fix(config): promote project_name to core, fixes #2279

project_name was a bmm-specific prompt despite being a universal
project-level concept used by every module — including core skills like
bmad-brainstorming, which loads from _bmad/core/config.yaml and was
silently broken because project_name lived under bmm. Users without bmm
installed could not run brainstorming at all.

Move:
- src/core-skills/module.yaml: declare project_name with prompt
  "What is your project called?" and default {directory_name}, matching
  what bmm previously had.
- src/bmm-skills/module.yaml: remove the bmm definition; add project_name
  to the "Variables from Core Config inserted" header comment so
  contributors can see what's inherited.

Migration for existing installs:
- tools/installer/modules/official-modules.js: after loadExistingConfig
  reads each per-module config.yaml, hoist any keys that are now declared
  in core but appear under non-core modules. Without this, the partition
  logic in writeCentralConfig (which strips core keys from non-core
  buckets) would silently drop the user's prior project_name on the next
  quick-update. Generic — handles project_name today and any future
  module→core promotions.
- The hoist preserves precedence: an existing core value beats a stale
  module-side copy.

--yes seed:
- tools/installer/ui.js: add project_name to the hardcoded core seed
  (using path.basename(directory) to match the {directory_name} default)
  so non-interactive fresh installs populate it. Without this the seed
  silently omits project_name and core skills fall back to literals.

Tests:
- test/test-installation-components.js Suite 43 (9 assertions) covers
  the schema move, the loadExistingConfig hoist, and the precedence rule.
- Suite 35 fixture updated: project_name moved from bmm bucket to core,
  with a stale bmm copy left in place to verify it gets stripped.

Verified manually:
- Fresh install -y: project_name lands in [core] of config.toml.
- Existing install with project_name in bmm/config.yaml: quick-update
  hoists it to [core] and strips it from [modules.bmm].

src/bmm-skills/module.yaml

@@ -5,15 +5,11 @@ default_selected: true # This module will be selected by default for new install
 
 # Variables from Core Config inserted:
 ## user_name
+## project_name
 ## communication_language
 ## document_output_language
 ## output_folder
 
-project_name:
-  prompt: "What is your project called?"
-  default: "{directory_name}"
-  result: "{value}"
-
 user_skill_level:
   prompt:
     - "What is your development experience level?"

src/core-skills/module.yaml

@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ user_name:
   default: "BMad"
   result: "{value}"
 
+project_name:
+  prompt: "What is your project called?"
+  default: "{directory_name}"
+  result: "{value}"
+
 communication_language:
   prompt: "What language should agents use when chatting with you?"
   scope: user

test/test-installation-components.js

@@ -1813,12 +1813,12 @@ async function runTests() {
       const moduleConfigs = {
         core: {
           user_name: 'TestUser',
+          project_name: 'demo-project',
           communication_language: 'Spanish',
           document_output_language: 'English',
           output_folder: '_bmad-output',
         },
         bmm: {
-          project_name: 'demo-project',
           user_skill_level: 'expert',
           planning_artifacts: '{project-root}/_bmad-output/planning-artifacts',
           implementation_artifacts: '{project-root}/_bmad-output/implementation-artifacts',
@@ -1826,7 +1826,10 @@ async function runTests() {
           // Spread-from-core pollution: legacy per-module config.yaml merges
           // core values into every module; writeCentralConfig must strip these
           // from [modules.bmm] so core values only live in [core].
+          // project_name is now a core key (#2279), so it joins user_name etc.
+          // as a spread-from-core key that must be stripped.
           user_name: 'TestUser',
+          project_name: 'stale-bmm-copy',
           communication_language: 'Spanish',
           document_output_language: 'English',
           output_folder: '_bmad-output',
@@ -1874,6 +1877,7 @@ async function runTests() {
       assert(teamContent.includes('[core]'), 'config.toml has [core] section');
       assert(teamContent.includes('document_output_language = "English"'), 'Team-scope core key lands in config.toml');
       assert(teamContent.includes('output_folder = "_bmad-output"'), 'Team-scope output_folder lands in config.toml');
+      assert(teamContent.includes('project_name = "demo-project"'), 'project_name lands in [core] (core key as of #2279)');
       assert(!teamContent.includes('user_name'), 'user_name (scope: user) is absent from config.toml');
       assert(!teamContent.includes('communication_language'), 'communication_language (scope: user) is absent from config.toml');
 
@@ -1888,7 +1892,9 @@ async function runTests() {
       assert(bmmTeamMatch !== null, 'config.toml has [modules.bmm] section');
       if (bmmTeamMatch) {
         const bmmTeamBlock = bmmTeamMatch[0];
-        assert(bmmTeamBlock.includes('project_name = "demo-project"'), 'bmm team-scope key lands under [modules.bmm]');
+        assert(bmmTeamBlock.includes('planning_artifacts'), 'bmm-owned team-scope key (planning_artifacts) lands under [modules.bmm]');
+        assert(!bmmTeamBlock.includes('project_name'), 'project_name stripped from [modules.bmm] (now a core key, #2279)');
+        assert(!bmmTeamBlock.includes('stale-bmm-copy'), 'stale bmm-copy of project_name not leaked into config.toml');
         assert(!bmmTeamBlock.includes('user_name'), 'user_name stripped from [modules.bmm] (core-key pollution)');
         assert(!bmmTeamBlock.includes('communication_language'), 'communication_language stripped from [modules.bmm]');
         assert(!bmmTeamBlock.includes('user_skill_level'), 'user_skill_level (scope: user) absent from [modules.bmm] in config.toml');
@@ -2861,6 +2867,92 @@ async function runTests() {
 
   console.log('');
 
+  // ============================================================
+  // Test Suite 43: project_name promoted to core + hoist migration (#2279)
+  // ============================================================
+  console.log(`${colors.yellow}Test Suite 43: project_name in core + hoist migration${colors.reset}\n`);
+  try {
+    const yamlLib = require('yaml');
+    const coreSchemaPath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'src', 'core-skills', 'module.yaml');
+    const bmmSchemaPath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'src', 'bmm-skills', 'module.yaml');
+    const coreSchema = yamlLib.parse(await fs.readFile(coreSchemaPath, 'utf8'));
+    const bmmSchema = yamlLib.parse(await fs.readFile(bmmSchemaPath, 'utf8'));
+
+    assert(
+      coreSchema.project_name && coreSchema.project_name.prompt && coreSchema.project_name.default === '{directory_name}',
+      'core/module.yaml declares project_name with {directory_name} default',
+    );
+
+    assert(coreSchema.project_name.scope === undefined, 'project_name has no user scope (project-scoped, not user-scoped)');
+
+    assert(bmmSchema.project_name === undefined, 'bmm/module.yaml no longer declares project_name (now inherited from core)');
+
+    // Set up a mock existing install: bmm directory has project_name (legacy),
+    // core has user_name but not project_name. After hoist, project_name should
+    // move to core, leaving bmm with only its own keys.
+    const fixtureRoot43 = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'bmad-fixture-43-'));
+    const bmadDir43 = path.join(fixtureRoot43, '_bmad');
+    await fs.ensureDir(path.join(bmadDir43, '_config'));
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(bmadDir43, '_config', 'manifest.yaml'), 'modules: []\n', 'utf8');
+    await fs.ensureDir(path.join(bmadDir43, 'core'));
+    await fs.ensureDir(path.join(bmadDir43, 'bmm'));
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(bmadDir43, 'core', 'config.yaml'), 'user_name: alice\n', 'utf8');
+    await fs.writeFile(
+      path.join(bmadDir43, 'bmm', 'config.yaml'),
+      'project_name: legacy-from-bmm\nuser_skill_level: intermediate\n',
+      'utf8',
+    );
+
+    const officialModules43 = new OfficialModules();
+    await officialModules43.loadExistingConfig(fixtureRoot43);
+
+    assert(
+      officialModules43.existingConfig.core?.project_name === 'legacy-from-bmm',
+      'loadExistingConfig hoists bmm.project_name to core on existing-install upgrade',
+    );
+
+    assert(
+      !('project_name' in (officialModules43.existingConfig.bmm || {})),
+      'loadExistingConfig removes project_name from bmm after hoisting',
+    );
+
+    assert(
+      officialModules43.existingConfig.bmm?.user_skill_level === 'intermediate',
+      'loadExistingConfig leaves non-core bmm keys (user_skill_level) untouched',
+    );
+
+    assert(officialModules43.existingConfig.core?.user_name === 'alice', 'loadExistingConfig preserves pre-existing core values');
+
+    // Precedence: if core already has the key, hoist must NOT overwrite it.
+    const fixtureRoot43b = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'bmad-fixture-43b-'));
+    const bmadDir43b = path.join(fixtureRoot43b, '_bmad');
+    await fs.ensureDir(path.join(bmadDir43b, '_config'));
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(bmadDir43b, '_config', 'manifest.yaml'), 'modules: []\n', 'utf8');
+    await fs.ensureDir(path.join(bmadDir43b, 'core'));
+    await fs.ensureDir(path.join(bmadDir43b, 'bmm'));
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(bmadDir43b, 'core', 'config.yaml'), 'project_name: from-core\n', 'utf8');
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(bmadDir43b, 'bmm', 'config.yaml'), 'project_name: stale-from-bmm\n', 'utf8');
+
+    const officialModules43b = new OfficialModules();
+    await officialModules43b.loadExistingConfig(fixtureRoot43b);
+
+    assert(officialModules43b.existingConfig.core?.project_name === 'from-core', 'hoist does not overwrite an existing core value');
+
+    assert(
+      !('project_name' in (officialModules43b.existingConfig.bmm || {})),
+      'hoist still strips the duplicate from bmm so writeCentralConfig partition stays clean',
+    );
+
+    await fs.remove(fixtureRoot43).catch(() => {});
+    await fs.remove(fixtureRoot43b).catch(() => {});
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.log(`${colors.red}Test Suite 43 setup failed: ${error.message}${colors.reset}`);
+    console.log(error.stack);
+    failed++;
+  }
+
+  console.log('');
+
   // ============================================================
   // Summary
   // ============================================================

tools/installer/modules/official-modules.js

@@ -914,9 +914,52 @@ class OfficialModules {
       }
     }
 
+    if (foundAny) {
+      await this._hoistCoreKeysFromLegacyModuleConfigs();
+    }
+
     return foundAny;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Migrate prior answers when a key has moved from a non-core module to core
+   * (e.g. project_name moving from bmm to core in #2279). Without this, the
+   * partition logic in writeCentralConfig drops the value from the bmm bucket
+   * (because it's now a core key) without re-homing it under [core], so the
+   * user's prior answer silently disappears on the next install/quick-update.
+   */
+  async _hoistCoreKeysFromLegacyModuleConfigs() {
+    const coreSchemaPath = path.join(getSourcePath(), 'core-skills', 'module.yaml');
+    if (!(await fs.pathExists(coreSchemaPath))) return;
+
+    let coreSchema;
+    try {
+      coreSchema = yaml.parse(await fs.readFile(coreSchemaPath, 'utf8'));
+    } catch {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!coreSchema || typeof coreSchema !== 'object') return;
+
+    const coreKeys = new Set(
+      Object.entries(coreSchema)
+        .filter(([, v]) => v && typeof v === 'object' && 'prompt' in v)
+        .map(([k]) => k),
+    );
+    if (coreKeys.size === 0) return;
+
+    this._existingConfig.core = this._existingConfig.core || {};
+    for (const [moduleName, cfg] of Object.entries(this._existingConfig)) {
+      if (moduleName === 'core' || !cfg || typeof cfg !== 'object') continue;
+      for (const key of Object.keys(cfg)) {
+        if (!coreKeys.has(key)) continue;
+        if (!(key in this._existingConfig.core)) {
+          this._existingConfig.core[key] = cfg[key];
+        }
+        delete cfg[key];
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Pre-scan module schemas to gather metadata for the configuration gateway prompt.
    * Returns info about which modules have configurable options.

tools/installer/ui.js

@@ -758,6 +758,9 @@ class UI {
         const defaultUsername = safeUsername.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + safeUsername.slice(1);
         configCollector.collectedConfig.core = {
           user_name: defaultUsername,
+          // {directory_name} default per src/core-skills/module.yaml — matches what the
+          // interactive flow resolves via buildQuestion()'s {directory_name} placeholder.
+          project_name: path.basename(directory),
           communication_language: 'English',
           document_output_language: 'English',
           output_folder: '_bmad-output',