From 1e5e1e822bc7bbf2a9bdefe12384745dc8730c23 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Teknium <127238744+teknium1@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:11:37 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] fix: ESC cancels secret/sudo prompts, clearer skip messaging
 (#9902)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

- Add ESC key binding (eager) for secret_state and sudo_state modal
  prompts — fires immediately, same behavior as Ctrl+C cancel
- Update placeholder text: 'Enter to submit · ESC to skip' (was
  'Enter to skip' which was confusing — Enter on empty looked like
  submitting nothing rather than intentionally skipping)
- Update widget body text: 'ESC or Ctrl+C to skip'
- Change feedback message from 'Secret entry cancelled' to 'Secret
  entry skipped' — more accurate for the action taken
- getpass fallback prompt also updated for non-TUI mode
---
 cli.py                  | 24 +++++++++++++++++++++---
 hermes_cli/callbacks.py |  6 +++---
 2 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index 970c98b06..ebc8b7637 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -8631,6 +8631,24 @@ class HermesCLI:
             self._should_exit = True
             event.app.exit()
 
+        _modal_prompt_active = Condition(
+            lambda: bool(self._secret_state or self._sudo_state)
+        )
+
+        @kb.add('escape', filter=_modal_prompt_active, eager=True)
+        def handle_escape_modal(event):
+            """ESC cancels active secret/sudo prompts."""
+            if self._secret_state:
+                self._cancel_secret_capture()
+                event.app.current_buffer.reset()
+                event.app.invalidate()
+                return
+            if self._sudo_state:
+                self._sudo_state["response_queue"].put("")
+                self._sudo_state = None
+                event.app.invalidate()
+                return
+
         @kb.add('c-z')
         def handle_ctrl_z(event):
             """Handle Ctrl+Z - suspend process to background (Unix only)."""
@@ -8928,9 +8946,9 @@ class HermesCLI:
             if cli_ref._voice_processing:
                 return "transcribing..."
             if cli_ref._sudo_state:
-                return "type password (hidden), Enter to skip"
+                return "type password (hidden), Enter to submit · ESC to skip"
             if cli_ref._secret_state:
-                return "type secret (hidden), Enter to skip"
+                return "type secret (hidden), Enter to submit · ESC to skip"
             if cli_ref._approval_state:
                 return ""
             if cli_ref._clarify_freetext:
@@ -9173,7 +9191,7 @@ class HermesCLI:
             prompt = state.get("prompt") or f"Enter value for {state.get('var_name', 'secret')}"
             metadata = state.get("metadata") or {}
             help_text = metadata.get("help")
-            body = 'Enter secret below (hidden), or press Enter to skip'
+            body = 'Enter secret below (hidden), ESC or Ctrl+C to skip'
             content_lines = [prompt, body]
             if help_text:
                 content_lines.insert(1, str(help_text))
diff --git a/hermes_cli/callbacks.py b/hermes_cli/callbacks.py
index 724e6e4c8..fa40eced5 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/callbacks.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/callbacks.py
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ def prompt_for_secret(cli, var_name: str, prompt: str, metadata=None) -> dict:
         if not hasattr(cli, "_secret_deadline"):
             cli._secret_deadline = 0
         try:
-            value = getpass.getpass(f"{prompt} (hidden, Enter to skip): ")
+            value = getpass.getpass(f"{prompt} (hidden, ESC or empty Enter to skip): ")
         except (EOFError, KeyboardInterrupt):
             value = ""
 
         if not value:
-            cprint(f"\n{_DIM}  ⏭ Secret entry cancelled{_RST}")
+            cprint(f"\n{_DIM}  ⏭ Secret entry skipped{_RST}")
             return {
                 "success": True,
                 "reason": "cancelled",
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ def prompt_for_secret(cli, var_name: str, prompt: str, metadata=None) -> dict:
                 cli._app.invalidate()
 
             if not value:
-                cprint(f"\n{_DIM}  ⏭ Secret entry cancelled{_RST}")
+                cprint(f"\n{_DIM}  ⏭ Secret entry skipped{_RST}")
                 return {
                     "success": True,
                     "reason": "cancelled",