Add configurable conversation history retention (option to keep all history)

Problem

Claude Code automatically prunes local conversation history (.jsonl files in ~/.claude/projects/). There is no setting to control retention duration or disable pruning.

For users doing ongoing project work across many sessions, losing old conversations is value-destroying. Previous conversations contain important context about decisions made, approaches tried, and project history that can't be reconstructed from code alone.

Proposed Solution

Add a configuration option (e.g., in settings.json) to control conversation retention:

{
  "conversationRetention": "unlimited"
}

Possible values:

• "unlimited" — never auto-delete local conversation files
• "90d", "180d", "1y" — configurable duration
• Default could remain the current behavior

Why This Matters

• Long-running projects benefit from being able to search past conversations
• /history search is useful but only works if conversations are retained
• Users already have disk space management tools — let them decide what to keep
• The memory system helps but doesn't capture the full richness of conversation context

🤖 Generated with Claude Code