fix: double-default display in project list + stale test updates

Use config.default_project as single source of truth for the Default
column in `bm project list`, removing checks against local DB and cloud
API is_default fields that could independently mark multiple projects.

Also updates tests that were out of date after get_project_mode changed
to default unknown projects to CLOUD:
- test_get_client_local_project_uses_asgi_transport: register "main" as LOCAL
- test_run_filters_cloud_projects_each_cycle: register local project in config
- test_new_project_addition_scenario: register projects as LOCAL in config
- test_get_project_mode_defaults_to_cloud: assert new CLOUD default

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Signed-off-by: phernandez <paul@basicmachines.co>

Author: phernandez

src/basic_memory/cli/commands/project.py

@@ -161,13 +161,7 @@ async def _list_projects(ws: str | None = None):
             else:
                 cli_route = ProjectMode.LOCAL.value
 
-            is_default = ""
-            if config.default_project == project_name:
-                is_default = "[X]"
-            if local_project is not None and local_project.is_default:
-                is_default = "[X]"
-            if cloud_project is not None and cloud_project.is_default:
-                is_default = "[X]"
+            is_default = "[X]" if config.default_project == project_name else ""
 
             has_sync = "[X]" if entry and entry.local_sync_path else ""
             mcp_stdio_target = "local" if local_project is not None else "n/a"
@@ -326,7 +320,16 @@ def remove_project(
         raise typer.Exit(1)
 
     async def _remove_project():
-        async with get_client() as client:
+        # Resolve workspace so cloud-only projects auto-route without --cloud
+        config = ConfigManager().config
+        entry = config.projects.get(name)
+        ws = None
+        if entry and entry.workspace_id:
+            ws = entry.workspace_id
+        elif config.default_workspace:
+            ws = config.default_workspace
+
+        async with get_client(project_name=name, workspace=ws) as client:
             project_client = ProjectClient(client)
             # Convert name to permalink for efficient resolution
             project_permalink = generate_permalink(name)
@@ -405,7 +408,16 @@ def set_default_project(
     """
 
     async def _set_default():
-        async with get_client() as client:
+        # Resolve workspace so cloud-only projects auto-route without flags
+        config = ConfigManager().config
+        entry = config.projects.get(name)
+        ws = None
+        if entry and entry.workspace_id:
+            ws = entry.workspace_id
+        elif config.default_workspace:
+            ws = config.default_workspace
+
+        async with get_client(project_name=name, workspace=ws) as client:
             project_client = ProjectClient(client)
             # Convert name to permalink for efficient resolution
             project_permalink = generate_permalink(name)

src/basic_memory/cli/commands/tool.py

@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 from basic_memory.cli.app import app
 from basic_memory.cli.commands.command_utils import run_with_cleanup
 from basic_memory.cli.commands.routing import force_routing, validate_routing_flags
-from basic_memory.config import ConfigManager
 from basic_memory.mcp.tools import build_context as mcp_build_context
 from basic_memory.mcp.tools import edit_note as mcp_edit_note
 from basic_memory.mcp.tools import list_memory_projects as mcp_list_projects
@@ -36,16 +35,6 @@
 # --- Shared helpers ---
 
 
-def _resolve_project(config_manager: ConfigManager, project: Optional[str]) -> Optional[str]:
-    """Resolve project name from CLI arg or config default."""
-    if project is not None:
-        project_name, _ = config_manager.get_project(project)
-        if not project_name:
-            raise ValueError(f"No project found named: {project}")
-        return project_name
-    return config_manager.default_project
-
-
 def _print_json(result: Any) -> None:
     """Print a result as formatted JSON."""
     print(json.dumps(result, indent=2, ensure_ascii=True, default=str))
@@ -108,9 +97,6 @@ def write_note(
             typer.echo("Empty content provided. Please provide non-empty content.", err=True)
             raise typer.Exit(1)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         assert content is not None
 
         with force_routing(local=local, cloud=cloud):
@@ -119,7 +105,7 @@ def write_note(
                     title=title,
                     content=content,
                     directory=folder,
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     tags=tags,
                     output_format="json",
@@ -168,14 +154,11 @@ def read_note(
     try:
         validate_routing_flags(local, cloud)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         with force_routing(local=local, cloud=cloud):
             result = run_with_cleanup(
                 mcp_read_note(
                     identifier=identifier,
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     page=page,
                     page_size=page_size,
@@ -237,16 +220,13 @@ def edit_note(
     try:
         validate_routing_flags(local, cloud)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         with force_routing(local=local, cloud=cloud):
             result = run_with_cleanup(
                 mcp_edit_note(
                     identifier=identifier,
                     operation=operation,
                     content=content,
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     section=section,
                     find_text=find_text,
@@ -304,14 +284,11 @@ def build_context(
     try:
         validate_routing_flags(local, cloud)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         with force_routing(local=local, cloud=cloud):
             result = run_with_cleanup(
                 mcp_build_context(
                     url=url,
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     depth=depth,
                     timeframe=timeframe,
@@ -365,9 +342,6 @@ def recent_activity(
     try:
         validate_routing_flags(local, cloud)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         with force_routing(local=local, cloud=cloud):
             result = run_with_cleanup(
                 mcp_recent_activity(
@@ -376,7 +350,7 @@ def recent_activity(
                     timeframe=timeframe if timeframe is not None else "7d",
                     page=page,
                     page_size=page_size,
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     output_format="json",
                 )
@@ -460,9 +434,6 @@ def search_notes(
     try:
         validate_routing_flags(local, cloud)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         mode_flags = [permalink, title, vector, hybrid]
         if sum(1 for enabled in mode_flags if enabled) > 1:  # pragma: no cover
             typer.echo(
@@ -515,7 +486,7 @@ def search_notes(
             result = run_with_cleanup(
                 mcp_search(
                     query=query or "",
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     search_type=search_type,
                     output_format="json",
@@ -649,9 +620,6 @@ def schema_validate(
     try:
         validate_routing_flags(local, cloud)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         # Heuristic: if target contains / or ., treat as identifier; otherwise as note type
         note_type, identifier = None, None
         if target:
@@ -665,7 +633,7 @@ def schema_validate(
                 mcp_schema_validate(
                     note_type=note_type,
                     identifier=identifier,
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     output_format="json",
                 )
@@ -717,15 +685,12 @@ def schema_infer(
     try:
         validate_routing_flags(local, cloud)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         with force_routing(local=local, cloud=cloud):
             result = run_with_cleanup(
                 mcp_schema_infer(
                     note_type=entity_type,
                     threshold=threshold,
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     output_format="json",
                 )
@@ -773,14 +738,11 @@ def schema_diff(
     try:
         validate_routing_flags(local, cloud)
 
-        config_manager = ConfigManager()
-        project_name = _resolve_project(config_manager, project)
-
         with force_routing(local=local, cloud=cloud):
             result = run_with_cleanup(
                 mcp_schema_diff(
                     note_type=entity_type,
-                    project=project_name,
+                    project=project,
                     workspace=workspace,
                     output_format="json",
                 )

src/basic_memory/config.py

@@ -425,10 +425,12 @@ def is_test_env(self) -> bool:
     def get_project_mode(self, project_name: str) -> ProjectMode:
         """Get the routing mode for a project.
 
-        Returns the per-project mode if set, otherwise LOCAL.
+        Returns the per-project mode if set.
+        Unknown projects (not in local config) default to CLOUD —
+        local projects are always registered in config.
         """
         entry = self.projects.get(project_name)
-        return entry.mode if entry else ProjectMode.LOCAL
+        return entry.mode if entry else ProjectMode.CLOUD
 
     def set_project_mode(self, project_name: str, mode: ProjectMode) -> None:
         """Set the routing mode for a project.

src/basic_memory/mcp/project_context.py

@@ -445,6 +445,7 @@ async def get_project_client(
 
     # Step 3: Determine if cloud routing is needed
     config = ConfigManager().config
+    project_entry = config.projects.get(resolved_project)
     project_mode = config.get_project_mode(resolved_project)
 
     # Trigger: workspace provided for a local project (without explicit --cloud)
@@ -459,7 +460,6 @@ async def get_project_client(
     if project_mode == ProjectMode.CLOUD or (_explicit_routing() and not _force_local_mode()):
         # --- Cloud routing: resolve workspace with priority chain ---
         effective_workspace = workspace
-        project_entry = config.projects.get(resolved_project)
 
         # Priority 2: per-project workspace_id from config
         if effective_workspace is None and project_entry and project_entry.workspace_id: