fix(gateway): include external_dirs skills in Telegram/Discord slash commands (#18741)

Skills configured through `skills.external_dirs` in config.yaml were
visible via `hermes skills list`, `get_skill_commands()`, and the
agent's `/skill-name` dispatch, but silently excluded from the
Telegram and Discord slash-command menus. The filter in
`_collect_gateway_skill_entries` only accepted skills whose
`skill_md_path` started with `SKILLS_DIR`, so anything under an
external directory fell through.

Widen the accepted-prefix set to include all configured external
dirs alongside the local skills dir. Every prefix is now
slash-terminated so `/my-skills` cannot also admit
`/my-skills-extra`. Also guard against empty `skill_md_path`
values so they can't accidentally match.

Fixes #8110

Salvages #8790 by luyao618.

Co-authored-by: Yao <34041715+luyao618@users.noreply.github.com>

hermes_cli/commands.py

@@ -611,13 +611,26 @@ def _collect_gateway_skill_entries(
     try:
         from agent.skill_commands import get_skill_commands
         from tools.skills_tool import SKILLS_DIR
+        from agent.skill_utils import get_external_skills_dirs
         _skills_dir = str(SKILLS_DIR.resolve())
-        _hub_dir = str((SKILLS_DIR / ".hub").resolve())
+        _hub_dir = str((SKILLS_DIR / ".hub").resolve()).rstrip("/") + "/"
+        # Build set of allowed directory prefixes: local skills dir + any
+        # user-configured ``skills.external_dirs``. Ensure each prefix ends
+        # with ``/`` so ``/my-skills`` does not also match ``/my-skills-extra``.
+        # Without this widening, external skills are visible in
+        # ``hermes skills list`` and the agent's ``/skill-name`` dispatch but
+        # silently excluded from gateway slash menus (#8110).
+        _allowed_prefixes = [_skills_dir.rstrip("/") + "/"]
+        _allowed_prefixes.extend(
+            str(d).rstrip("/") + "/" for d in get_external_skills_dirs()
+        )
         skill_cmds = get_skill_commands()
         for cmd_key in sorted(skill_cmds):
             info = skill_cmds[cmd_key]
             skill_path = info.get("skill_md_path", "")
-            if not skill_path.startswith(_skills_dir):
+            if not skill_path:
+                continue
+            if not any(skill_path.startswith(prefix) for prefix in _allowed_prefixes):
                 continue
             if skill_path.startswith(_hub_dir):
                 continue

tests/hermes_cli/test_commands.py

@@ -899,6 +899,73 @@ class TestTelegramMenuCommands:
         assert "my_enabled_skill" in menu_names
         assert "my_disabled_skill" not in menu_names
 
+    def test_external_dir_skills_included_in_telegram_menu(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """External skills (``skills.external_dirs``) must appear in the Telegram menu.
+
+        Regression test for #8110 — external skills were visible to the
+        agent and CLI but silently excluded from gateway slash menus
+        because ``_collect_gateway_skill_entries`` only accepted skills
+        whose path started with ``SKILLS_DIR``.
+
+        Also verifies the trailing-slash boundary: a directory that
+        simply shares a prefix with a configured ``external_dirs`` entry
+        (``/tmp/my-skills-extra`` vs ``/tmp/my-skills``) must NOT be
+        admitted.
+        """
+        from unittest.mock import patch
+
+        local_dir = tmp_path / "skills"
+        local_dir.mkdir()
+        external_dir = tmp_path / "my-skills"
+        external_dir.mkdir()
+        lookalike_dir = tmp_path / "my-skills-extra"
+        lookalike_dir.mkdir()
+
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path))
+        (tmp_path / "config.yaml").write_text(
+            f"skills:\n  external_dirs:\n    - {external_dir}\n"
+        )
+
+        fake_cmds = {
+            "/local-one": {
+                "name": "local-one",
+                "description": "Local",
+                "skill_md_path": f"{local_dir}/local-one/SKILL.md",
+                "skill_dir": f"{local_dir}/local-one",
+            },
+            "/morning-briefing": {
+                "name": "morning-briefing",
+                "description": "External skill",
+                "skill_md_path": f"{external_dir}/morning-briefing/SKILL.md",
+                "skill_dir": f"{external_dir}/morning-briefing",
+            },
+            "/lookalike-skill": {
+                "name": "lookalike-skill",
+                "description": "Lives in a sibling dir that shares a prefix",
+                "skill_md_path": f"{lookalike_dir}/lookalike-skill/SKILL.md",
+                "skill_dir": f"{lookalike_dir}/lookalike-skill",
+            },
+        }
+
+        with (
+            patch("agent.skill_commands.get_skill_commands", return_value=fake_cmds),
+            patch("tools.skills_tool.SKILLS_DIR", local_dir),
+            patch(
+                "agent.skill_utils.get_external_skills_dirs",
+                return_value=[external_dir],
+            ),
+        ):
+            menu, _ = telegram_menu_commands(max_commands=100)
+
+        menu_names = {n for n, _ in menu}
+        assert "local_one" in menu_names, "local skill must appear"
+        assert "morning_briefing" in menu_names, (
+            "external skill from skills.external_dirs must appear (fixes #8110)"
+        )
+        assert "lookalike_skill" not in menu_names, (
+            "prefix-match sibling directories must not be admitted"
+        )
+
     def test_special_chars_in_skill_names_sanitized(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         """Skills with +, /, or other special chars produce valid Telegram names."""
         from unittest.mock import patch