Issue 17697 runtime reproduction
Ubuntu Linux x86_64, Node 24.21.0
Current main: 70e5e384da
Isolated home: /home/ubuntu/wt/issue-17697/.t3

Literal sequence (current-main source CLI, stopped isolated environment):
$ mkdir -p /tmp/t3-real && ln -s /tmp/t3-real /tmp/t3-alias
$ node apps/server/src/bin.ts project add /tmp/t3-real --base-dir /home/ubuntu/wt/issue-17697/.t3
Added project dbc42681-9a2d-4f4e-a904-9457d0f7297b (t3-real) at /tmp/t3-real.
$ node apps/server/src/bin.ts project add /tmp/t3-alias --base-dir /home/ubuntu/wt/issue-17697/.t3
Added project f0616ddd-485f-44c1-a58d-c3b754f7d469 (t3-alias) at /tmp/t3-alias.

Web: vp run dev, serverPort=15732 webPort=7692.
Browser 1280x800: project filter lists t3-real and t3-alias separately.
Both projection_projects records retain distinct IDs and the input path spelling.
Exact-alias control against running dev server:
$ node apps/server/src/bin.ts project add /tmp/t3-alias --base-dir /home/ubuntu/wt/issue-17697/.t3
ProjectAlreadyExistsError: An active project already exists for '/tmp/t3-alias'.

Real-data seeding was attempted but failed on a migration-history mismatch
(ids 64-66); dev runner continued with the CLI-created isolated database.
No provider turns run. Fedora Atomic/macOS and full-state variants not verified.

Fresh pair against the running dev server:
$ mkdir -p /tmp/t3-live-real && ln -s /tmp/t3-live-real /tmp/t3-live-alias
$ node apps/server/src/bin.ts project add /tmp/t3-live-real --base-dir /home/ubuntu/wt/issue-17697/.t3
Added project a527a05b-518c-409f-9aea-f500b4faafed (t3-live-real) at /tmp/t3-live-real.
$ node apps/server/src/bin.ts project add /tmp/t3-live-alias --base-dir /home/ubuntu/wt/issue-17697/.t3
Added project b3f359bb-d17d-4308-ad63-4d91125424be (t3-live-alias) at /tmp/t3-live-alias.