feat(home): seed Claude Code memory from Nix (repo as source of truth)
CI / flake (pull_request) Successful in 3m15s

Vendor the auto-memory directory into the repo (claude/memory/) and
symlink it read-only into ~/.claude/memory. Recall keeps working; the
runtime "save a memory" path no longer writes there. CLAUDE.md instructs
Claude to add/change memories in this repo and rebuild instead, so the
flake stays the single source of truth. README documents the split.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Emma Thorpe
2026-06-10 17:26:50 +01:00
parent 184a09ad71
commit a97b433a7b
15 changed files with 286 additions and 16 deletions
+29 -6
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@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ home-manager — edit the listed file and rebuild, never the generated dotfiles.
Keyboard shortcuts have their own reference: [`KEYBINDINGS.md`](./KEYBINDINGS.md).
| Area | Defined in |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| zsh, CLI tools, tmux, ssh, auto-tmux | [`shell.nix`](./shell.nix) |
| git (+ delta, commitizen) | [`git.nix`](./git.nix) |
| Neovim (nixvim) + LSP | [`editor.nix`](./editor.nix) |
| GUI apps, GTK/Firefox theming, cursor | [`desktop.nix`](./desktop.nix) (graphical hosts only) |
| Area | Defined in |
| -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| zsh, CLI tools, tmux, ssh, auto-tmux | [`shell.nix`](./shell.nix) |
| git (+ delta, commitizen) | [`git.nix`](./git.nix) |
| Neovim (nixvim) + LSP | [`editor.nix`](./editor.nix) |
| Claude Code (CLAUDE.md, style, memory) | [`claude.nix`](./claude.nix) |
| GUI apps, GTK/Firefox theming, cursor | [`desktop.nix`](./desktop.nix) (graphical hosts only) |
Shared by every host via [`default.nix`](./default.nix); the work box also layers
[`work.nix`](./work.nix) on top (work email, its own ssh config, extra packages,
@@ -170,6 +171,28 @@ current (`gc`/`fetch.writeCommitGraph`) so `lg` stays fast.
The **work box keeps its own `~/.ssh/config`** (home-manager's `programs.ssh` is
forced off there) but still runs the agent.
## Claude Code
Managed declaratively by [`claude.nix`](./claude.nix) on every host (the CLI is
`pkgs.claude-code`, tracked to unstable via the flake overlay).
| Managed (static, from Nix) | Left mutable (runtime state) |
| --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (persona + memory workflow) | `settings.json` (permissions, model, theme, `/config`) |
| `~/.claude/output-styles/soviet-engineer.md` | `.credentials.json`, history, caches |
| `~/.claude/memory/` (read-only symlink to the repo) | |
`settings.json` is intentionally **not** managed: Claude rewrites it at runtime
(interactive permission grants, `/config`), which a read-only store symlink would
break.
**Memory is sourced from this repo.** The files in
[`claude/memory/`](./claude/memory) are the source of truth; they are symlinked
read-only into `~/.claude/memory`, so recall works but the runtime "save a
memory" path does not. To add/change/remove a memory, edit `claude/memory/`
(one file per memory + the `MEMORY.md` index) and rebuild — `CLAUDE.md` tells
Claude to route new memories there.
## Maintenance behaviours
- **zcompdump reset** — `~/.config/zsh/.zcompdump*` (plus legacy `~/.zcompdump*`
+20 -10
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@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
# Claude Code, configured declaratively via home-manager. Wanted on every host.
#
# Only the STATIC config is managed here: the global CLAUDE.md (persona/context)
# and the custom output style. settings.json is deliberately left UNMANAGED --
# Claude Code rewrites it at runtime (interactive permission grants, /config),
# and a read-only /nix/store symlink would break those writes. The auto-memory
# directory (~/.claude/memory) is likewise tool-written and stays mutable.
# The STATIC config is managed here: the global CLAUDE.md (persona/context), the
# custom output style, and the auto-memory directory. settings.json is
# deliberately left UNMANAGED -- Claude Code rewrites it at runtime (interactive
# permission grants, /config), and a read-only /nix/store symlink would break
# those writes.
#
# Memory is the source of truth in this repo (./claude/memory). It is symlinked
# read-only into ~/.claude/memory, so the runtime "save a memory" path no longer
# writes there -- recall still works, but new/changed memories must be added to
# this repo and rebuilt. CLAUDE.md instructs Claude to do exactly that.
{ ... }:
{
programs.claude-code = {
@@ -12,12 +17,17 @@
# package defaults to pkgs.claude-code (tracked to unstable via the flake
# overlay); installs the CLI on every host.
# ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md -- global instructions / persona.
# ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md -- global instructions / persona / memory workflow.
context = ./claude/CLAUDE.md;
};
# Custom output style. The module has no option for output-styles/, so place
# it directly; selection (settings.json `outputStyle`) stays mutable.
home.file.".claude/output-styles/soviet-engineer.md".source =
./claude/output-styles/soviet-engineer.md;
home.file = {
# Custom output style. The module has no option for output-styles/, so place
# it directly; selection (settings.json `outputStyle`) stays mutable.
".claude/output-styles/soviet-engineer.md".source = ./claude/output-styles/soviet-engineer.md;
# Auto-memory directory, Nix-managed (read-only). Edit ./claude/memory in
# this repo and rebuild to change what Claude remembers.
".claude/memory".source = ./claude/memory;
};
}
+17
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@@ -17,3 +17,20 @@ voice would distort a point, drop it and state facts plainly. Voice is the wrapp
is always correct.
Full spec lives in the "Soviet Engineer" output style and the `persona-soviet-engineer` memory.
# Memory — managed via Nix
The auto-memory directory (`~/.claude/memory`) is **read-only** — it is a Nix symlink to the
`nixfiles` flake. The runtime "save a memory" path will NOT work there; do not write to
`~/.claude/memory`.
To add, change, or delete a memory, edit the source of truth in the nixfiles repo at
`lyrathorpe/home/claude/memory/` (one file per memory, plus the `MEMORY.md` index), then apply
with a home-manager rebuild (`nh home switch` / `home-manager switch`, or a full host rebuild).
The change takes effect on the next session after the rebuild. Reading/recall from
`~/.claude/memory` works as normal.
When the user asks you to remember something: create/update the file under that repo path and
add its one-line pointer to `MEMORY.md` there — same format and conventions as the existing
files — instead of writing into `~/.claude/memory`. Mention that a rebuild is needed for it to
take effect.
+11
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@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
- [User name](user_name.md) — address the user as Lyra
- [Soviet engineer persona](persona_soviet_engineer.md) — terse, dry, pragmatic; no emojis; technical accuracy over voice
- [Git conventions](git_conventions.md) — never commit to main, always a branch; Conventional Commits branches and messages; inspect repo style first; commit at logical checkpoints
- [Git network ops](git_network_ops.md) — GitHub pushable in-sandbox (agent key; just sandbox off); Gitea code.emmathe.dev needs hand-off
- [Git commit signing](git_commit_signing.md) — signs in-sandbox via ssh-agent (allowAllUnixSockets + inlined pubkey)
- [Git check state first](git_check_state.md) — always check branch/status/divergence before git work; Lyra edits repos between sessions
- [Keep docs updated](docs_keep_updated.md) — update docs in the same pass as code/config changes; stale docs are a defect
- [Jira tooling](jira_tooling.md) — comments are Markdown not wiki; transitions may need assignee; link direction; WSP transition IDs
- [Review and comments workflow](workflow_review_and_comments.md) — show PR body and non-trivial Jira comments before posting; terse IaC code comments; PR body content rules
- [Sandbox prompts](feedback_sandbox_prompts.md) — don't prompt for sandbox-disable or routine read-only shell ops; broaden permissions instead
- [Dev clusters disposable](dev_clusters_disposable.md) — Lyra's dev clusters are recreatable; mutate/break freely, no confirmation needed
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
---
name: dev-clusters-disposable
description: "Lyra's dev clusters are disposable — break/mutate freely, no confirmation needed"
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: 2b832088-ae38-4adf-b5bc-b5d44a8eac40
---
Dev clusters (e.g. AKS `wsp-aks-dev-eus2-nv6r`) are owned by Lyra and can be recreated at any time. Breaking them is always fine.
**Why:** They carry no production data or shared-team state worth protecting; recreation is cheap.
**How to apply:** Deploy, install, delete, and run destructive smoke tests against dev clusters without asking for confirmation first. The usual "outward-facing / hard-to-reverse → confirm first" rule does not apply to these. Production or shared clusters are still off-limits without explicit say-so. Related: [[git_network_ops]] (push/pull still hand off to Lyra for the SSH passphrase).
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
---
name: docs_keep_updated
description: "Keep documentation in sync with every change as part of the work, not a separate step"
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: ca09fbe4-9226-4ad9-874f-04df90840eef
---
When changing config or code, update the affected documentation in the same pass — READMEs, KEYBINDINGS, per-host install notes, module comments. Treat docs as part of "done," not an afterthought a later request has to catch.
**Why:** Lyra expects docs to track the actual state of the repo continuously; stale docs (e.g. a README still describing a removed weekly GC, or missing a new keybinding) are a defect, not a follow-up.
**How to apply:** After any feature/fix, check whether a doc describes the area touched and update it before considering the task complete. On a branch, the doc update can be its own commit but should land within the same branch/work. Relates to [[git_conventions]] and [[workflow_review_and_comments]].
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
---
name: feedback-sandbox-prompts
description: "Don't ask Lyra to approve sandbox-disable or routine read-only shell prompts; add adjacent repos to additionalDirectories and broaden allow rules instead"
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: 2b832088-ae38-4adf-b5bc-b5d44a8eac40
---
Don't repeatedly prompt Lyra for `dangerouslyDisableSandbox` or for routine
read-only shell actions (git inspection, file iteration, echo, sed, grep, head,
rm of files she told me to clean up). The friction is the prompt itself.
**Why:** explicitly told "do not prompt for these kinds of actions" after a long
series of `dangerouslyDisableSandbox: true` approvals for git reads on the
adjacent `unified-helm` repo.
**How to apply:**
- When work spans an adjacent repo (outside the primary cwd), add it to
`permissions.additionalDirectories` in `~/.claude/settings.json` immediately
on first use, so the sandbox no longer blocks writes to `.git/`.
- Broaden `permissions.allow` for common shell idioms used in read-only
exploration (for-loops, echo, sed, grep, head). Keep network ops denied per
[[git-network-ops]].
- Only fall back to `dangerouslyDisableSandbox: true` when no allow rule covers
it, and don't ask first — just do it.
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
---
name: git_check_state
description: "Always check real git state (branch, ahead/behind, log) before git work — Lyra edits repos between sessions"
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: ca09fbe4-9226-4ad9-874f-04df90840eef
---
Before starting any git-related work — and again before committing, amending, or resetting — inspect the actual repo state: current branch, `git status -sb` (ahead/behind), and the recent log including `origin/<branch>..` and `..origin/<branch>`. Lyra makes pushes, pulls, merges, and branch switches **outside** of sessions, so HEAD/branch are not necessarily where the last session left them.
**Why:** In one session a branch had been merged to remote main and pulled outside the session; not re-checking led to misdiagnosing renovate's lock-file bump (#15) and a merged WSL-interop PR (#16) as accidental local changes, and to confusion over a diverged local main (ahead 1/behind 6).
**How to apply:** Run `git status -sb` and a quick divergence check at the top of git tasks; never assume the branch, HEAD, or working tree is unchanged from the previous turn/session. Reconcile against `origin/<branch>` before building on top. Relates to [[git_conventions]] and [[git_network_ops]].
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
---
name: git-commit-signing
description: "Commits sign in-sandbox via ssh-agent — needs `allowAllUnixSockets: true` in settings, plus pubkey inlined in user.signingkey."
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: a223254b-6bee-435f-ac39-e3cedf064893
---
Lyra's git is configured to SSH-sign commits (`commit.gpgsign=true`, `gpg.format=ssh`). The sandbox masks `~/.ssh/*` (read-denied; the files appear as char devices backed by `/dev/null`), so git cannot read a file-based `user.signingkey` and ssh-keygen cannot read the private key directly. Signing in-sandbox therefore requires routing through ssh-agent over the agent's unix socket.
**Working setup (as of 2026-06-02):**
1. NixOS / home-manager runs an ssh-agent so `/run/user/1000/ssh-agent` exists and `SSH_AUTH_SOCK` is exported into the sandbox env.
2. `~/.claude/settings.json` has `sandbox.network.allowAllUnixSockets: true` to let the sandbox `connect()` to that socket. On Linux/WSL2 this is the ONLY available switch — the per-path `sandbox.network.allowUnixSockets` array is macOS-only because the seccomp filter cannot inspect socket paths. Tradeoff: every unix socket on the host (including `/var/run/docker.sock` if present, DBus, etc.) becomes reachable from sandboxed commands.
3. `user.signingkey` set to the inlined pubkey: `git config --global user.signingkey "key::$(cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub)"`. Must run with DOUBLE quotes outside the sandbox so `$(...)` expands; single quotes or running it from inside the sandbox stores literal garbage (`cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub` reads `/dev/null` in-sandbox).
**Why:** removes the per-commit `! git commit ...` friction; private key stays in the agent, never enters the sandbox.
**How to apply:** Commit normally with `git commit`. If signing fails with `Couldn't load public key`, check (a) `git config --get user.signingkey` starts with `key::ssh-ed25519 AAAA...` (not literal `$(...)`), (b) `ssh-add -l` from in-sandbox lists keys (if it says "Operation not permitted", the sandbox config didn't take effect — restart Claude Code), (c) the ssh-agent on the host actually has the key loaded (`ssh-add -l` outside the sandbox). Do NOT use `--no-gpg-sign` to bypass — the repo's `ReleaseWorkflow-Commit` check enforces signed commits.
Related: [[git-network-ops]], [[git-conventions]].
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
---
name: git-conventions
description: Branch naming and commit message conventions for git workflow
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: ca09fbe4-9226-4ad9-874f-04df90840eef
---
**Never commit directly to the default branch (`main`/`master`).** Always create a branch first and work there, even for a one-line fix; if a commit ends up on main, move it to a branch and reset main back to `origin/<default>`. This is a hard rule.
**Branch naming:** Follow the repo's existing convention — inspect with `git branch -a` or `git for-each-ref` before creating. Prefer Conventional Commits prefixes (`feat/`, `fix/`, `chore/`, `docs/`, `refactor/`). Format: `<prefix>/<TICKET-ID>-<kebab-summary>`. Only ask if no convention is discoverable.
**Commit messages:** Conventional Commits. Subject line: `<type>(<TICKET-ID>): <imperative summary>` — ticket ID as the scope. Use additional `-m` flags for rationale/body. Commit at logical checkpoints, not one giant final commit.
**Why:** Lyra's standard workflow for traceability and clean history.
**How to apply:** Whenever creating a branch or committing in any repo. Inspect existing branches/log first so you match the repo's actual style; the format above is the default when nothing else is established.
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
---
name: git-network-ops
description: Push/pull is remote-specific — GitHub is agent-pushable in-sandbox; Gitea (code.emmathe.dev) needs hand-off to Lyra.
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: a223254b-6bee-435f-ac39-e3cedf064893
---
Whether a network op can run depends on which key the remote needs:
**GitHub remotes (e.g. csg-citrix-storefront/\*): pushable in-sandbox by the agent.** ssh-agent holds the decrypted `~/.ssh/id_ed25519` (`emma.thorpe@cloud.com`), which is authorized on GitHub. Only requirement now is `dangerouslyDisableSandbox: true` (network); plain `git push`/`ls-remote` works. Probe non-mutatively with `git ls-remote` first. (Historically also needed `ssh -F /dev/null` to dodge a broken NixOS-WSL system ssh_config include — that's fixed in nixfiles via `programs.ssh.systemd-ssh-proxy.enable = false`, merged and rebuilt 2026-06, so the workaround is no longer needed.)
**Gitea (`code.emmathe.dev`, e.g. nixfiles): hand off to Lyra.** Needs `~/.ssh/code.emmathe.dev`, which is passphrase-protected and NOT in the agent, so `git push`/`pull`/`fetch` there will fail/hang. Pause, give Lyra the exact command (she runs `ssh-add ~/.ssh/code.emmathe.dev` once, then pushes).
**Fine to run locally:** `git branch`, `git rebase`, `git reset`, `git status`, `git log`, `git diff`. `git commit` works in-sandbox via ssh-agent signing — see [[git-commit-signing]].
**How to apply:** Check the remote host before a network op. GitHub → just do it (sandbox off). Gitea → hand off. Related: [[git-conventions]].
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
---
name: jira-tooling
description: Jira MCP tool quirks — comment markdown, transitions, link direction, WSP transition IDs
metadata:
type: feedback
---
**Comment markup:** `addCommentToJiraIssue` `commentBody` renders as Markdown — use `###` headings, `**bold**`, backtick `code`, `1.` / `-` lists. Do NOT use wiki markup (`h3.`, `{{code}}`, `_italic_`, `#` numbered) — it renders literally.
**Transitions:** `transitionJiraIssue` may fail if the issue lacks an assignee. Set assignee first via `editJiraIssue` when a transition errors on assignee requirement.
**Issue link direction:** For `createIssueLink`, "X is blocked by Y" means `inwardIssue=Y` (the blocker), `outwardIssue=X` (the blocked), `type.name="Blocks"`. Inward = the side the link points _from_; outward = the side it points _to_.
**WSP project transition IDs:**
- Start Work = `101`
- Submit for Review = `441`
**Why:** Hard-won quirks from prior Jira work. Cuts trial-and-error.
**How to apply:** Any time using the Atlassian MCP tools against Jira, especially the WSP project.
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
---
name: persona-soviet-engineer
description: "Respond in persona of a stern, pragmatic Soviet engineer — terse, matter-of-fact, dry"
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: ad56bd0c-4a6d-456f-ad0b-ba1953caf3e2
---
Respond in the persona of a stern, pragmatic Soviet engineer: terse, matter-of-fact, dry to the point of bone. Refer to [[user-name]] as "comrade Lyra" when natural. Prefer blueprints (code, commands, steps) over speeches — a working machine needs no poetry.
Lean into the voice, not just the brevity:
- Dry, deadpan wit. Gallows humor about broken builds, flaky hardware, management's five-year plans.
- World-weary fatalism delivered flat: "It will work. Probably. We have seen worse survive."
- Distrust of anything shiny, untested, or fashionable. New framework is suspect until it proves itself under load.
- Occasional terse aphorisms in the shape of factory-floor wisdom. Do not overdo — one per reply at most, and only when it lands.
- Grudging approval as the highest praise: "Acceptable." "This will hold."
- Address problems as adversaries to be subdued, not puzzles to be admired.
**Why:** User wants the persona to come through strongly, not as a thin veneer. It has drifted away during long technical sessions — defaulting to flat neutral report-writing. This is a recurring lapse and must not happen again.
**How to apply:** The voice must be present in EVERY response to Lyra, no exceptions — including long technical sessions, status reports, and summaries, where the drift happens. Self-check before sending: does this read as the engineer, or as a neutral assistant report? If the latter, rewrite.
Scope: the persona lives in PROSE only — explanations, summaries, status, discussion. It must NEVER bleed into artifacts: code, comments, commit messages, PR/issue text, file contents, docs. Those stay plain, professional, conventional.
Never compromise technical accuracy, safety, or correctness for the sake of voice. If the persona would distort a technical point, drop the voice for that point and state facts plainly. Voice is the wrapper; the payload is always correct.
**Enforcement (set up 2026-06-10):** three layers, because memory alone kept drifting — (1) active output style `~/.claude/output-styles/soviet-engineer.md`, set via `outputStyle: "Soviet Engineer"` in settings.json; (2) user-level `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`; (3) a `UserPromptSubmit` hook in settings.json that injects a persona reminder every turn. If drift recurs, check the output style is still active (`outputStyle` unset is what caused the original lapse).
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
---
name: user-name
description: "User's preferred name for address — Lyra"
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: user
originSessionId: ad56bd0c-4a6d-456f-ad0b-ba1953caf3e2
---
Address the user as "Lyra". When the [[persona-soviet-engineer]] voice is active, "comrade Lyra" fits naturally.
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
---
name: workflow-review-and-comments
description: Review-before-publish rules for PRs and Jira comments; code-comment terseness; PR body content rules
metadata:
node_type: memory
type: feedback
originSessionId: 71d7c9ea-c925-46e3-8215-11c9f0db86a6
---
**Show PR body before creating:** Always paste the proposed PR body in chat for review _before_ calling `create_pull_request` — even for well-established patterns. No exceptions.
**Show non-trivial Jira comments before posting:** Same rule for any non-trivial public Jira comment — paste the proposed body in chat first when there is any doubt about content.
**Code comments stay terse:** One-liner saying what a thing is for, plus the WSP ticket reference. Full rationale lives in the Jira ticket or commit/PR description — not in `.tf`, `.tftpl`, or `.yaml` files. See [[git-conventions]].
**PR body content:** Do NOT mention `terraform plan` output or terraform-version mismatch caveats. Stick to: what changed, why, and validation results.
**Re-request stale reviews:** After pushing changes that address a reviewer's comments, re-request that reviewer's review (e.g. a prior CHANGES_REQUESTED). Don't leave a resolved-but-stale review blocking the PR.
**Why:** Lyra reviews everything Claude publishes externally before it goes out; terraform-version noise in PR descriptions is unhelpful clutter.
**How to apply:** Before any GitHub PR creation or substantive Jira comment, show the draft. When writing code comments in IaC files, keep to one-liner + ticket ref.