed first:
  • Notes: Close the Apple Notes app before the first sync — the SQLite database can be locked by the app
  • iMessage: The chat.db can be locked if Messages.app is actively writing. Try quitting Messages briefly during the initial index
  • Contacts: If using iCloud sync, contacts may take a moment to appear in the local database
The sync daemon reads these databases in read-only mode. It never modifies your messages, notes, or contacts.
Problem: A vault workflow (ingest, sync, dream) appears stuck and won’t complete.Solution:
  1. Check if the Hatchet worker is running: the workflow needs an active backend worker
  2. Cancel the stuck run: nia vault cancel <vault-id> or use the vault UI
  3. If the workflow lock is stuck, the cancel endpoint will release it
  4. Re-trigger: nia vault refresh <vault-id>
Workflows have a 2-hour timeout. If a run exceeds this, it’s automatically marked as failed and the lock is released.
Problem: The GitHub app installation doesn’t complete or gets stuck during onboarding.Solution:
  1. Go to GitHub → Settings → Applications → Installed GitHub Apps
  2. Find and remove the Nia app
  3. Return to app.trynia.ai and restart the onboarding process
You don’t have to give Nia access to your own repositories. The GitHub app connection is only used to avoid GitHub’s API rate limits when indexing public repositories. You can skip granting access to personal repos entirely.

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Getting Help

If you’re still experiencing issues:
  1. Check the main documentation: Review the installation guide for detailed setup instructions
  2. Community support: Join our Discord community for help from other users
  3. Direct support: Contact us through app.trynia.ai
  4. Email support: The most effective way to get help is to email arlan@nozomio.com
Pro tip: When seeking help, include:
  • Your MCP client (Cursor, Claude Desktop, etc.) and version
  • Your operating system
  • The exact error message you’re seeing
  • Your configuration (with API key redacted)