Memory layers

The desk, project and area memory layers, where a memory_write with no scope lands, the MEMORY.md line, conductor.project_memory_dir, and which layer edit and delete look in.

The conductor's memory has three layers. The desk layer is shared by every chat. The project layer is one folder per project, seen only by that project's chats. The area layer is one folder per area inside the project's folder (areas/<area>), seen only by that area's chats.

01fresh install#

With no conductor.memory_dir, the desk layer is smith's own store in the data dir and the project layers live under <data dir>/memory-projects. A memory_write with no scope goes to the chat's live area, else its project, else the desk. Claude's own auto-memory is off there too, so smith's store is the only memory.

02with memory_dir set#

When conductor.memory_dir is set, that folder is the desk layer. A memory_write with no scope goes there. Project and area memories are written only with scope project or area. Every memory_write result names the layer and the path of the file written. A new file gets a line in that folder's MEMORY.md automatically (a list line with the file name as a link to the file, then the description); the file is made when missing, and a file already listed gets no second line. Deleting a memory leaves its line, so remove it with memory_edit. Managers and general chats run with claude's own auto-memory turned off (autoMemoryEnabled false in the settings file the desk generates at launch). The desk puts the memory dir's MEMORY.md into every chat's brief, managers and side chats alike: its first 200 lines, plus a line pointing at the rest.

03project_memory_dir#

conductor.project_memory_dir moves the root of the project and area folders from <data dir>/memory-projects to a folder of your choice. It applies at restart; see desk-json. The backup follows it: see backup-restore. When it is set, startup prints a line to stderr listing memory files still in the default <data dir>/memory-projects tree. They are never moved or deleted; move them by hand.

04edit and delete#

With no scope, memory_edit and memory_delete look for the file in the chat's area, then its project, then the desk, in every mode. A scope names one layer.