[Bug]: session-memory hook writes files the boot sequence never reads

[kamikariat]

Upstream: openclaw#45607

Summary

The session-memory hook writes to memory/YYYY-MM-DD-slug.md, but the boot sequence reads memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md. The hook's output is invisible to the agent on startup unless memory_search is working.

Root cause

Two systems built independently with no naming contract:

System	Writes to	Reads from
Pre-compaction flush	memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (canonical)	—
session-memory hook	memory/YYYY-MM-DD-slug.md (slugged)	—
Boot sequence (AGENTS.md)	—	memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (canonical)
memory_search	—	All memory/*.md (indexed)

The pre-compaction flush gets this right — it explicitly bans slugged filenames (src/auto-reply/reply/memory-flush.ts:21).

Impact

• Every /new, /reset, and daily reset (at least once per day per user)
• Silent data loss — no error, users believe memory is preserved
• Only discoverable if memory_search is unavailable and you check the filesystem

Fix options

1. Change hook to append to memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (canonical). Simplest, aligns with pre-compaction flush.
2. Change boot sequence to glob memory/YYYY-MM-DD*.md. More permissive.
3. Both: canonical for boot visibility, slugged as audit artifact.

Code references

• Hook writes slug: src/hooks/bundled/session-memory/handler.ts:315
• Boot reads canonical: workspace AGENTS.md:15
• Pre-compaction bans slugs: src/auto-reply/reply/memory-flush.ts:21