fix(tui): apply terminal backend config before launch

hermes_cli/config.py

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ This module provides:
 """
 
 import copy
+import json
 import logging
 import os
 import platform
@@ -5152,6 +5153,94 @@ def load_config_readonly() -> Dict[str, Any]:
     return _load_config_impl(want_deepcopy=False)
 
 
+TERMINAL_CONFIG_ENV_MAP = {
+    "backend": "TERMINAL_ENV",
+    "modal_mode": "TERMINAL_MODAL_MODE",
+    "cwd": "TERMINAL_CWD",
+    "timeout": "TERMINAL_TIMEOUT",
+    "lifetime_seconds": "TERMINAL_LIFETIME_SECONDS",
+    "docker_image": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_IMAGE",
+    "docker_forward_env": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_FORWARD_ENV",
+    "singularity_image": "TERMINAL_SINGULARITY_IMAGE",
+    "modal_image": "TERMINAL_MODAL_IMAGE",
+    "daytona_image": "TERMINAL_DAYTONA_IMAGE",
+    "ssh_host": "TERMINAL_SSH_HOST",
+    "ssh_user": "TERMINAL_SSH_USER",
+    "ssh_port": "TERMINAL_SSH_PORT",
+    "ssh_key": "TERMINAL_SSH_KEY",
+    "container_cpu": "TERMINAL_CONTAINER_CPU",
+    "container_memory": "TERMINAL_CONTAINER_MEMORY",
+    "container_disk": "TERMINAL_CONTAINER_DISK",
+    "container_persistent": "TERMINAL_CONTAINER_PERSISTENT",
+    "docker_volumes": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_VOLUMES",
+    "docker_env": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_ENV",
+    "docker_mount_cwd_to_workspace": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_MOUNT_CWD_TO_WORKSPACE",
+    "docker_extra_args": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_EXTRA_ARGS",
+    "docker_run_as_host_user": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_RUN_AS_HOST_USER",
+    "docker_persist_across_processes": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_PERSIST_ACROSS_PROCESSES",
+    "docker_orphan_reaper": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_ORPHAN_REAPER",
+    "sandbox_dir": "TERMINAL_SANDBOX_DIR",
+    "persistent_shell": "TERMINAL_PERSISTENT_SHELL",
+}
+
+
+def _terminal_env_value(value: Any) -> str:
+    if isinstance(value, (list, dict)):
+        return json.dumps(value)
+    return str(value)
+
+
+def terminal_config_env_var_for_key(key: str) -> Optional[str]:
+    """Return the env var mirrored by a ``terminal.*`` config key."""
+    prefix = "terminal."
+    if not key.startswith(prefix):
+        return None
+    return TERMINAL_CONFIG_ENV_MAP.get(key[len(prefix):])
+
+
+def apply_terminal_config_to_env(
+    *,
+    env: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None,
+    config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+    override: Optional[bool] = None,
+) -> Dict[str, str]:
+    """Bridge ``terminal.*`` config into the env vars terminal tools read.
+
+    ``tools.terminal_tool`` is intentionally environment-driven because it also
+    runs in child processes (TUI, dashboard PTY, gateway workers).  This helper
+    gives those child-process launch paths the same config bridge as classic
+    CLI without importing ``cli.py`` and paying for its startup side effects.
+
+    When the user config contains a ``terminal`` section, config.yaml is
+    authoritative and overrides existing env values.  Otherwise defaults only
+    backfill missing env vars so exported/.env values keep working.
+    """
+    target = os.environ if env is None else env
+
+    raw_config = read_raw_config()
+    file_has_terminal_config = isinstance(raw_config.get("terminal"), dict)
+    should_override = file_has_terminal_config if override is None else override
+
+    cfg = config if config is not None else load_config_readonly()
+    terminal_cfg = cfg.get("terminal", {}) if isinstance(cfg, dict) else {}
+    if not isinstance(terminal_cfg, dict):
+        return target
+
+    for cfg_key, env_var in TERMINAL_CONFIG_ENV_MAP.items():
+        if cfg_key not in terminal_cfg:
+            continue
+        value = terminal_cfg[cfg_key]
+        if cfg_key == "cwd":
+            raw_cwd = str(value or "").strip()
+            if raw_cwd in {".", "auto", "cwd"}:
+                continue
+            if isinstance(value, str):
+                value = os.path.expanduser(value)
+        if should_override or env_var not in target:
+            target[env_var] = _terminal_env_value(value)
+    return target
+
+
 def _load_config_impl(*, want_deepcopy: bool) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     with _CONFIG_LOCK:
         ensure_hermes_home()
@@ -6040,36 +6129,9 @@ def set_config_value(key: str, value: str):
     
     # Keep .env in sync for keys that terminal_tool reads directly from env vars.
     # config.yaml is authoritative, but terminal_tool only reads TERMINAL_ENV etc.
-    _config_to_env_sync = {
+    env_var = terminal_config_env_var_for_key(key)
-        "terminal.backend": "TERMINAL_ENV",
+    if env_var and key != "terminal.cwd":
-        "terminal.modal_mode": "TERMINAL_MODAL_MODE",
+        save_env_value(env_var, _terminal_env_value(value))
-        "terminal.docker_image": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_IMAGE",
-        "terminal.singularity_image": "TERMINAL_SINGULARITY_IMAGE",
-        "terminal.modal_image": "TERMINAL_MODAL_IMAGE",
-        "terminal.daytona_image": "TERMINAL_DAYTONA_IMAGE",
-        "terminal.docker_mount_cwd_to_workspace": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_MOUNT_CWD_TO_WORKSPACE",
-        "terminal.docker_run_as_host_user": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_RUN_AS_HOST_USER",
-        "terminal.docker_persist_across_processes": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_PERSIST_ACROSS_PROCESSES",
-        "terminal.docker_orphan_reaper": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_ORPHAN_REAPER",
-        "terminal.docker_env": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_ENV",
-        # JSON-valued keys (terminal_tool parses these via json.loads). The user
-        # passes JSON on the CLI, so str(value) below already yields valid JSON —
-        # same as terminal.docker_env. cli.py and gateway/run.py bridge these too.
-        "terminal.docker_volumes": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_VOLUMES",
-        "terminal.docker_forward_env": "TERMINAL_DOCKER_FORWARD_ENV",
-        # terminal.cwd intentionally excluded — CLI resolves at runtime,
-        # gateway bridges it in gateway/run.py. Persisting to .env causes
-        # stale values to poison child processes.
-        "terminal.timeout": "TERMINAL_TIMEOUT",
-        "terminal.sandbox_dir": "TERMINAL_SANDBOX_DIR",
-        "terminal.persistent_shell": "TERMINAL_PERSISTENT_SHELL",
-        "terminal.container_cpu": "TERMINAL_CONTAINER_CPU",
-        "terminal.container_memory": "TERMINAL_CONTAINER_MEMORY",
-        "terminal.container_disk": "TERMINAL_CONTAINER_DISK",
-        "terminal.container_persistent": "TERMINAL_CONTAINER_PERSISTENT",
-    }
-    if key in _config_to_env_sync:
-        save_env_value(_config_to_env_sync[key], str(value))
 
     print(f"✓ Set {key} = {value} in {config_path}")
 

hermes_cli/main.py

@@ -1825,6 +1825,11 @@ def _launch_tui(
     import tempfile
 
     env = os.environ.copy()
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.config import apply_terminal_config_to_env
+        apply_terminal_config_to_env(env=env)
+    except Exception:
+        logger.debug("Failed to apply terminal config bridge for TUI launch", exc_info=True)
     active_session_fd, active_session_file = tempfile.mkstemp(
         prefix="hermes-tui-active-session-", suffix=".json"
     )

hermes_cli/web_server.py

@@ -8573,6 +8573,11 @@ def _resolve_chat_argv(
 
     argv, cwd = _make_tui_argv(PROJECT_ROOT / "ui-tui", tui_dev=False)
     env = os.environ.copy()
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.config import apply_terminal_config_to_env
+        apply_terminal_config_to_env(env=env)
+    except Exception:
+        _log.debug("Failed to apply terminal config bridge for dashboard chat", exc_info=True)
     env.setdefault("NODE_ENV", "production")
     # Browser-embedded chat should prefer stable wheel-based scrollback over
     # native terminal mouse tracking. When mouse tracking is enabled, wheel

tests/hermes_cli/test_tui_resume_flow.py

@@ -896,6 +896,46 @@ def test_launch_tui_exports_model_provider_and_toolsets(monkeypatch, main_mod):
     assert env["NODE_ENV"] == "production"
 
 
+def test_launch_tui_applies_terminal_backend_config(
+    monkeypatch, main_mod, _isolate_hermes_home
+):
+    captured = {}
+    config_path = Path(os.environ["HERMES_HOME"]) / "config.yaml"
+    config_path.write_text(
+        "\n".join(
+            [
+                "terminal:",
+                "  backend: docker",
+                "  docker_image: example/hermes-tools:latest",
+                "  docker_extra_args:",
+                "    - --network=host",
+            ]
+        ),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+    monkeypatch.delenv("TERMINAL_ENV", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("TERMINAL_DOCKER_IMAGE", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("TERMINAL_DOCKER_EXTRA_ARGS", raising=False)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        main_mod,
+        "_make_tui_argv",
+        lambda tui_dir, tui_dev: (["node", "dist/entry.js"], Path(".")),
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        main_mod.subprocess,
+        "call",
+        lambda argv, cwd=None, env=None: captured.update({"env": env}) or 1,
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+        main_mod._launch_tui()
+
+    assert captured["env"]["TERMINAL_ENV"] == "docker"
+    assert captured["env"]["TERMINAL_DOCKER_IMAGE"] == "example/hermes-tools:latest"
+    assert captured["env"]["TERMINAL_DOCKER_EXTRA_ARGS"] == '["--network=host"]'
+
+
 def test_launch_tui_exit_code_42_relaunches_update(monkeypatch, main_mod):
     from unittest.mock import patch
 

tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server.py

@@ -4146,6 +4146,39 @@ class TestPtyWebSocket:
         assert env["HERMES_TUI_INLINE"] == "1"
         assert env["HERMES_TUI_DISABLE_MOUSE"] == "1"
 
+    def test_resolve_chat_argv_applies_terminal_backend_config(
+        self, monkeypatch, _isolate_hermes_home
+    ):
+        import hermes_cli.main as main_mod
+
+        config_path = Path(os.environ["HERMES_HOME"]) / "config.yaml"
+        config_path.write_text(
+            "\n".join(
+                [
+                    "terminal:",
+                    "  backend: docker",
+                    "  docker_image: example/hermes-tools:latest",
+                    "  docker_extra_args:",
+                    "    - --network=host",
+                ]
+            ),
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+        monkeypatch.delenv("TERMINAL_ENV", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("TERMINAL_DOCKER_IMAGE", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("TERMINAL_DOCKER_EXTRA_ARGS", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            main_mod,
+            "_make_tui_argv",
+            lambda project_root, tui_dev=False: (["node", "dist/entry.js"], "/tmp/ui-tui"),
+        )
+
+        _argv, _cwd, env = self.ws_module._resolve_chat_argv()
+
+        assert env["TERMINAL_ENV"] == "docker"
+        assert env["TERMINAL_DOCKER_IMAGE"] == "example/hermes-tools:latest"
+        assert env["TERMINAL_DOCKER_EXTRA_ARGS"] == '["--network=host"]'
+
     def test_rejects_when_embedded_chat_disabled(self, monkeypatch):
         monkeypatch.setattr(self.ws_module, "_DASHBOARD_EMBEDDED_CHAT_ENABLED", False)
         from starlette.websockets import WebSocketDisconnect