Follow-up to PR #267 merge:
- Fix CLI syntax: -k is keywords, -m is max results (was reversed)
- Add clear trigger condition: use only when web_search tool unavailable
- Remove misleading curl fallback (DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API is not
a web search endpoint)
- Fix package name: ddgs (renamed from duckduckgo-search)
- Add workflow section for search → web_extract pipeline
- Add pitfalls and limitations sections
- Fix author attribution to actual contributor
- Rewrite shell script as simple ddgs wrapper with availability check
emojicombos.com has a huge curated collection of ASCII art, dot art,
kaomoji, and emoji combos searchable via web_extract with a simple
URL pattern: https://emojicombos.com/{term}-ascii-art
No API key needed. Returns modern/meme art, pop culture references,
and kaomoji alongside classic ASCII art. Added as Source A (recommended
first) before asciiart.eu (Source B, classic archive).
Also added GitHub Octocat API as a fun easter egg and kaomoji search
to the decision flow.
Adds 5 additional tools from the awesome-ascii-art ecosystem:
- cowsay: 50+ characters with speech/thought bubbles
- boxes: 70+ decorative border designs, composable with pyfiglet
- toilet: colored text art with rainbow/metal/border filters
- ascii-image-converter: modern image-to-ASCII (PNG/JPEG/GIF/WEBP)
- jp2a: lightweight JPEG-to-ASCII fallback
Also adds fun extras (Star Wars telnet), resource links, and
an expanded decision flow covering all 7 modes.
Ref: github.com/moul/awesome-ascii-art
Adds two primary modes on top of the original LLM-generation approach:
- Mode 1: pyfiglet (571 fonts, pip install, no API key) for text banners
- Mode 2: asciiart.eu search (11,000+ pieces) via web_extract for pre-made art
- Mode 3: LLM-generated art using Unicode palette (original PR, now fallback)
Includes decision flow, font recommendations, and category reference.
Improvements to all 5 skills adapted from obra/superpowers:
- Restored anti-rationalization tables and red flags from originals
(key behavioral guardrails that prevent LLMs from taking shortcuts)
- Restored 'Rule of Three' for debugging (3+ failed fixes = question
architecture, not keep fixing)
- Restored Pattern Analysis and Hypothesis Testing phases in debugging
- Restored 'Why Order Matters' rebuttals and verification checklist in TDD
- Added proper Hermes delegate_task integration with real parameter examples
and toolset specifications throughout
- Added Hermes tool usage (search_files, read_file, terminal) for
investigation and verification steps
- Removed references to non-existent skills (brainstorming,
finishing-a-development-branch, executing-plans, using-git-worktrees)
- Removed generic language-specific sections (Go, Rust, Jest) that
added bulk without agent value
- Tightened prose — cut ~430 lines while adding more actionable content
- Added execution handoff section to writing-plans
- Consistent cross-references between the 5 skills
Unicode-based ASCII art generator skill with multiple styles
(block, shadow, outlined, gradient, decorative frame), character
palette reference, and usage examples. No external dependencies.
Add 5 new skills for professional software development workflows,
adapted from the Superpowers project ( obra/superpowers ):
- test-driven-development: RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle enforcement
- systematic-debugging: 4-phase root cause investigation
- subagent-driven-development: Structured delegation with two-stage review
- writing-plans: Comprehensive implementation planning
- requesting-code-review: Systematic code review process
These skills provide structured development workflows that transform
Hermes from a general assistant into a professional software engineer
with defined processes for quality assurance.
Skills are organized under software-development category and follow
Hermes skill format with proper frontmatter, examples, and integration
guidance with existing skills.
- Introduced a new skill for searching and retrieving academic papers from arXiv using their REST API, allowing searches by keyword, author, category, or ID.
- Added a helper script for clean output of search results, including options for sorting and filtering.
- Created a DESCRIPTION.md file outlining the purpose and functionality of the research skills.
- Introduced new skills for extracting text from PDFs, scanned documents, and images using OCR and document parsing tools.
- Added detailed documentation for usage and installation of `pymupdf` and `marker-pdf` for local extraction.
- Implemented scripts for text extraction with both lightweight and high-quality options, including support for various document formats.
- Updated web extraction functionality to handle PDF URLs directly, enhancing usability for academic papers and documents.
- Introduced a new markdown file detailing various Notion block types for API usage, including examples for creating and reading blocks.
- Covered block types such as paragraphs, headings, lists, to-dos, quotes, callouts, code, toggles, dividers, bookmarks, images, and more.
- Provided structured JSON examples for each block type to assist developers in implementation.
- Introduced a new markdown file detailing various output formats including chapters, summaries, Twitter threads, blog posts, and quotes.
- Each section provides structured examples to guide content creators in presenting their video material effectively.
- Updated README and CLI documentation to include new commands for resuming sessions: `--continue` for the most recent session and `--resume <id>` for specific sessions.
- Added examples in the CLI help output and detailed instructions on resuming sessions in the documentation.
- Improved user experience by automatically displaying the resume command upon exiting a session.
- Changed the hardcoded vault path to be set via the OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH environment variable, with a default fallback.
- Updated all relevant commands to utilize the new variable for reading, listing, searching, creating, and appending notes, improving flexibility and usability.
- Deleted the `huggingface-accelerate` skill documentation, which included details on distributed training and common workflows.
- Removed `custom-plugins.md`, `megatron-integration.md`, `performance.md`, and other related reference documents that were no longer relevant or necessary.
- This cleanup aims to streamline the MLOps skills repository and improve maintainability.
- Introduced new skills for editing and creating PPTX presentations, including a detailed guide on template-based workflows and script usage.
- Added scripts for slide management, cleaning, and packing PPTX files, enhancing the overall functionality for users.
- Included a LICENSE file to clarify usage rights and restrictions.
- Created a SKILL.md file to provide an overview and quick reference for PPTX-related tasks.
- Documented various formatting rules, common pitfalls, and design ideas to improve presentation quality.
- Revised the labeled shape and arrow sections to utilize container binding instead of the deprecated "label" property, ensuring proper text rendering.
- Added warnings about the invalidity of the "label" property and emphasized the use of `boundElements` for text elements.
- Updated examples in dark-mode and general references to reflect the new binding approach, enhancing clarity and usability for users creating diagrams.
- Introduced a new DESCRIPTION.md file outlining diagram creation skills for visual diagrams and flowcharts using Excalidraw.
- Added SKILL.md for the Excalidraw skill, detailing its functionality, usage, and workflow for creating hand-drawn style diagrams.
- Created references for color palettes, dark mode diagrams, and example diagrams to assist users in utilizing the Excalidraw skill effectively.
- Implemented an upload script for sharing diagrams via Excalidraw.com, ensuring user-friendly access to generated diagrams.
- Added detailed descriptions for new skills categories: Machine Learning Operations and Note Taking.
- Introduced a new Obsidian skill with commands for reading, listing, searching, creating, and appending notes.
- Enhanced the skills tool to load and display category descriptions from DESCRIPTION.md files, improving user guidance and discovery of available skills.
- Introduced new skills tools: `skills_categories`, `skills_list`, and `skill_view` in `model_tools.py`, allowing for better organization and access to skill-related functionalities.
- Updated `toolsets.py` to include a new `skills` toolset, providing a dedicated space for skill tools.
- Enhanced `batch_runner.py` to recognize and validate skills tools during batch processing.
- Added comprehensive tool definitions for skills tools, ensuring compatibility with OpenAI's expected format.
- Created new shell script `test_skills_kimi.sh` for testing skills tool functionality with Kimi K2.5.
- Added example skill files demonstrating the structure and usage of skills within the Hermes-Agent framework, including `SKILL.md` for example and audiocraft skills.
- Improved documentation for skills tools and their integration into the existing tool framework, ensuring clarity for future development and usage.