fix(curator): make manual runs synchronous

hermes_cli/curator.py

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import argparse
 import sys
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
 
@@ -57,7 +58,8 @@ def _cmd_status(args) -> int:
     print(f"  last summary:   {summary}")
     _report = state.get("last_report_path")
     if _report:
-        print(f"  last report:    {_report}")
+        suffix = "" if Path(_report).exists() else " (missing)"
+        print(f"  last report:    {_report}{suffix}")
     _ih = curator.get_interval_hours()
     _interval_label = (
         f"{_ih // 24}d" if _ih % 24 == 0 and _ih >= 24
@@ -161,6 +163,8 @@ def _cmd_run(args) -> int:
         return 1
 
     dry = bool(getattr(args, "dry_run", False))
+    background = bool(getattr(args, "background", False))
+    synchronous = bool(getattr(args, "synchronous", False)) or not background
     if dry:
         print("curator: running DRY-RUN (report only, no mutations)...")
     else:
@@ -171,7 +175,7 @@ def _cmd_run(args) -> int:
 
     result = curator.run_curator_review(
         on_summary=_on_summary,
-        synchronous=bool(args.synchronous),
+        synchronous=synchronous,
         dry_run=dry,
     )
     auto = result.get("auto_transitions", {})
@@ -188,13 +192,19 @@ def _cmd_run(args) -> int:
                 f"archived={auto.get('archived', 0)} "
                 f"reactivated={auto.get('reactivated', 0)}"
             )
-    if not args.synchronous:
+    if not synchronous:
         print("llm pass running in background — check `hermes curator status` later")
     if dry:
-        print(
-            "dry-run: no changes applied. When the report lands, read it with "
-            "`hermes curator status` and run `hermes curator run` (no flag) to apply."
-        )
+        if synchronous:
+            print(
+                "dry-run: no changes applied. Read the report with "
+                "`hermes curator status` and run `hermes curator run` (no flag) to apply."
+            )
+        else:
+            print(
+                "dry-run: no changes applied. When the report lands, read it with "
+                "`hermes curator status` and run `hermes curator run` (no flag) to apply."
+            )
     return 0
 
 
@@ -461,7 +471,11 @@ def register_cli(parent: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
     p_run = subs.add_parser("run", help="Trigger a curator review now")
     p_run.add_argument(
         "--sync", "--synchronous", dest="synchronous", action="store_true",
-        help="Wait for the LLM review pass to finish (default: background thread)",
+        help="Wait for the LLM review pass to finish (default for manual runs)",
+    )
+    p_run.add_argument(
+        "--background", dest="background", action="store_true",
+        help="Start the LLM review pass in a background thread and return immediately",
     )
     p_run.add_argument(
         "--dry-run", dest="dry_run", action="store_true",

tests/hermes_cli/test_curator_run.py

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+"""Tests for `hermes curator run` CLI behavior."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+
+def _args(**kwargs):
+    values = {
+        "dry_run": False,
+        "synchronous": False,
+        "background": False,
+    }
+    values.update(kwargs)
+    return SimpleNamespace(**values)
+
+
+def test_run_defaults_to_synchronous(monkeypatch, capsys):
+    import agent.curator as curator_state
+    import hermes_cli.curator as curator_cli
+
+    calls = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "is_enabled", lambda: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        curator_state,
+        "run_curator_review",
+        lambda **kwargs: calls.append(kwargs) or {"auto_transitions": {}},
+    )
+
+    assert curator_cli._cmd_run(_args()) == 0
+
+    assert calls[0]["synchronous"] is True
+    assert calls[0]["dry_run"] is False
+    assert "background" not in capsys.readouterr().out
+
+
+def test_run_background_opts_into_async(monkeypatch, capsys):
+    import agent.curator as curator_state
+    import hermes_cli.curator as curator_cli
+
+    calls = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "is_enabled", lambda: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        curator_state,
+        "run_curator_review",
+        lambda **kwargs: calls.append(kwargs) or {"auto_transitions": {}},
+    )
+
+    assert curator_cli._cmd_run(_args(background=True)) == 0
+
+    assert calls[0]["synchronous"] is False
+    assert "llm pass running in background" in capsys.readouterr().out
+
+
+def test_run_sync_wins_over_background(monkeypatch):
+    import agent.curator as curator_state
+    import hermes_cli.curator as curator_cli
+
+    calls = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "is_enabled", lambda: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        curator_state,
+        "run_curator_review",
+        lambda **kwargs: calls.append(kwargs) or {"auto_transitions": {}},
+    )
+
+    assert curator_cli._cmd_run(_args(synchronous=True, background=True)) == 0
+
+    assert calls[0]["synchronous"] is True
+
+
+def test_dry_run_default_reports_synchronous_wording(monkeypatch, capsys):
+    import agent.curator as curator_state
+    import hermes_cli.curator as curator_cli
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "is_enabled", lambda: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        curator_state,
+        "run_curator_review",
+        lambda **kwargs: {"auto_transitions": {}},
+    )
+
+    assert curator_cli._cmd_run(_args(dry_run=True)) == 0
+
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "When the report lands" not in out
+    assert "Read the report with `hermes curator status`" in out

tests/hermes_cli/test_curator_status.py

@@ -175,3 +175,28 @@ def test_status_no_skills_produces_clean_empty_output(curator_status_env):
     # None of the ranking sections render
     assert "most active" not in out
     assert "least active" not in out
+
+
+def test_status_marks_missing_last_report_path(monkeypatch, capsys, tmp_path):
+    import agent.curator as curator_state
+    import hermes_cli.curator as curator_cli
+    import tools.skill_usage as skill_usage
+
+    missing_report = tmp_path / "stale-report"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "load_state", lambda: {
+        "paused": False,
+        "last_run_at": None,
+        "last_run_summary": "auto: no changes",
+        "run_count": 1,
+        "last_report_path": str(missing_report),
+    })
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "is_enabled", lambda: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "get_interval_hours", lambda: 168)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "get_stale_after_days", lambda: 30)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curator_state, "get_archive_after_days", lambda: 90)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(skill_usage, "agent_created_report", lambda: [])
+
+    assert curator_cli._cmd_status(SimpleNamespace()) == 0
+
+    out = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert f"last report:    {missing_report} (missing)" in out