yoi/.yoi/tickets/open/20260607-062902-memory-root-uses-yoi-memory-marker/thread.md

Created

Created by LocalTicketBackend create.

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Plan

Preflight / implementation intent

Classification: implementation-ready after narrow-yoi-worktree-sparse-exclusions landed.

Intent:

• Keep .yoi as the Yoi project records/workspace marker.
• Stop using .yoi alone as the memory root marker.
• Resolve repo-local memory through an explicit memory.workspace_root or an ancestor .yoi/memory marker, so child worktrees can contain .yoi/tickets/.yoi/workflow without becoming independent memory roots.

Current code map:

• crates/memory/src/workspace.rs
  • WorkspaceLayout::resolve(cfg, default_root) currently uses cfg.workspace_root.unwrap_or(default_root).
  • memory_dir() is <root>/.yoi/memory; knowledge_dir() and workflow_dir() are also rooted under <root>/.yoi.
  • Tests currently assert fallback to default root.
• crates/pod/src/pod.rs
  • Memory extract/consolidation/tools/resident setup call WorkspaceLayout::resolve(&memory_cfg, &self.pwd).
• crates/yoi/src/memory_lint.rs
  • CLI lint works with explicit workspace path and may need to keep explicit workspace behavior.
• manifest::MemoryConfig currently uses Option<MemoryConfig> presence as enablement and workspace_root: Option<PathBuf> as the explicit root. There is not yet a separate enabled = false field.

Implementation direction:

• Add a small resolver in memory::WorkspaceLayout or nearby that:
  • honors explicit memory.workspace_root exactly as today;
  • when no explicit root exists, walks ancestors from the default root and selects the nearest ancestor that contains .yoi/memory;
  • does not select a directory merely because it contains .yoi;
  • if no ancestor .yoi/memory exists, uses an explicit, documented fallback that does not silently interpret .yoi alone as the memory root. Prefer fail/no-marker behavior for automatic memory operations over creating child-worktree memory; if a lazy-create path is needed, keep it tied to explicit configuration rather than implicit .yoi presence.
• Preserve .yoi/knowledge/.yoi/workflow project-record lookup semantics as much as possible; be explicit if moving memory root also changes knowledge/workflow layout root in a way that needs follow-up.
• Do not implement user-data overlay fallback unless it is already supported and clearly smaller.
• If adding a manifest enabled field would be broad, do not do it in this slice; document that current explicit disable is represented by absence of [memory] and keep the ticket focused on .yoi/memory marker resolution.

Tests to add/update:

• Explicit workspace_root still wins.
• No explicit root + ancestor .yoi/memory selects that ancestor.
• Child worktree containing .yoi/tickets/.yoi/workflow but no .yoi/memory does not select the child as memory root.
• .yoi alone does not select a memory root.
• Existing explicit workspace/lint behavior remains sensible.

Validation:

• Run cargo test -p memory workspace --lib or equivalent focused memory tests.
• Run relevant cargo test -p pod memory --lib if Pod memory setup tests are affected.
• Run cargo test -p yoi memory --lib if memory lint behavior changes.
• Run cargo fmt --check, git diff --check, and target/debug/yoi ticket doctor.

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Intake summary

Implementation-ready after narrowed worktree sparse exclusions: keep .yoi as project records marker, resolve repo-local memory from explicit memory.workspace_root or nearest ancestor .yoi/memory, and ensure .yoi alone does not make child worktrees independent memory roots.

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State changed

Ticket intake complete; workflow_state intake -> ready.

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Implementation report

Delegation

Implementation delegated to child Pod memory-root-marker-coder-20260607 in worktree .worktree/memory-root-uses-yoi-memory-marker on branch work/memory-root-uses-yoi-memory-marker.

The worktree uses the new narrowed sparse rules:

• .yoi project records are visible;
• .yoi/memory is absent.

Scope:

• Keep .yoi as project records marker.
• Resolve memory from explicit memory.workspace_root or nearest ancestor .yoi/memory.
• Do not treat .yoi alone as memory root.
• Do not add broad memory enable/disable redesign.
• Do not change child worktree sparse rules; that has already landed.

The child should commit implementation work in the child worktree and report diff/tests. Merge, review, Ticket closure, and cleanup remain with the parent/human workflow.

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