The disease: ~15 scattered raw yaml.safe_load(config.yaml) reads that
silently miss managed-scope overlay, ${ENV_VAR} expansion, profile-aware
pathing, and root-model normalization. Every new config feature needed an
N-site sweep (incident chain 9cbcc0c9c8 → 732293cf87 → b0e47a98f9 →
1928aa0443). This commit assigns every raw read to an owner and adds a
lint-guard test so the class cannot regrow.
New primitive (additive-only change to hermes_cli/config.py):
read_user_config_raw(path=None) — reads the user file EXACTLY as
written; docstring states it is ONLY legal for write-back round-trips
and raw-file diagnostics. Behavioral reads must use
load_config()/load_config_readonly().
BEHAVIOR FIXES (class-a sites migrated to a canonical loader — these
previously read values that could DIFFER from the effective config):
gateway/run.py _try_resolve_fallback_provider → _load_gateway_runtime_config
keys: fallback_providers/fallback_model (provider, model, base_url,
api_key). Drift fixed: a managed-pinned fallback chain was ignored;
an api_key of "${OPENROUTER_API_KEY}" reached the resolver unexpanded.
gateway/run.py GatewayRunner._load_provider_routing → same loader
key: provider_routing. Drift fixed: managed-pinned routing prefs and
${VAR} templates were ignored.
gateway/run.py GatewayRunner._load_fallback_model → same loader
keys: fallback chain. Same drift as above.
gateway/run.py GatewayRunner._refresh_fallback_model
keeps the raw primitive (its last-known-good-on-parse-failure contract
forbids the fail-open loader, which returns {} on a torn write) but now
applies managed overlay + env expansion inline. Drift fixed: chain
edits under managed scope / env templates were previously frozen out.
tui_gateway/server.py _load_cfg (72 behavioral call sites)
now = raw read + managed overlay (pre-existing) + NEW ${VAR} expansion,
split from a new _load_cfg_raw() write-back primitive. Drift fixed:
e.g. custom_prompt: "hello ${VAR}", agent.system_prompt, model,
api_key/base_url templates reached sessions unexpanded. DEFAULT_CONFIG
is deliberately NOT merged (callers treat missing keys as unset;
`_load_cfg() == {}` sentinels and _save_cfg round-trips depend on it).
tui_gateway/server.py _profile_configured_cwd
keys: terminal.cwd of a NON-launch profile. Drift fixed: managed
overlay + ${VAR} expansion now apply (load_config() would resolve the
wrong profile's home, so the raw primitive + inline pipeline is used).
plugins/platforms/telegram/adapter.py _reload_dm_topics_from_config
→ load_config_readonly(). keys: platforms.telegram.extra.dm_topics.
Drift fixed: managed overlay + profile-aware pathing + expansion.
plugins/memory/holographic _load_plugin_config → load_config_readonly().
keys: plugins.hermes-memory-store.*. Same drift class.
WRITE-BACK ROUND-TRIPS (class-b: stay raw BY DESIGN via read_user_config_raw;
merging defaults/overlay would pollute the saved user file):
gateway/slash_commands.py: model persist x2, _save_gateway_config_key,
memory/skills write_approval toggles
gateway/platforms/yuanbao.py auto-sethome
tui_gateway/server.py _write_config_key + all cfg→_save_cfg blocks
(reasoning show/hide/full/clamp, details_mode[.section], prompt)
→ new _load_cfg_raw()
plugins/memory/holographic save_config
RAW-FILE DIAGNOSTICS + presence-sensitive bridges (class-c: stay raw,
now via the shared primitive with an explanatory comment):
hermes_cli/doctor.py x5 (model validation, stale-root-keys, .env drift,
deprecation sweep, memory-provider probe — the latter two keep their
inline managed overlay where they had one)
gateway/run.py _bridge_max_turns_from_config and the module-level
TERMINAL_*/HERMES_* env bridge (bridging merged defaults would export
all of DEFAULT_CONFIG into the environment; both keep their inline
overlay + expansion)
hermes_cli/send_cmd.py env bridge (same presence-sensitivity)
hermes_cli/gateway.py multiplex-conflict probe (reads the DEFAULT root's
config, not the active profile's — load_config is the wrong owner)
hermes_cli/profiles.py / hermes_cli/web_server.py / tools/wake_word.py
multi-profile reads (load_config targets only the ACTIVE profile home)
cron/jobs.py _resolve_default_model_snapshot and cron/scheduler.py
run_job config read keep their existing inline overlay+expansion but
now share the primitive (their fail-open + last-value semantics and
the deliberate no-defaults merge are preserved exactly).
Failure-semantics audit: every migrated site preserves its exact previous
behavior on missing file ({} / early return) and parse failure (raise into
the caller's existing except, warn, last-known-good, or fail-open) —
read_user_config_raw intentionally mirrors bare open()+safe_load semantics
(raises on parse errors, {} only on FileNotFoundError/non-dict root).
Guard: tests/hermes_cli/test_config_read_guard.py scans the tree for
yaml.safe_load within 6 lines of a 'config.yaml' reference outside an
explicit ALLOWLIST (hermes_cli/config.py, gateway/config.py, gateway/run.py
fallback path, hermes_cli/managed_scope.py which reads the MANAGED file,
gateway/readiness.py parse-health probe) and fails on new offenders.
E2E: tests/hermes_cli/test_config_loader_e2e.py runs a subprocess with a
temp HERMES_HOME (config.yaml containing ${E2E_PROMPT_SUFFIX}) plus a
HERMES_MANAGED_DIR overlay pinning agent.reasoning_effort, asserting
tui _load_cfg resolves "hello world"/"high" while _load_cfg_raw +
_save_cfg round-trip the template and user value verbatim with no
managed/default leakage.
Manual verification surfaced a second bypass class beyond the standalone
config loaders: several code paths bridge config.yaml values into os.environ
(HERMES_TIMEZONE, HERMES_REDACT_SECRETS, HERMES_MAX_ITERATIONS, TERMINAL_*,
network.force_ipv4, ...) by reading the raw user YAML, so the env the whole
process reads carried the USER's value even when an administrator pinned it —
e.g. a managed timezone was overridden because gateway/run.py wrote the user's
timezone into HERMES_TIMEZONE, and _resolve_timezone_name() checks the env var
first.
Wired the shared apply_managed_overlay() into every config→env bridge:
- gateway/run.py module-level startup bridge (timezone, redact_secrets,
max_turns, terminal, display, gateway.strict, ...)
- gateway/run.py _reload_runtime_env_preserving_config_authority (the per-turn
re-bridge that keeps config authoritative over reloaded .env — must keep
MANAGED authoritative on every turn, not just startup)
- hermes_cli/main.py early security.redact_secrets / network.force_ipv4 bridge
(runs before load_config is usable, at import time)
- hermes_cli/send_cmd.py top-level scalar config→env bridge
Verified end-to-end against a writable managed dir (12/12 checks incl. timezone,
logging, model, skin, gateway settings, write-guard) and in a clean process the
gateway per-turn bridge writes HERMES_TIMEZONE=<managed>. Adds an
order-independent regression test for the bridge overlay.
A user passing an image to `hermes send --file` got a raw
UnicodeDecodeError ('utf-8 codec can't decode byte 0x89...') with no
hint that media delivery goes through the MEDIA:<path> directive.
- send_cmd: catch UnicodeDecodeError separately and print a usage error
explaining --file is for text bodies, with copy-pasteable MEDIA: and
[[as_document]] examples using the user's own path
- --file help text + epilog now mention MEDIA:
- docs: new 'Sending images and other media' section on the hermes send
reference page
Consume multi-byte non-CSI ESC sequences during ANSI sanitization and handle UnicodeDecodeError for `hermes send --file` so review findings are resolved without regressions.
Introduces a thin CLI wrapper around the existing send_message_tool so
shell scripts, cron scripts, CI hooks, and monitoring daemons can reuse
the gateway's already-configured platform credentials without
reimplementing each platform's REST client.
hermes send --to telegram "deploy finished"
echo "RAM 92%" | hermes send --to telegram:-1001234567890
hermes send --to discord:#ops --file report.md
hermes send --to slack:#eng --subject "[CI]" --file build.log
hermes send --list # all targets
hermes send --list telegram # filter by platform
Supports all platforms the send_message tool already does (Telegram,
Discord, Slack, Signal, SMS, WhatsApp, Matrix, Feishu, DingTalk, WeCom,
Weixin, Email, etc.), including threaded targets and #channel-name
resolution via the channel directory.
hermes_cli/send_cmd.py delegates to tools.send_message_tool.send_message_tool,
which means there is zero new platform-specific code. The subcommand just:
1. Bridges ~/.hermes/.env and top-level ~/.hermes/config.yaml scalars into
os.environ (same bootstrap the gateway does at startup) — required so
TELEGRAM_HOME_CHANNEL and friends are visible to load_gateway_config().
2. Resolves the message body from positional arg, --file, or piped stdin.
3. Calls the shared tool and translates its JSON result to exit codes:
0 success, 1 delivery failure, 2 usage error.
No running gateway is required for bot-token platforms (Telegram, Discord,
Slack, Signal, SMS, WhatsApp) — the tool hits each platform's REST API
directly. Plugin platforms that rely on a live adapter connection still
need the gateway running; the error message is forwarded verbatim.
- New guide: website/docs/guides/pipe-script-output.md covering real-world
patterns (memory watchdogs, CI hooks, cron pipes, long-running task
completion pings) and the security/gateway notes.
- Cross-links added from automate-with-cron.md ("no LLM? use hermes send")
and developer-guide/gateway-internals.md (delivery-path section).
tests/hermes_cli/test_send_cmd.py (20 tests, all green):
- Happy paths: positional message, stdin, --file, --file -, --subject,
--json, --quiet.
- Error paths: missing --to, missing body, file not found, tool returns
error payload (exit 1), tool skipped-send result (exit 0).
- --list: human output, --json output, platform filter, unknown platform.
- Env loader: bridges config.yaml scalars into env, does not override
existing env vars, gracefully handles missing files.
- Registrar contract: register_send_subparser() returns a working parser.
Smoke-tested end-to-end against a live Telegram bot before commit.
