feat(cron): warn when gateway not running on cron create/list (#51696)

The cron ticker only runs inside the gateway (_start_cron_ticker); there
is no standalone cron daemon. When the gateway isn't running, next_run_at
passes but jobs never fire and last_run_at stays null — and manual
'hermes cron run' (which bypasses the ticker) appears to work, masking
the real cause. This is the most common cron support report (#51038).

cron list already warned; extend the same warning to cron create (the
moment the user is most likely to hit this) via a shared helper, and add
a pointer to 'hermes cron status'. Silent when a gateway is running, so
the gateway /cron path is unaffected.

hermes_cli/cron.py

@@ -57,6 +57,30 @@ def _cron_api(**kwargs):
     return json.loads(cronjob_tool(**kwargs))
 
 
+def _warn_if_gateway_not_running() -> None:
+    """Warn that scheduled jobs won't fire unless the gateway is running.
+
+    The cron ticker only runs inside the gateway (``_start_cron_ticker`` in
+    gateway/run.py); there is no standalone cron daemon. Without a running
+    gateway, ``next_run_at`` passes but jobs never fire and ``last_run_at``
+    stays null — the most common cron support report (#51038). Surfacing this
+    at create/list time, when the user is right there, prevents it.
+    """
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.gateway import find_gateway_pids
+
+        if find_gateway_pids():
+            return
+    except Exception:
+        # If we can't determine gateway state, stay quiet rather than nag.
+        return
+
+    print(color("  ⚠  Gateway is not running — jobs won't fire automatically.", Colors.YELLOW))
+    print(color("     Start it with: hermes gateway install", Colors.DIM))
+    print(color("                    sudo hermes gateway install --system  # Linux servers", Colors.DIM))
+    print(color("     Check status:  hermes cron status", Colors.DIM))
+
+
 def cron_list(show_all: bool = False):
     """List all scheduled jobs."""
     from cron.jobs import list_jobs
@@ -137,12 +161,7 @@ def cron_list(show_all: bool = False):
 
         print()
 
-    from hermes_cli.gateway import find_gateway_pids
-    if not find_gateway_pids():
-        print(color("  ⚠  Gateway is not running — jobs won't fire automatically.", Colors.YELLOW))
-        print(color("     Start it with: hermes gateway install", Colors.DIM))
-        print(color("                    sudo hermes gateway install --system  # Linux servers", Colors.DIM))
-        print()
+    _warn_if_gateway_not_running()
 
 
 def cron_tick():
@@ -276,6 +295,7 @@ def cron_create(args):
     if job_data.get("workdir"):
         print(f"  Workdir: {job_data['workdir']}")
     print(f"  Next run: {result['next_run_at']}")
+    _warn_if_gateway_not_running()
     return 0
 
 

tests/hermes_cli/test_cron.py

@@ -121,3 +121,60 @@ class TestCronCommandLifecycle:
 
         out = capsys.readouterr().out
         assert "Repeat:    ∞" in out
+
+
+class TestGatewayNotRunningWarning:
+    """`cron create` / `cron list` must warn when the gateway (and thus the
+    cron ticker) isn't running, since jobs only fire inside the gateway.
+    Regression guard for #51038 — the most common cron 'jobs never fired'
+    report was simply a gateway that was never started.
+    """
+
+    def test_create_warns_when_gateway_absent(self, tmp_cron_dir, capsys, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.gateway.find_gateway_pids", lambda: [])
+        cron_command(
+            Namespace(
+                cron_command="create",
+                schedule="0 11 * * *",
+                prompt="Daily report",
+                name="Daily 1130",
+                deliver=None,
+                repeat=None,
+                skill=None,
+                skills=None,
+                script=None,
+                workdir=None,
+                no_agent=False,
+            )
+        )
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "Created job" in out
+        assert "Gateway is not running" in out
+
+    def test_create_silent_when_gateway_running(self, tmp_cron_dir, capsys, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.gateway.find_gateway_pids", lambda: [4242])
+        cron_command(
+            Namespace(
+                cron_command="create",
+                schedule="0 11 * * *",
+                prompt="Daily report",
+                name="Daily 1130",
+                deliver=None,
+                repeat=None,
+                skill=None,
+                skills=None,
+                script=None,
+                workdir=None,
+                no_agent=False,
+            )
+        )
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "Created job" in out
+        assert "Gateway is not running" not in out
+
+    def test_list_warns_when_gateway_absent(self, tmp_cron_dir, capsys, monkeypatch):
+        create_job(prompt="Daily report", schedule="0 11 * * *")
+        monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.gateway.find_gateway_pids", lambda: [])
+        cron_command(Namespace(cron_command="list", all=True))
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "Gateway is not running" in out