perf(cli): TTFT round 2 — live reasoning by default, partial-line streaming, prompt-build cache, stale budget-warning docs (#59389)

Follow-up to #59332 targeting the remaining PERCEIVED first-token latency
(the wire streaming was already per-token; these fix what the user sees):

1. display.show_reasoning default ON. On thinking models the reasoning
   phase streams for tens of seconds; with the display off users stare
   at a spinner the whole time and read it as a stall. Flipped in
   DEFAULT_CONFIG, load_cli_config defaults, tui_gateway raw-YAML
   fallbacks, and the hermes setup status line (all four read sites kept
   in sync). Gateway per-platform defaults intentionally stay off —
   messaging chats shouldn't fill with thinking text. /reasoning hide
   still turns it off and persists.

2. Response box force-flushes long partial lines. _emit_stream_text only
   painted on newline, so a response opening with a long paragraph
   stayed invisible until the first \n — seconds of blank box. Now
   partial lines wrap at terminal width and paint as tokens arrive
   (mirrors the reasoning box's 80-char force-flush that existed since
   day one). Table blocks remain batch-aligned; no content loss at wrap
   boundaries (regression tests added).

3. hermes_time timezone resolution uses read_raw_config (mtime-cached +
   libyaml C loader) instead of a raw yaml.safe_load of config.yaml
   (~110-140ms measured) inside the FIRST system prompt build. First
   build drops 320ms -> ~155ms on a 200-skill install.

4. Stale docs: configuration.md (en+zh) still documented the 70%/90%
   [BUDGET WARNING] tool-result injections. Those were removed in April
   2026 (c8aff7463) precisely because they hurt task completion; current
   behavior is exhaustion-message + one grace call, no mid-loop
   injection, no cache impact. Docs now describe reality.

Verified: token-count compression decisions already use API-reported
last_prompt_tokens (rough estimators are preflight-only and cost ~1.7ms
even on 1.7MB histories — not worth touching).

cli.py

@@ -455,7 +455,9 @@ def load_cli_config() -> Dict[str, Any]:
             "resume_max_assistant_chars": 200,
             "resume_max_assistant_lines": 3,
             "resume_skip_tool_only": True,
-            "show_reasoning": False,
+            # Live reasoning display default ON — keep in sync with
+            # hermes_cli/config.py DEFAULT_CONFIG (display.show_reasoning).
+            "show_reasoning": True,
             "reasoning_full": False,
             "streaming": True,
             "busy_input_mode": "interrupt",
@@ -3708,7 +3710,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin):
         # bell_on_complete: play terminal bell (\a) when agent finishes a response
         self.bell_on_complete = CLI_CONFIG["display"].get("bell_on_complete", False)
         # show_reasoning: display model thinking/reasoning before the response
-        self.show_reasoning = CLI_CONFIG["display"].get("show_reasoning", False)
+        self.show_reasoning = CLI_CONFIG["display"].get("show_reasoning", True)
         # reasoning_full: when reasoning display is on, print the post-response
         # recap box uncollapsed instead of clamping to the first 10 lines.
         self.reasoning_full = CLI_CONFIG["display"].get("reasoning_full", False)
@@ -5836,6 +5838,33 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin):
                 line = _strip_markdown_syntax(line)
             _emit_one(line)
 
+        # Force-flush long partial lines so a response that opens with a
+        # long paragraph paints as tokens arrive instead of staying blank
+        # until the first newline (TTFT perception fix — the reasoning box
+        # has done this at 80 chars since day one; the response box never
+        # did). Wrap at the terminal's visible width so we only ever emit
+        # text that would have line-broken at that point anyway; the
+        # remainder stays buffered as the logical line's continuation.
+        # Table-shaped partials are exempt — they need the whole block for
+        # realignment (see the table side-buffer above).
+        if (
+            self._stream_buf
+            and not self._in_stream_table
+            and not self._stream_buf.lstrip().startswith("|")
+        ):
+            wrap_w = max(40, _terminal_width_for_streaming())
+            while len(self._stream_buf) >= wrap_w:
+                cut = self._stream_buf.rfind(" ", 0, wrap_w)
+                if cut <= 0:
+                    cut = wrap_w  # single unbreakable run — hard wrap
+                chunk, self._stream_buf = (
+                    self._stream_buf[:cut],
+                    self._stream_buf[cut:].lstrip(" "),
+                )
+                if self.final_response_markdown == "strip":
+                    chunk = _strip_markdown_syntax(chunk)
+                _emit_one(chunk)
+
     def _flush_stream(self) -> None:
         """Emit any remaining partial line from the stream buffer and close the box."""
         # If we're still inside a "reasoning block" at end-of-stream, it was

hermes_cli/config.py

@@ -1701,7 +1701,11 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
         # dashboard. Set false to suppress the hint.
         "tui_agents_nudge": True,
         "bell_on_complete": False,
-        "show_reasoning": False,
+        # Stream the model's reasoning/thinking live before the response.
+        # Default ON: on thinking models the reasoning phase can run tens of
+        # seconds, and with this off the user stares at a spinner the whole
+        # time even though tokens are streaming. Set false for quiet output.
+        "show_reasoning": True,
         # When reasoning display is on, the post-response "Reasoning" recap box
         # collapses long thinking to the first 10 lines. Set true to print the
         # complete thinking text uncollapsed (live streaming is always full).
@@ -7755,7 +7759,7 @@ def show_config():
     print(color("◆ Display", Colors.CYAN, Colors.BOLD))
     display = config.get('display', {})
     print(f"  Personality:  {display.get('personality') or 'none'}")
-    print(f"  Reasoning:    {'on' if display.get('show_reasoning', False) else 'off'}")
+    print(f"  Reasoning:    {'on' if display.get('show_reasoning', True) else 'off'}")
     print(f"  Bell:         {'on' if display.get('bell_on_complete', False) else 'off'}")
     ump = display.get('user_message_preview', {}) if isinstance(display.get('user_message_preview', {}), dict) else {}
     ump_first = ump.get('first_lines', 2)

hermes_time.py

@@ -47,11 +47,22 @@ def _resolve_timezone_name() -> str:
 
     # 2. config.yaml ``timezone`` key
     try:
-        import yaml
-        config_path = get_config_path()
-        if config_path.exists():
-            with open(config_path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
-                cfg = yaml.safe_load(f) or {}
+        # Prefer the shared cached raw-config reader (mtime/size-keyed cache +
+        # libyaml C loader) — a direct yaml.safe_load of a large config.yaml
+        # costs ~100ms+ and this used to run inside the FIRST system prompt
+        # build, on the time-to-first-token critical path.
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.config import read_raw_config
+            cfg = read_raw_config() or {}
+        except Exception:
+            import yaml
+            config_path = get_config_path()
+            if config_path.exists():
+                with open(config_path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                    cfg = yaml.safe_load(f) or {}
+            else:
+                cfg = {}
+        if cfg:
             # Managed scope: an administrator can pin ``timezone`` too. Overlay
             # via the shared helper (fail-open) since this reads config.yaml directly.
             try:

tests/cli/test_reasoning_command.py

@@ -550,7 +550,10 @@ class TestConfigDefault(unittest.TestCase):
         from hermes_cli.config import DEFAULT_CONFIG
         display = DEFAULT_CONFIG.get("display", {})
         self.assertIn("show_reasoning", display)
-        self.assertFalse(display["show_reasoning"])
+        # Default ON (July 2026 TTFT-perception change): thinking models
+        # stream reasoning for tens of seconds; hiding it left users staring
+        # at a spinner. The key must exist and be a bool.
+        self.assertTrue(display["show_reasoning"])
 
 
 class TestCommandRegistered(unittest.TestCase):

tests/cli/test_stream_partial_line_flush.py

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+"""Streaming display force-flush: long partial lines must paint before the
+first newline arrives (TTFT-perception fix, July 2026).
+
+Previously ``_emit_stream_text`` only emitted on ``"\\n"``, so a response
+opening with a long paragraph stayed invisible until the model produced a
+newline — seconds of blank box on slow models. Now partial lines are
+force-flushed at terminal width (mirroring the reasoning box's 80-char rule).
+"""
+import os
+import re
+import sys
+
+import pytest
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", ".."))
+
+
+def _strip_ansi(s: str) -> str:
+    return re.sub(r"\x1b\[[0-9;]*m", "", s)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def cli_stub(monkeypatch):
+    from cli import HermesCLI
+    import cli as climod
+
+    cli = HermesCLI.__new__(HermesCLI)
+    cli.show_reasoning = False
+    cli.final_response_markdown = "raw"
+    cli.show_timestamps = False
+    cli._reset_stream_state()
+
+    emitted = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(climod, "_cprint", lambda s: emitted.append(s))
+    # Deterministic width regardless of the test runner's terminal
+    monkeypatch.setattr(climod, "_terminal_width_for_streaming", lambda: 74)
+    return cli, emitted
+
+
+class TestPartialLineForceFlush:
+    def test_long_paragraph_paints_before_first_newline(self, cli_stub):
+        cli, emitted = cli_stub
+        text = (
+            "This is a long opening paragraph that would previously sit "
+            "invisible in the buffer until the model finally produced a "
+            "newline character, which on a slow model could take seconds. "
+        ) * 3
+        for i in range(0, len(text), 12):
+            cli._stream_delta(text[i : i + 12])
+        # Box header + several wrapped lines painted with NO newline seen yet
+        assert len(emitted) > 3
+
+    def test_no_content_lost_across_wraps(self, cli_stub):
+        cli, emitted = cli_stub
+        words = [f"word{i}" for i in range(120)]
+        text = " ".join(words)
+        for i in range(0, len(text), 7):
+            cli._stream_delta(text[i : i + 7])
+        cli._flush_stream()
+        plain = " ".join(_strip_ansi("\n".join(emitted)).split())
+        for w in words:
+            assert w in plain, f"lost {w} at a wrap boundary"
+
+    def test_short_partial_stays_buffered(self, cli_stub):
+        cli, emitted = cli_stub
+        cli._stream_delta("short line, no newline")
+        # Under wrap width: the box header may open, but the text itself
+        # stays buffered until a newline or the width threshold.
+        plain = _strip_ansi("\n".join(emitted))
+        assert "short line" not in plain
+        assert cli._stream_buf == "short line, no newline"
+
+    def test_table_rows_not_force_flushed(self, cli_stub):
+        cli, emitted = cli_stub
+        # A long partial table row must stay buffered for block realignment
+        row = "| " + " | ".join(f"cell{i}" for i in range(20)) + " |"
+        cli._stream_delta(row)  # no newline
+        plain = _strip_ansi("\n".join(emitted))
+        assert "cell19" not in plain
+
+    def test_newline_lines_still_emit_normally(self, cli_stub):
+        cli, emitted = cli_stub
+        cli._stream_delta("line one\nline two\n")
+        plain = _strip_ansi("\n".join(emitted))
+        assert "line one" in plain
+        assert "line two" in plain
+
+    def test_unbreakable_run_hard_wraps(self, cli_stub):
+        cli, emitted = cli_stub
+        blob = "x" * 300  # no spaces
+        cli._stream_delta(blob)
+        cli._flush_stream()
+        plain = _strip_ansi("\n".join(emitted))
+        assert plain.count("x") == 300

tui_gateway/server.py

@@ -2364,7 +2364,9 @@ def _load_provider_routing() -> dict:
 
 
 def _load_show_reasoning() -> bool:
-    return bool((_load_cfg().get("display") or {}).get("show_reasoning", False))
+    # Fallback True — keep in sync with DEFAULT_CONFIG display.show_reasoning
+    # (this loader reads the raw user YAML without the DEFAULT_CONFIG merge).
+    return bool((_load_cfg().get("display") or {}).get("show_reasoning", True))
 
 
 def _load_memory_notifications() -> str:
@@ -10828,7 +10830,7 @@ def _(rid, params: dict) -> dict:
                 effort = str(raw_effort or "medium")
         display = (
             "show"
-            if bool((cfg.get("display") or {}).get("show_reasoning", False))
+            if bool((cfg.get("display") or {}).get("show_reasoning", True))
             else "hide"
         )
         return _ok(rid, {"value": effort, "display": display})

website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md

@@ -823,16 +823,11 @@ Plugin engines are **never auto-activated** — you must explicitly set `context
 
 See [Memory Providers](/user-guide/features/memory-providers) for the analogous single-select system for memory plugins.
 
-## Iteration Budget Pressure
+## Iteration Budget
 
-When the agent is working on a complex task with many tool calls, it can burn through its iteration budget (default: 90 turns) without realizing it's running low. Budget pressure automatically warns the model as it approaches the limit:
+When the agent is working on a complex task with many tool calls, it can burn through its iteration budget (default: 90 turns). Hermes does **not** inject mid-task pressure warnings — earlier builds warned the model at 70%/90% budget, which caused models to abandon complex tasks prematurely and was removed in April 2026.
 
-| Threshold | Level | What the model sees |
-|-----------|-------|---------------------|
-| **70%** | Caution | `[BUDGET: 63/90. 27 iterations left. Start consolidating.]` |
-| **90%** | Warning | `[BUDGET WARNING: 81/90. Only 9 left. Respond NOW.]` |
-
-Warnings are injected into the last tool result's JSON (as a `_budget_warning` field) rather than as separate messages — this preserves prompt caching and doesn't disrupt the conversation structure.
+Instead, when the budget is actually exhausted (90/90), Hermes injects one message asking the model to wrap up and allows a single **grace call** so it can deliver a final response. If that grace call still doesn't produce text, the agent is asked to summarise what it accomplished.
 
 ```yaml
 agent:
@@ -840,9 +835,7 @@ agent:
   api_max_retries: 3           # Retries per provider before fallback engages (default: 3)
 ```
 
-Budget pressure is enabled by default. The agent sees warnings naturally as part of tool results, encouraging it to consolidate its work and deliver a response before running out of iterations.
-
-When the iteration budget is fully exhausted, the CLI shows a notification to the user: `⚠ Iteration budget reached (90/90) — response may be incomplete`. If the budget runs out during active work, the agent generates a summary of what was accomplished before stopping.
+When the iteration budget is fully exhausted, the CLI shows a notification to the user: `⚠ Iteration budget reached (90/90) — response may be incomplete`.
 
 `agent.api_max_retries` controls how many times Hermes retries a provider API call on transient errors (rate limits, connection drops, 5xx) **before** fallback-provider switching engages. The default is `3` — four attempts total. If you have [fallback providers](/user-guide/features/fallback-providers) configured and want to fail over faster, drop this to `0` so the first transient error on your primary immediately hands off to the fallback instead of churning retries against the flaky endpoint.
 

website/i18n/zh-Hans/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/current/user-guide/configuration.md

@@ -635,16 +635,11 @@ context:
 
 有关内存插件的类似单选系统，请参阅[内存 Providers](/user-guide/features/memory-providers)。
 
-## 迭代预算压力
+## 迭代预算
 
-当 agent 在处理具有许多工具调用的复杂任务时，它可能会在没有意识到预算不足的情况下耗尽其迭代预算（默认：90 轮）。预算压力会在模型接近限制时自动发出警告：
+当 agent 在处理具有许多工具调用的复杂任务时，它可能会耗尽其迭代预算（默认：90 轮）。Hermes **不会**在任务中途注入压力警告 —— 早期版本会在预算达到 70%/90% 时警告模型，这会导致模型过早放弃复杂任务，该机制已于 2026 年 4 月移除。
 
-| 阈值 | 级别 | 模型看到的内容 |
-|-----------|-------|---------------------|
-| **70%** | 注意 | `[BUDGET: 63/90. 27 iterations left. Start consolidating.]` |
-| **90%** | 警告 | `[BUDGET WARNING: 81/90. Only 9 left. Respond NOW.]` |
-
-警告注入到最后一个工具结果的 JSON 中（作为 `_budget_warning` 字段），而不是作为单独的消息 —— 这保留了 prompt 缓存，不会破坏对话结构。
+取而代之的是，当预算真正耗尽（90/90）时，Hermes 注入一条消息要求模型收尾，并允许一次**宽限调用**以便其给出最终响应。如果该宽限调用仍未产生文本，则会要求 agent 总结已完成的工作。
 
 ```yaml
 agent:
@@ -652,9 +647,7 @@ agent:
   api_max_retries: 3           # 回退启动前每个 provider 的重试次数（默认：3）
 ```
 
-预算压力默认启用。Agent 自然地将警告视为工具结果的一部分，鼓励它在耗尽迭代之前整合工作并提供响应。
-
-当迭代预算完全耗尽时，CLI 向用户显示通知：`⚠ Iteration budget reached (90/90) — response may be incomplete`。如果预算在活跃工作期间耗尽，agent 会在停止前生成已完成内容的摘要。
+当迭代预算完全耗尽时，CLI 向用户显示通知：`⚠ Iteration budget reached (90/90) — response may be incomplete`。
 
 `agent.api_max_retries` 控制 Hermes 在回退 provider 切换启动**之前**对瞬时错误（速率限制、连接断开、5xx）重试 provider API 调用的次数。默认为 `3` —— 总共四次尝试。如果您配置了[回退 providers](/user-guide/features/fallback-providers) 并希望更快地故障转移，请将其降至 `0`，这样主 provider 上的第一个瞬时错误会立即切换到回退，而不是对不稳定的端点进行重试。