- Added a new configuration option for the clarify tool to set a custom timeout for user responses.
- Updated the clarify callback to implement a countdown display during user interaction, improving user experience.
- Refactored timeout handling to ensure the UI remains responsive and provides feedback on remaining time.
- Enhanced hint text to include countdown information when clarify questions are active.
- Added a new `clarify_tool` to enable the agent to ask structured multiple-choice or open-ended questions to users.
- Implemented callback functionality for user interaction, allowing the platform to handle UI presentation.
- Updated the CLI and agent to support clarify questions, including timeout handling and response management.
- Enhanced toolset definitions and requirements to include the clarify tool, ensuring availability across platforms.
- Added a new `skill_manager_tool` to enable agents to create, update, and delete their own skills, enhancing procedural memory capabilities.
- Updated the skills directory structure to support user-created skills in `~/.hermes/skills/`, allowing for better organization and management.
- Enhanced the CLI and documentation to reflect the new skill management functionalities, including detailed instructions on creating and modifying skills.
- Implemented a manifest-based syncing mechanism for bundled skills to ensure user modifications are preserved during updates.
- Introduced the `/new` command to start a new conversation, resetting the history.
- Updated command handling in the CLI and various platform adapters (Discord, Slack, Telegram) to support the new command.
- Added help command functionality to list available commands, improving user guidance.
- Enhanced command mapping for better integration across platforms, ensuring consistent command behavior.
- Updated the input area height calculation to ensure it matches the exact line count of content, eliminating extra blank space.
- Adjusted the return values to improve the responsiveness of the input area, enhancing user experience when adding newlines.
- Updated the input area layout by replacing the styled border frame with horizontal rules above and below the input, enhancing visual clarity.
- Adjusted the layout to ensure the input area grows dynamically with content while maintaining a consistent appearance with inline completions.
- Modified style definitions to reflect the new horizontal rule design, improving the overall aesthetics of the CLI.
- Wrapped the input area in a styled border frame to enhance visual structure and user experience.
- Updated layout to accommodate the framed input, ensuring consistent appearance with inline completions below the input area.
- Introduced new style definitions for the input frame to improve overall aesthetics of the CLI.
- Adjusted console width handling to ensure consistent output formatting.
- Introduced a short sleep after flushing stdout to allow for proper rendering of tool/status lines before displaying responses.
- Enhanced the response display by modifying the rendering logic to improve visual clarity and prevent interleaving of output.
- Added a flush of the StdoutProxy buffer to ensure that tool/status lines render above the response box, preventing interleaving of output.
- Combined the rendering of the response and the surrounding box into a single _cprint call for improved visual consistency and clarity.
- Added dynamic top and bottom borders to the response output in the HermesCLI, improving visual structure and readability.
- Implemented width adjustments for the borders based on console size, ensuring consistent appearance across different terminal environments.
- This change enhances the overall user experience by providing a clearer separation of messages in the CLI.
- Introduced a new function `_cprint` to handle ANSI-colored text rendering using prompt_toolkit's native capabilities, ensuring proper display of colors and formatting.
- Updated various print statements in the HermesCLI to utilize `_cprint`, enhancing the visual output of user messages and conversation indicators.
- This change improves the overall user experience by providing clearer and more visually appealing text in the CLI.
- Added ANSI escape codes for improved visual formatting in the CLI, including bold and colored text for user messages and conversation headers.
- Simplified the output structure by removing unnecessary visual separators and adapting the display to enhance readability and user experience.
- Implemented dynamic height adjustment for the input area in HermesCLI to accommodate varying content lines, ensuring that newlines (Alt+Enter) remain visible.
- This change improves usability by preventing internal scrolling of the input area when displaying output from the agent.
- Updated the HermesCLI layout to replace the floating completion menu with an inline CompletionsMenu, ensuring it appears consistently below the input area.
- This change enhances user experience by maintaining visibility of completions even after agent output fills the terminal, improving usability in non-full-screen modes.
Two-part implementation:
Part A - Curated Bounded Memory:
- New memory tool (tools/memory_tool.py) with MEMORY.md + USER.md stores
- Character-limited (2200/1375 chars), § delimited entries
- Frozen snapshot injected into system prompt at session start
- Model manages pruning via replace/remove with substring matching
- Usage indicator shown in system prompt header
Part B - SQLite Session Store:
- New hermes_state.py with SessionDB class, FTS5 full-text search
- Gateway session.py rewritten to dual-write SQLite + legacy JSONL
- Compression-triggered session splitting with parent_session_id chains
- New session_search tool with Gemini Flash summarization of matched sessions
- CLI session lifecycle (create on launch, close on exit)
Also:
- System prompt now cached per session, only rebuilt on compression
(fixes prefix cache invalidation from date/time changes every turn)
- Config version bumped to 3, hermes doctor checks for new artifacts
- Disabled in batch_runner and RL environments
- Introduced a new configuration section in `cli-config.yaml.example` for defining platform-specific toolsets, allowing for greater customization of available tools per platform.
- Updated the CLI to check for user-defined toolsets in the configuration, falling back to the default `hermes-cli` toolset if none are specified.
- Enhanced the `GatewayRunner` class to load platform-specific toolsets from the configuration, ensuring that the correct tools are enabled based on the platform being used.
- Updated the layout in HermesCLI to include a floating completion menu, improving user experience by providing real-time suggestions as users type.
- Refactored the layout structure to utilize FloatContainer, ensuring the input area remains accessible while displaying the completion menu dynamically.
- Revised user instructions to reflect the removal of the Ctrl+Enter key binding for new lines, simplifying the input method.
- Clarified that Alt+Enter is now the sole key for multi-line input, enhancing user experience.
- Removed the Shift+Enter key binding for inserting new lines, simplifying the input method.
- Introduced Ctrl+Enter as the primary key for multi-line input, ensuring better compatibility across terminals.
- Updated user instructions to reflect the new key bindings for a clearer user experience.
- Patched prompt_toolkit to recognize Shift+Enter as a distinct key for inserting new lines, improving the multiline input experience.
- Added Alt+Enter as a fallback for terminals that do not support Shift+Enter, ensuring consistent functionality across different environments.
- Updated user instructions to reflect the new key bindings for multiline input.
- Introduced SlashCommandCompleter for command autocompletion, enhancing user experience by suggesting commands as users type.
- Enabled multiline input with Shift+Enter, allowing users to enter longer messages more conveniently.
- Implemented paste detection to handle large text inputs, saving them to temporary files and replacing them with compact references in the input area.
- Updated input area styling and hint display to improve usability and feedback during agent operation.
- Updated the dynamic prompt to display the Hermes symbol when the agent is active, enhancing user feedback.
- Introduced a spacer line in the layout to prevent spinner output from overlapping the input cursor, improving usability.
- Adjusted the overall layout to maintain a clean interface while accommodating dynamic elements.
- Updated the input area prompt to dynamically reflect agent status, enhancing user feedback during operation.
- Removed the status line from the layout to streamline the interface, focusing solely on the input area.
- Adjusted styling for prompt states to improve visual clarity and user experience.
When using Modal, Docker, SSH, or Singularity as the terminal backend
from the CLI, the agent resolved cwd: "." to the host machine's local
path (e.g. /Users/rewbs/code/hermes-agent) and passed it to the remote
sandbox, where it doesn't exist. All commands failed with "No such file
or directory".
Root cause: cli.py unconditionally resolved "." to os.getcwd() and wrote
it to TERMINAL_CWD regardless of backend type. Every tool then used that
host-local path as the working directory inside the remote environment.
Fixes:
- cli.py: only resolve "." to os.getcwd() for the local backend. For all
remote backends (ssh, docker, modal, singularity), leave TERMINAL_CWD
unset so the tool layer uses per-backend defaults (/root, /, ~, etc.)
- terminal_tool.py: added sanity check -- if TERMINAL_CWD contains a
host-local prefix (/Users/, /home/, C:\) for a non-local backend, log
a warning and fall back to the backend's default
- terminal_tool.py: SSH default CWD is now ~ instead of os.getcwd()
- file_operations.py: last-resort CWD fallback changed from os.getcwd()
to "/" so host paths never leak into remote file operations
Two config systems used different key names for the terminal backend:
- hermes_cli/config.py, README, and all docs use "terminal.backend"
- cli.py's env var mapping only recognized "terminal.env_type"
Users following the docs who set `backend: modal` in ~/.hermes/config.yaml
had it silently ignored -- TERMINAL_ENV always defaulted to "local".
Additionally, when no config file existed, cli.py's hardcoded defaults
overwrote any TERMINAL_ENV=modal set in .env, despite the comment saying
"env vars take precedence."
Fixes:
- cli.py now normalizes "backend" -> "env_type" (backend takes precedence)
- Defaults no longer overwrite .env when no config file terminal section exists
- hermes status reads from config as fallback when env var isn't set
Also fixes four related bugs found in the Modal/sandbox lifecycle:
- file_tools cache not cleared on sandbox cleanup (stale ops on dead sandbox)
- Global lock held during slow Modal teardown (blocked all tool calls 10-15s)
- Race condition in file_tools between existence check and access (KeyError)
- Per-task creation locks never cleaned up (memory leak)
- Introduced a new cleanup function that ensures terminal and browser sessions are cleaned up only once during application exit.
- Updated atexit registration to use the new cleanup function, enhancing resource management and preventing potential issues from multiple cleanup calls.
- Modified terminal cleanup messaging to only display when environments are cleaned, improving user feedback.
- Introduced a default agent identity prompt to ensure consistent behavior across platforms.
- Added platform-specific formatting hints for CLI, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord to guide the agent's output style.
- Updated the AIAgent initialization to accept a platform parameter, enhancing adaptability to different interfaces.
- Added /retry command to resend the last user message, improving user experience by allowing message re-sending without retyping.
- Introduced /undo command to remove the last user/assistant exchange from conversation history, providing better control over conversation flow.
- Updated save_config_value function to respect user and project config precedence, enhancing configuration management.
- Improved prompt handling and visual output for user input, adapting to terminal width for better readability.
- Added imports for resource cleanup during safe shutdown, including terminal and browser session cleanup.
- Refactored command handling to preserve original case for model names and prompt text, improving user experience.
- Introduced a dedicated interrupt queue to manage user input while the agent is running, preventing race conditions.
- Updated comments and documentation for clarity on command processing and input handling.
- Changed the default LLM model in the setup wizard and example environment file to 'anthropic/claude-opus-4.6'.
- Updated terminal working directory settings in CLI and related files to use the current directory ('.') instead of '/tmp'.
- Enhanced documentation comments for clarity on terminal configuration and working directory behavior.
- Added `max_tokens`, `reasoning_config`, and `prefill_messages` parameters to `BatchRunner` and `AIAgent` for improved model response control.
- Updated CLI to support new options for reasoning effort and prefill messages from a JSON file.
- Modified example configuration files to reflect changes in default model and summary model.
- Improved error handling for loading prefill messages and reasoning configurations in the CLI.
- Updated documentation to include new parameters and usage examples.
- Enhanced the AIAgent class to support interrupt requests, allowing for graceful interruption of ongoing tasks and processing of new messages.
- Updated the HermesCLI to manage user input in a persistent manner, enabling real-time interruption of the agent's conversation.
- Introduced a mechanism in the GatewayRunner to handle incoming messages while an agent is running, allowing for immediate response to user commands.
- Improved overall user experience by providing feedback during interruptions and ensuring that pending messages are processed correctly.
- Increased the default maximum tool-calling iterations from 20 to 60 in the CLI configuration and related files, allowing for more complex tasks.
- Updated documentation and comments to reflect the new recommended range for iterations, enhancing user guidance.
- Implemented backward compatibility for loading max iterations from the root-level configuration, ensuring a smooth transition for existing users.
- Adjusted the setup wizard to prompt for the maximum iterations setting, improving user experience during configuration.
- Updated the terminal tool's command approval flow to improve user interaction when executing potentially dangerous commands, replacing the previous confirmation method with a clear explanation and instructions for adding commands to the allowlist.
- Removed the internal `force` parameter from the model API, ensuring that dangerous command approvals are handled solely through user prompts.
- Enhanced the CLI to provide better feedback regarding tool availability, including improved messaging for enabled and disabled toolsets.
- Updated AGENTS.md to reflect changes in the command approval process and configuration instructions.
- Updated the CLI to include a new method for displaying warnings about disabled tools due to missing API keys.
- Integrated tool availability checks into the setup wizard and doctor commands, providing users with clear information on which tools are available and what is required for full functionality.
- Improved user prompts and feedback regarding API key configuration, emphasizing the importance of setting up keys for certain tools.
- Added detailed summaries of tool availability during setup and diagnostics, enhancing the overall user experience.
- Updated CLI to load configuration from user-specific and project-specific YAML files, prioritizing user settings.
- Introduced a new command `/platforms` to display the status of connected messaging platforms (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp).
- Implemented a gateway system for handling messaging interactions, including session management and delivery routing for cron job outputs.
- Added support for environment variable configuration and a dedicated gateway configuration file for advanced settings.
- Enhanced documentation in README.md and added a new messaging.md file to guide users on platform integrations and setup.
- Updated toolsets to include platform-specific capabilities for Telegram, Discord, and WhatsApp, ensuring secure and tailored interactions.
- Introduced a new cron job system allowing users to schedule automated tasks via the CLI, supporting one-time reminders and recurring jobs.
- Added commands for managing cron jobs: `/cron` to list jobs, `/cron add` to create new jobs, and `/cron remove` to delete jobs.
- Implemented job storage in `~/.hermes/cron/jobs.json` with output saved to `~/.hermes/cron/output/{job_id}/{timestamp}.md`.
- Enhanced the CLI and README documentation to include detailed usage instructions and examples for cron job management.
- Integrated cron job tools into the hermes-cli toolset, ensuring they are only available in interactive CLI mode.
- Added support for cron expression parsing with the `croniter` package, enabling flexible scheduling options.
- Implemented automatic context compression to manage long conversations that approach the model's context limit.
- Configured the feature to summarize middle turns while protecting the first three and last four turns, ensuring important context is retained.
- Added configuration options in `cli-config.yaml` and environment variables for enabling/disabling compression and setting thresholds.
- Updated documentation in `README.md`, `cli.md`, and `.env.example` to explain the context compression functionality and its configuration.
- Enhanced the `cli.py` to load compression settings into environment variables, ensuring seamless integration with the CLI.
- Completed the implementation of context compression as outlined in the TODO list, marking it as a significant enhancement to conversation management.
- Implemented automatic session logging, saving conversation trajectories to the `logs/` directory in JSON format, with each session having a unique identifier.
- Updated the CLI to display the session ID in the welcome banner for easy reference.
- Introduced an interactive sudo password prompt in CLI mode, allowing users to enter their password with a 45-second timeout, enhancing user experience during command execution.
- Documented session logging and interactive sudo features in `README.md`, `cli.md`, and `cli-config.yaml.example` for better user guidance.
- Added support for sudo commands in local, Docker, Singularity, and SSH environments by introducing the `SUDO_PASSWORD` environment variable.
- Updated terminal tool configurations in `.env.example` and `cli-config.yaml.example` to document the new sudo functionality.
- Enhanced the command execution process to handle sudo commands gracefully, preventing hangs on interactive prompts and providing clear error messages when no password is configured.
- Updated `README.md` to include instructions for using sudo support and SSH backend configuration.
- Revised `TODO.md` to reflect the completion of the sudo feature and outline future enhancements.
- Updated `.env.example` to include `BROWSER_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT` for auto-cleanup of inactive sessions.
- Enhanced `cli.py` to load the new inactivity timeout configuration into environment variables.
- Added background thread functionality in `browser_tool.py` to periodically clean up inactive browser sessions based on the configured timeout.
- Improved session management by tracking last activity timestamps and ensuring cleanup occurs when sessions exceed inactivity limits.
- Introduced `cli-config.yaml.example` to provide a template for configuring the CLI behavior, including model settings, terminal tool configurations, agent behavior, and toolsets.
- Created `cli.py` for an interactive terminal interface, allowing users to start the Hermes Agent with various options and toolsets.
- Added `hermes` launcher script for convenient CLI access.
- Updated `model_tools.py` to support quiet mode for suppressing output during tool initialization and execution.
- Enhanced logging in various tools to respect quiet mode, improving user experience by reducing unnecessary output.
- Added `prompt_toolkit` to `requirements.txt` for improved CLI interaction capabilities.
- Created `TODO.md` for future improvements and enhancements to the Hermes Agent framework.
