feat: add --memory-path CLI option to override memory directories

src/serena/agent.py

@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ def __init__(
         context: SerenaAgentContext | None = None,
         modes: ModeSelectionDefinition | None = None,
         memory_log_handler: MemoryLogHandler | None = None,
+        memory_paths: list[str] | None = None,
     ):
         """
         :param project: the project to load immediately or None to not load any project; may be a path to the project or a name of
@@ -245,6 +246,7 @@ def __init__(
 
         # project-specific instances, which will be initialized upon project activation
         self._active_project: Project | None = None
+        self._memory_paths = memory_paths
 
         # determine registered project to be activated (if any)
         registered_project_to_activate: RegisteredProject | None = (
@@ -644,6 +646,7 @@ def is_using_language_server(self) -> bool:
 
     def _activate_project(self, project: Project, update_modes_and_tools: bool = True) -> None:
         log.info(f"Activating {project.project_name} at {project.project_root}")
+        project.set_memory_paths(self._memory_paths)
 
         # Check if the project requires a different language backend than the one initialized at startup
         project_backend = project.project_config.language_backend

src/serena/cli.py

@@ -225,6 +225,16 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
     )
     @click.option("--trace-lsp-communication", type=bool, is_flag=False, default=None, help="Whether to trace LSP communication.")
     @click.option("--tool-timeout", type=float, default=None, help="Override tool execution timeout in config.")
+    @click.option(
+        "--memory-path",
+        type=str,
+        default=None,
+        help="Comma-separated list of memory directory paths (absolute or relative to project root). "
+        "The first path is the primary write location; subsequent paths are additional sources. "
+        "Append ':ro' to any extra path to make it read-only (e.g. '/shared/memories:ro'). "
+        "Writes to existing memories update them in-place; new memories go to the primary. "
+        "Defaults to '<project_root>/.serena/memories'.",
+    )
     @click.option(
         "--project-from-cwd",
         is_flag=True,
@@ -247,6 +257,7 @@ def start_mcp_server(
         log_level: Literal["DEBUG", "INFO", "WARNING", "ERROR", "CRITICAL"] | None,
         trace_lsp_communication: bool | None,
         tool_timeout: float | None,
+        memory_path: str | None,
     ) -> None:
         # initialize logging, using INFO level initially (will later be adjusted by SerenaAgent according to the config)
         #   * memory log handler (for use by GUI/Dashboard)
@@ -279,6 +290,7 @@ def start_mcp_server(
                 log.warning("No project root found from %s; not activating any project", os.getcwd())
 
         project_file = project_file_arg or project
+        memory_paths_list = [p.strip() for p in memory_path.split(",") if p.strip()] if memory_path else None
         factory = SerenaMCPFactory(context=context, project=project_file, memory_log_handler=memory_log_handler)
         server = factory.create_mcp_server(
             host=host,
@@ -291,6 +303,7 @@ def start_mcp_server(
             log_level=log_level,
             trace_lsp_communication=trace_lsp_communication,
             tool_timeout=tool_timeout,
+            memory_paths=memory_paths_list,
         )
         if project_file_arg:
             log.warning(

src/serena/mcp.py

@@ -260,9 +260,19 @@ def _set_mcp_tools(self, mcp: FastMCP, openai_tool_compatible: bool = False) ->
                 mcp._tool_manager._tools[tool.get_name()] = mcp_tool
             log.info(f"Starting MCP server with {len(mcp._tool_manager._tools)} tools: {list(mcp._tool_manager._tools.keys())}")
 
-    def _create_serena_agent(self, serena_config: SerenaConfig, modes: ModeSelectionDefinition | None = None) -> SerenaAgent:
+    def _create_serena_agent(
+        self,
+        serena_config: SerenaConfig,
+        modes: ModeSelectionDefinition | None = None,
+        memory_paths: list[str] | None = None,
+    ) -> SerenaAgent:
         return SerenaAgent(
-            project=self.project, serena_config=serena_config, context=self.context, modes=modes, memory_log_handler=self.memory_log_handler
+            project=self.project,
+            serena_config=serena_config,
+            context=self.context,
+            modes=modes,
+            memory_log_handler=self.memory_log_handler,
+            memory_paths=memory_paths,
         )
 
     def _create_default_serena_config(self) -> SerenaConfig:
@@ -280,6 +290,7 @@ def create_mcp_server(
         log_level: Literal["DEBUG", "INFO", "WARNING", "ERROR", "CRITICAL"] | None = None,
         trace_lsp_communication: bool | None = None,
         tool_timeout: float | None = None,
+        memory_paths: list[str] | None = None,
     ) -> FastMCP:
         """
         Create an MCP server with process-isolated SerenaAgent to prevent asyncio contamination.
@@ -321,7 +332,7 @@ def create_mcp_server(
             mode_selection_def: ModeSelectionDefinition | None = None
             if modes:
                 mode_selection_def = ModeSelectionDefinition(default_modes=modes)
-            self.agent = self._create_serena_agent(config, mode_selection_def)
+            self.agent = self._create_serena_agent(config, mode_selection_def, memory_paths)
 
         except Exception as e:
             show_fatal_exception_safe(e)