[FEATURE]: Project browser with readable names and auto-naming

[georgeskhouriberlin-66]

Feature hasn't been suggested before.

• I have verified this feature I'm about to request hasn't been suggested before.

Describe the enhancement you want to request

Feature hasn't been suggested before.

• I have verified this feature I'm about to request hasn't been suggested before.

Describe the enhancement you want to request

Problem

There is no dedicated view that lists all opened projects with human-readable names. Currently:

• The "Open Project" dialog (Ctrl+O) shows recent projects but requires searching.
• The command palette (Ctrl+P) shows projects but often only one recent entry, not a browsable list.
• The sidebar displays projects as single initials, which doesn't scale.
• Projects are identified by raw paths, not meaningful auto-generated names.

Requested features

1. Project browser/overview screen – A dedicated view (e.g., under "New Session" or as a sidebar section) that lists ALL opened projects with their display name and path. Clicking a project opens a fresh session.

2. Auto-naming – When a project is opened, auto-generate a readable name from the directory or git repo name (e.g., ~/dev/my-app → my-app), with the option to override it.

Why this matters

• Users with many open projects need a quick way to browse and select by name.
• Descriptive names reduce cognitive load vs. raw paths or initials.
• Improves the overall project-switching UX.

Related issues

• [FEATURE]: expansion of the side panel #24400 – Recent Projects in Sidebar
• [FEATURE]: Sidebar project list does not scale for large project counts (UX regression / feature request) #9088 – Sidebar project list does not scale
• feat: Add project switching to Ctrl+P command palette #11843 – Project switching in Ctrl+P palette
• [FEATURE]: search bars for open projects + more descriptive text in the box (in opencode desktop) #23587 – Search bars + descriptive text for projects
• Auto-open last project on Desktop app startup #27316 – Auto-open last project on startup

[github-actions]

This issue does not fully meet our contributing guidelines.

What needs to be fixed:

• The issue title is empty — it reads [FEATURE]: with no description after it. Please provide a concise summary of the feature in the title (e.g., [FEATURE]: Project browser with readable names and auto-naming).

Please edit this issue to address the above within 2 hours, or it will be automatically closed.

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This issue might be a duplicate of existing issues. Please check:

• [FEATURE]: Sidebar project list does not scale for large project counts (UX regression / feature request) #9088: Sidebar project list does not scale for large project counts — covers the same core problem of projects showing only as initials and not being browsable by name.
• [FEATURE]: expansion of the side panel #24400: Expansion of the side panel — related sidebar/project listing improvement request.

You also reference #24400, #9088, #11843, #23587, and #27316 yourself, which suggests significant overlap. Consider whether this adds meaningfully new scope beyond those issues.

If you believe this was flagged incorrectly, please let a maintainer know.

[georgeskhouriberlin-66]

This is not a duplicate of #9088 or #24400.

#9088 is about sidebar project initials being ambiguous — it doesn't propose a dedicated project overview screen or auto-naming.
#24400 is about showing recent projects inside the sidebar panel — still sidebar-only, no auto-naming.
This request is for a dedicated project browser/overview (e.g., under "New Session") that lists all opened projects by name, plus auto-generated human-readable names for projects. Neither feature is covered by those issues.

[github-actions]

Thanks for updating the issue! It now meets the contributing guidelines and has been marked as compliant.