SanctumOS

The Modular, Self-Hosted Agentic Operating System

SanctumOS Architecture

SanctumOS is a self-hosted cognitive operating system for agentic AI. Its design is explicitly neuro-inspired, borrowing metaphors from human cognition while applying them to modular, auditable AI infrastructure.

Core Design Principles

  • Self-Hosting: All components run on personal hardware or small servers
  • Transparency: Every subsystem logs provenance for accountability
  • Extensibility: Plugin and modular design for easy extension
  • Neuro-Inspired: Subsystems mapped to cognitive functions
  • Governance First: MCP governs permissions and orchestration
  • Privacy by Default: No third-party centralized infrastructure

Cognitive Architecture

Thalamus

Function: Preprocessing hub for raw inputs

  • Phase 0: Immediate pass-through to Cerebellum
  • Phase 1: Cleanup, autocorrect, re-segmentation
  • Phase 2: Semantic annotation, topic tagging

Cerebellum

Role: Real-time filtering and prioritization

  • Low-latency event-driven filtering
  • Gut-check reflex arcs

Basal Ganglia

Role: Task selection and control loop management

  • Arbitration among competing sub-agent goals
  • Enforces success/fail loop structures

Conscious Mind

Core Agent: Central conversational and reasoning engine

  • Maintains core memory and recall memory
  • Coordinates sub-agents through MCP

Dream Agent

Role: Nightly summarization and long-term integration

  • Hippocampus: Summarizes recent activity
  • Neocortex: Consolidates into long-term structures
  • Glymphatic System: Compacts indexes and prunes data

System Architecture

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Memory Management

  • Core/Recall Memory: Active conversational state
  • Archival Memory: SQLite-backed persistent store
  • Summarization Cycles: Regular pruning and integration
  • Infinite Context DB: Token usage tracking and context windows

Communication Layer: Broca 2

Design: CLI-first, plugin-based message processor

  • Translates agent decisions into platform-specific messages
  • Plugin system for endpoints (Telegram, CLI, APIs)
  • Message queue with echo, listen, live modes
  • MCP-scriptable commands

Multi-Agent Ecosystem

  • Deep Research Agent: Structured analysis and synthesis
  • Internal Monologue Agent: Reflective insights generation
  • Dream Agent: Summarization and archival maintenance
  • Cerebellum: Input prioritization and filtering
  • Proactive Outreach Agents: Condition/time-based triggers

Key Benefits

Privacy & Control

  • Complete data control through self-hosting
  • No external dependencies
  • Transparent operations

Scalability & Performance

  • Modular design for independent scaling
  • Efficient memory management
  • Intelligent resource allocation

Extensibility

  • Plugin architecture for new capabilities
  • MCP integration for standardized tools
  • Open source for full customization

Development Philosophy

SanctumOS follows a neuro-inspired design that maps software components to cognitive functions, ensuring intuitive and predictable behavior that mirrors human cognitive processes.

Naming Convention

Our Naming Rubric ensures consistent terminology across the system:

  • Neuroanatomical names for cognitive components (Thalamus, Basal Ganglia, Dream Agent)
  • Technical names for infrastructure (MCP, UI, Kernel)
  • Industry terms for AI/ML extensions (agents, tools, memory blocks)
  • Mythic names for agent personalities (Athena, Monday, Sentinel)

Next Steps

  1. Install: Use the forthcoming Master Sanctum Installer or follow individual repo installation instructions
  2. Configure: Set up your first agent
  3. Explore Components: Start with the Components Overview or dive into Thalamus, Basal Ganglia, and Dream Agent
  4. Explore Modules: Learn about Sanctum Letta MCP and Broca-2
  5. Extend: Build custom plugins

SanctumOS Architecture - A neuro-inspired approach to self-hosted AI agent systems.