v1.2.0 — The Memory Activation Release

MeowKit's memory system was designed in v1.0.0 but never activated — zero sessions captured. This release fixes the capture pipeline, enriches the schema with insights from 6 external frameworks, and adds consolidation tooling for when memory reaches scale.

The Problem

MeowKit's memory files have been empty since launch:

lessons.md:     Header template only
patterns.json:  { "patterns": [], "sessions_captured": 0 }
decisions.md:   Empty placeholder

Root cause: The post-session.sh Stop hook fires at session end but writes an HTML comment placeholder. No agent is alive during the hook to extract actual learnings. The placeholder is invisible to future sessions.

What Changed

Fixed Session Capture Pipeline

The capture pipeline now uses a retroactive capture pattern:

1. Stop hook writes structured markers (timestamp + file count) instead of HTML comments
2. Phase 0 retroactive capture processes pending markers (max 3, 2-min budget)
3. Phase 5 live capture preserves WHY decisions were made (retroactive can only recover WHAT)

Enriched Learning Format

Learnings are now captured in 3 categories (inspired by Khuym compounding):

Category	What Gets Captured
Patterns	Reusable approaches, code patterns, architecture decisions
Decisions	Choices with rationale, tagged as GOOD_CALL / BAD_CALL / SURPRISE / TRADEOFF
Failures	Mistakes with root cause analysis and prevention rules

Enriched patterns.json Schema

Three new optional fields (backward compatible):

{
  "id": "always-validate-dto",
  "type": "success",
  "category": "pattern",           // NEW: pattern | decision | failure
  "severity": "critical",          // NEW: critical | standard
  "applicable_when": "Creating any API endpoint that accepts user input",  // NEW
  "scope": "packages/api",
  "context": "NestJS endpoint development",
  "pattern": "Always create a DTO with class-validator decorators",
  "frequency": 5,
  "lastSeen": "2026-03-25"
}

Existing entries without new fields remain valid. Missing severity defaults to "standard".

Stronger Promotion Criteria

Patterns are now promoted to CLAUDE.md when ALL criteria are met:

Criterion	Before (v1.1.0)	After (v1.2.0)
Frequency	≥ 3	≥ 3
Severity	—	Must be critical OR frequency ≥ 5
Generalizable	—	Must apply beyond one feature
Time savings	—	Must save ≥ 30 min if known in advance
Human approval	Required	Required (unchanged)

Consolidation Rubric

New consolidation.md reference with a 4-branch classification system (inspired by Khuym dream):

Classification	Condition	Action
Clear match	One existing entry owns the lesson	Auto-merge
Ambiguous	Multiple plausible owners	Ask user to choose
No match	New durable lesson	Create new entry
No durable signal	Transient or noise	Skip

Invoke manually when memory reaches thresholds: 20+ sessions, 50+ patterns, 500+ cost entries.

Comprehensive Documentation

New docs/memory-system.md covers: architecture, activation, session capture, pattern promotion, consolidation, schema reference, FAQ, limitations, and migration.

Cross-Framework Research

Six frameworks were analyzed for memory-related features:

Framework	Relevance	Key Takeaway
Khuym	Highest	Category split, consolidation rubric, promotion criteria
GSD	Moderate	Session persistence patterns (HANDOFF.json, STATE.md)
CKE	Moderate	L1-L5 layered memory architecture (L3-L5 deferred)
Superpowers	Low	Stateless by design — no memory
gstack	Low	Observability only, no agent learning
BMAD	Low	Artifact-driven state, no consolidation

What's Deferred (v1.3+)

Feature	Why Deferred
meow:dream background consolidation	Memory empty — nothing to consolidate yet
Git-as-memory-log (CKE pattern)	Useful for skill refinement loops, not urgent
L3-L5 layered memory (vector DB)	Only justified at 1000+ memories
Automatic cross-machine sync	Complexity not justified

Updated Flow Diagram

Files Changed

File	Change
session-capture.md	3-category extraction + enriched schema
pattern-extraction.md	Stronger promotion criteria
consolidation.md	NEW — Khuym-style rubric
SKILL.md (memory)	Updated references + schema notes
post-session.sh	Structured NEEDS_CAPTURE markers
CLAUDE.md	Phase 0 retroactive + Phase 5 live capture
auto-dream-reference.md	Deferred to v1.3+
docs/memory-system.md	NEW — comprehensive guide