fix(desktop): honor default project directory for new sessions (#43234)

* fix(desktop): honor default project directory for new sessions

The Settings picker persisted project-dir.json but the renderer kept
seeding new chats from sticky localStorage home. Prefer the configured
default on boot and session.create, pin TERMINAL_CWD at backend spawn,
and reject packaged install-dir paths that regressed after #37536.

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>

* fix(desktop): address review on default project dir PR

Add workspace cwd precedence tests, extract isPackagedInstallPath for
platform test coverage, and stop rewriting live $currentCwd when a
session is already active (cache-only until the next new chat).

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>

apps/desktop/src/app/gateway/hooks/use-gateway-boot.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import {
   $connection,
   $sessions,
   $workingSessionIds,
+  ensureDefaultWorkspaceCwd,
   setConnection,
   setSessionsLoading
 } from '@/store/session'
@@ -351,6 +352,7 @@ export function useGatewayBoot({
           message: translateNow('boot.steps.loadingSettings'),
           progress: 97
         })
+        await ensureDefaultWorkspaceCwd()
         await callbacksRef.current.refreshHermesConfig()
 
         if (cancelled) {

apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   $sessions,
   $yoloActive,
   getRememberedWorkspaceCwd,
+  workspaceCwdForNewSession,
   sessionPinId,
   setActiveSessionId,
   setAwaitingResponse,
@@ -311,8 +312,9 @@ export function useSessionActions({
       })
       setSessionStartedAt(null)
       setTurnStartedAt(null)
-      // New chats inherit the current workspace.
-      setCurrentCwd(getRememberedWorkspaceCwd())
+      // New chats start in the configured default project dir when set,
+      // otherwise the sticky last-used workspace (PR #37586).
+      setCurrentCwd(workspaceCwdForNewSession())
       setCurrentBranch('')
       clearComposerDraft()
       clearComposerAttachments()
@@ -333,7 +335,7 @@ export function useSessionActions({
         // Route the new chat to the chosen profile's backend (null = primary,
         // so single-profile users are unaffected).
         await ensureGatewayProfile($newChatProfile.get())
-        const cwd = $currentCwd.get().trim() || getRememberedWorkspaceCwd()
+        const cwd = $currentCwd.get().trim() || workspaceCwdForNewSession()
         // Pass the owning profile so a new chat under a non-launch profile (global
         // remote mode) builds its agent + persists against THAT profile's home/db.
         const newChatProfile = $newChatProfile.get()

apps/desktop/src/app/settings/sessions-settings.tsx

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { sessionTitle } from '@/lib/chat-runtime'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
 import { Archive, ArchiveOff, FolderOpen, Loader2, Trash2 } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
-import { setSessions } from '@/store/session'
+import { applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir, ensureDefaultWorkspaceCwd, setSessions } from '@/store/session'
 import type { SessionInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 
 import { EmptyState, ListRow, LoadingState, SectionHeading, SettingsContent } from './primitives'
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ function DefaultProjectDirSetting() {
 
       setDir(result.dir)
       setFallback(result.defaultLabel)
+      applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir(result.dir)
     })
 
     return () => {
@@ -221,7 +222,8 @@ function DefaultProjectDirSetting() {
 
       const result = await settings.setDefaultProjectDir(picked.dir)
       setDir(result.dir)
-      notify({ durationMs: 2_000, kind: 'success', message: s.defaultDirUpdated })
+      applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir(result.dir)
+      notify({ durationMs: 4_000, kind: 'success', message: s.defaultDirUpdated })
     } catch (err) {
       notifyError(err, s.updateDirFailed)
     } finally {
@@ -241,6 +243,8 @@ function DefaultProjectDirSetting() {
     try {
       await settings.setDefaultProjectDir(null)
       setDir(null)
+      applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir(null)
+      await ensureDefaultWorkspaceCwd()
     } catch (err) {
       notifyError(err, s.clearDirFailed)
     } finally {
@@ -268,7 +272,7 @@ function DefaultProjectDirSetting() {
             )}
           </div>
         }
-        description={dir || s.defaultsTo(fallback || '~/hermes-projects')}
+        description={dir || s.defaultsTo(fallback || '~')}
         title={dir ? dir : s.notSet}
       />
     </div>