Store Claude Code's memory in version control

setup-claude-memory.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Point Claude Code's auto memory at the repo's committed memory directory.
#
# Claude stores per-project auto memory under ~/.claude/projects/<repo>/memory by
# default, which lives outside the repo and does not travel across machines. This
# repo commits its memory to .claude/memory instead. The official `autoMemoryDirectory`
# setting (https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory) redirects auto memory there.
#
# That setting must be an absolute path, so it cannot be committed (the repo path
# differs per machine). This script writes it to the gitignored .claude/settings.local.json,
# so each machine points at its own checkout while the facts stay version-controlled.
#
# Run once per machine after cloning. Idempotent. Takes effect next session, after
# you accept the workspace-trust dialog for this folder (same gate as hooks).
set -euo pipefail

command -v jq >/dev/null || { echo "error: jq is required" >&2; exit 1; }

repo_root="$(git -C "$(dirname "$0")" rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
dest="$repo_root/.claude/memory"
settings_local="$repo_root/.claude/settings.local.json"

if [ ! -d "$dest" ]; then
  echo "error: $dest does not exist (is the repo memory committed?)" >&2
  exit 1
fi

tmp="$(mktemp)"
if [ -f "$settings_local" ]; then
  jq --arg d "$dest" '. + {autoMemoryDirectory: $d}' "$settings_local" > "$tmp"
else
  jq -n --arg d "$dest" '{autoMemoryDirectory: $d}' > "$tmp"
fi
mv "$tmp" "$settings_local"

echo "set autoMemoryDirectory -> $dest"
echo "in $settings_local"
echo "Restart Claude Code and accept the workspace-trust dialog for the setting to take effect."