hermes-agent/tools/skill_manager_tool.py
Teknium d3c167b644
fix(profiles): cross-profile soft guard on file-write tools + system-prompt hint (#31290)
* fix(profiles): cross-profile soft guard on file-write tools + system-prompt hint

Adds a soft guard so an agent running under one Hermes profile cannot
silently edit a different profile's skills/plugins/cron/memories.
Three layers:

A. agent/file_safety.classify_cross_profile_target
   Classifies a write target against the active HERMES_HOME. Returns
   a {active_profile, target_profile, area, target_path} dict when the
   path lands in another profile's scoped area. PROFILE_SCOPED_AREAS =
   (skills, plugins, cron, memories). get_cross_profile_warning()
   wraps it into a model-facing error string that names both profiles,
   names the area, and points at the cross_profile=True bypass.

   Defense-in-depth, NOT a security boundary — the terminal tool runs
   as the same OS user and can write any of these paths directly. The
   guard exists to prevent confused-agent corruption, not to stop a
   determined attacker. SECURITY.md §3.2 (terminal-bypass posture)
   still applies.

   Wired into tools/file_tools.write_file_tool and patch_tool with a
   cross_profile=False kwarg. WRITE_FILE_SCHEMA and PATCH_SCHEMA both
   advertise cross_profile so the model can pass it after explicit
   user direction. patch_tool extracts target paths from V4A patch
   bodies before checking (same shape as the existing sensitive-path
   check).

   skill_manage is already scoped to the active profile's SKILLS_DIR
   by construction, so no extra guard wiring is needed there. The
   D-side error message (below) still names other profiles when the
   skill exists elsewhere.

B. agent/system_prompt
   One deterministic line near the environment-hints block names the
   active profile and tells the model not to modify another profile's
   skills/plugins/cron/memories without explicit direction. Profile
   name is stable for the lifetime of the AIAgent, so the line is
   prompt-cache-safe.

D. tools/skill_manager_tool._skill_not_found_error
   Replaces the bare "Skill 'X' not found." with a message that:
     - names the active profile,
     - searches OTHER profiles' skills dirs for the same name,
     - names the profile(s) where the skill exists and the path,
     - suggests `hermes -p <name>` to switch profiles, or
       cross_profile=True for an explicit edit.

   All 5 "not found" sites in skill_manager_tool (edit, patch, delete,
   write_file, remove_file) now go through the helper.

Reference incident (May 2026): a hermes-security profile session
edited skills under both ~/.hermes/profiles/hermes-security/skills/
AND ~/.hermes/skills/ (the default profile's skills) without
realizing the second path belonged to a different profile. Three of
the four skill files needed manual restoration afterward.

What this PR does NOT do:

  * No hard block. The terminal tool can still touch any of these
    paths with no guard — same posture as the dangerous-command
    approval flow. SECURITY.md §3.2 applies.
  * No regex sweep on terminal commands for cross-profile paths.
    That direction is a Skills-Guard-style arms race (cd + relative
    paths, base64, etc.) and would false-positive on legitimate
    cross-profile reads. Filed as a follow-up.
  * No on-disk path migration. ~/.hermes/skills/ remains the
    default profile's skills dir; this PR is about telling the
    agent about that boundary, not changing the layout.

Tests:
  tests/agent/test_file_safety_cross_profile.py (16 tests)
    - _resolve_active_profile_name covers default/named/failure paths
    - classify_cross_profile_target covers all four scoped areas,
      both directions (default → named, named → default, named → named),
      non-Hermes paths, and root-level config files
    - get_cross_profile_warning covers in-profile no-op, cross-profile
      message shape, and the defense-in-depth self-documentation

  tests/tools/test_cross_profile_guard.py (12 tests)
    - write_file: in-profile allow, cross-profile block, cross_profile=True
      bypass, non-Hermes pass-through
    - patch: replace-mode block, cross_profile=True bypass, V4A patch
      path extraction
    - skill_manage: error names the other profile (single + multiple),
      missing-everywhere falls back to skills_list hint
    - system prompt: contract-level checks (both branches present,
      cross_profile=True mentioned, ~/.hermes/profiles/ referenced)

All 207 existing tests in file_safety/file_operations/skill_manager
still pass. 10 system-prompt tests still pass.

E2E verified: the exact incident scenario (security profile editing
default's hermes-agent-dev skill) is now blocked with the warning
message; cross_profile=True unblocks.

* fix(code_execution): add cross_profile to write_file/patch stubs

The cross_profile kwarg added to write_file_tool/patch_tool needs to
flow through the execute_code sandbox stubs in _TOOL_STUBS so the
test_stubs_cover_all_schema_params drift test passes. Without this,
scripts running inside execute_code couldn't pass cross_profile=True
through hermes_tools.write_file().

Caught by CI on PR #31290.
2026-05-24 00:38:17 -07:00

1034 lines
38 KiB
Python

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
Skill Manager Tool -- Agent-Managed Skill Creation & Editing
Allows the agent to create, update, and delete skills, turning successful
approaches into reusable procedural knowledge. New skills are created in
~/.hermes/skills/. Existing skills (bundled, hub-installed, or user-created)
can be modified or deleted wherever they live.
Skills are the agent's procedural memory: they capture *how to do a specific
type of task* based on proven experience. General memory (MEMORY.md, USER.md) is
broad and declarative. Skills are narrow and actionable.
Actions:
create -- Create a new skill (SKILL.md + directory structure)
edit -- Replace the SKILL.md content of a user skill (full rewrite)
patch -- Targeted find-and-replace within SKILL.md or any supporting file
delete -- Remove a user skill entirely
write_file -- Add/overwrite a supporting file (reference, template, script, asset)
remove_file-- Remove a supporting file from a user skill
Directory layout for user skills:
~/.hermes/skills/
├── my-skill/
│ ├── SKILL.md
│ ├── references/
│ ├── templates/
│ ├── scripts/
│ └── assets/
└── category-name/
└── another-skill/
└── SKILL.md
"""
import json
import logging
import os
import re
import shutil
import tempfile
from pathlib import Path
from hermes_constants import get_hermes_home, display_hermes_home
from typing import Dict, Any, List, Optional, Tuple
from utils import atomic_replace, is_truthy_value
from hermes_cli.config import cfg_get
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
# Import security scanner — external hub installs always get scanned;
# agent-created skills only get scanned when skills.guard_agent_created is on.
try:
from tools.skills_guard import scan_skill, should_allow_install, format_scan_report
_GUARD_AVAILABLE = True
except ImportError:
_GUARD_AVAILABLE = False
def _guard_agent_created_enabled() -> bool:
"""Read skills.guard_agent_created from config (default False).
Off by default because the agent can already execute the same code
paths via terminal() with no gate, so the scan adds friction without
meaningful security. Users who want belt-and-suspenders can turn it
on via `hermes config set skills.guard_agent_created true`.
"""
try:
from hermes_cli.config import load_config
cfg = load_config()
return is_truthy_value(
cfg_get(cfg, "skills", "guard_agent_created"),
default=False,
)
except Exception:
return False
def _security_scan_skill(skill_dir: Path) -> Optional[str]:
"""Scan a skill directory after write. Returns error string if blocked, else None.
No-op when skills.guard_agent_created is disabled (the default).
"""
if not _GUARD_AVAILABLE:
return None
if not _guard_agent_created_enabled():
return None
try:
result = scan_skill(skill_dir, source="agent-created")
allowed, reason = should_allow_install(result)
if allowed is False:
report = format_scan_report(result)
return f"Security scan blocked this skill ({reason}):\n{report}"
if allowed is None:
# "ask" verdict — for agent-created skills this means dangerous
# findings were detected. Surface as an error so the agent can
# retry with the flagged content removed.
report = format_scan_report(result)
logger.warning("Agent-created skill blocked (dangerous findings): %s", reason)
return f"Security scan blocked this skill ({reason}):\n{report}"
except Exception as e:
logger.warning("Security scan failed for %s: %s", skill_dir, e, exc_info=True)
return None
import yaml
# All skills live in ~/.hermes/skills/ (single source of truth)
HERMES_HOME = get_hermes_home()
SKILLS_DIR = HERMES_HOME / "skills"
MAX_NAME_LENGTH = 64
MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH = 1024
def _containing_skills_root(skill_path: Path) -> Path:
"""Return the skills root directory (local or external_dirs entry) that
contains ``skill_path``. Falls back to the local ``SKILLS_DIR`` if no
match is found (defensive — callers should have located the skill via
``_find_skill`` first).
"""
from agent.skill_utils import get_all_skills_dirs
try:
resolved = skill_path.resolve()
except OSError:
resolved = skill_path
for root in get_all_skills_dirs():
try:
resolved.relative_to(root.resolve())
return root
except (ValueError, OSError):
continue
return SKILLS_DIR
def _pinned_guard(name: str) -> Optional[str]:
"""Return a refusal message if *name* is pinned, else None.
Pin protects a skill from **deletion** — both the curator's auto-archive
passes and the agent's ``skill_manage(action="delete")`` tool call. The
agent can still patch/edit pinned skills; pin only guards against
irrecoverable loss, not against content evolution.
Best-effort: if the sidecar is unreadable we let the delete through
rather than block on a broken telemetry file.
"""
try:
from tools import skill_usage
rec = skill_usage.get_record(name)
if rec.get("pinned"):
return (
f"Skill '{name}' is pinned and cannot be deleted by "
f"skill_manage. Ask the user to run "
f"`hermes curator unpin {name}` if they want to delete it. "
f"Patches and edits are allowed on pinned skills; only "
f"deletion is blocked."
)
except Exception:
logger.debug("pinned-guard lookup failed for %s", name, exc_info=True)
return None
MAX_SKILL_CONTENT_CHARS = 100_000 # ~36k tokens at 2.75 chars/token
MAX_SKILL_FILE_BYTES = 1_048_576 # 1 MiB per supporting file
# Characters allowed in skill names (filesystem-safe, URL-friendly)
VALID_NAME_RE = re.compile(r'^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9._-]*$')
# Subdirectories allowed for write_file/remove_file
ALLOWED_SUBDIRS = {"references", "templates", "scripts", "assets"}
# =============================================================================
# Validation helpers
# =============================================================================
def _validate_name(name: str) -> Optional[str]:
"""Validate a skill name. Returns error message or None if valid."""
if not name:
return "Skill name is required."
if len(name) > MAX_NAME_LENGTH:
return f"Skill name exceeds {MAX_NAME_LENGTH} characters."
if not VALID_NAME_RE.match(name):
return (
f"Invalid skill name '{name}'. Use lowercase letters, numbers, "
f"hyphens, dots, and underscores. Must start with a letter or digit."
)
return None
def _validate_category(category: Optional[str]) -> Optional[str]:
"""Validate an optional category name used as a single directory segment."""
if category is None:
return None
if not isinstance(category, str):
return "Category must be a string."
category = category.strip()
if not category:
return None
if "/" in category or "\\" in category:
return (
f"Invalid category '{category}'. Use lowercase letters, numbers, "
"hyphens, dots, and underscores. Categories must be a single directory name."
)
if len(category) > MAX_NAME_LENGTH:
return f"Category exceeds {MAX_NAME_LENGTH} characters."
if not VALID_NAME_RE.match(category):
return (
f"Invalid category '{category}'. Use lowercase letters, numbers, "
"hyphens, dots, and underscores. Categories must be a single directory name."
)
return None
def _validate_frontmatter(content: str) -> Optional[str]:
"""
Validate that SKILL.md content has proper frontmatter with required fields.
Returns error message or None if valid.
"""
if not content.strip():
return "Content cannot be empty."
if not content.startswith("---"):
return "SKILL.md must start with YAML frontmatter (---). See existing skills for format."
end_match = re.search(r'\n---\s*\n', content[3:])
if not end_match:
return "SKILL.md frontmatter is not closed. Ensure you have a closing '---' line."
yaml_content = content[3:end_match.start() + 3]
try:
parsed = yaml.safe_load(yaml_content)
except yaml.YAMLError as e:
return f"YAML frontmatter parse error: {e}"
if not isinstance(parsed, dict):
return "Frontmatter must be a YAML mapping (key: value pairs)."
if "name" not in parsed:
return "Frontmatter must include 'name' field."
if "description" not in parsed:
return "Frontmatter must include 'description' field."
if len(str(parsed["description"])) > MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH:
return f"Description exceeds {MAX_DESCRIPTION_LENGTH} characters."
body = content[end_match.end() + 3:].strip()
if not body:
return "SKILL.md must have content after the frontmatter (instructions, procedures, etc.)."
return None
def _validate_content_size(content: str, label: str = "SKILL.md") -> Optional[str]:
"""Check that content doesn't exceed the character limit for agent writes.
Returns an error message or None if within bounds.
"""
if len(content) > MAX_SKILL_CONTENT_CHARS:
return (
f"{label} content is {len(content):,} characters "
f"(limit: {MAX_SKILL_CONTENT_CHARS:,}). "
f"Consider splitting into a smaller SKILL.md with supporting files "
f"in references/ or templates/."
)
return None
def _resolve_skill_dir(name: str, category: str = None) -> Path:
"""Build the directory path for a new skill, optionally under a category."""
if category:
return SKILLS_DIR / category / name
return SKILLS_DIR / name
def _find_skill(name: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
"""
Find a skill by name across all skill directories.
Searches the local skills dir (~/.hermes/skills/) first, then any
external dirs configured via skills.external_dirs. Returns
{"path": Path} or None.
"""
from agent.skill_utils import get_all_skills_dirs, is_excluded_skill_path
for skills_dir in get_all_skills_dirs():
if not skills_dir.exists():
continue
for skill_md in skills_dir.rglob("SKILL.md"):
if is_excluded_skill_path(skill_md):
continue
if skill_md.parent.name == name:
return {"path": skill_md.parent}
return None
def _find_skill_in_other_profiles(name: str) -> List[Tuple[str, Path]]:
"""Look for ``name`` under SKILL.md across OTHER Hermes profiles.
Returns a list of ``(profile_name, skill_dir)`` pairs. Used to make
the "Skill X not found" error explain when the user is editing the
wrong profile. Empty list when no other profile has the skill (or
when profile discovery fails — fail-quiet, the caller falls back to
the plain "not found" error).
"""
matches: List[Tuple[str, Path]] = []
try:
from hermes_constants import get_default_hermes_root
from agent.skill_utils import is_excluded_skill_path
except Exception:
return matches
try:
root = get_default_hermes_root()
except Exception:
return matches
# Collect (profile_name, skills_dir) for every profile EXCEPT the
# one whose SKILLS_DIR we already searched in _find_skill().
active_dir = SKILLS_DIR.resolve() if SKILLS_DIR.exists() else SKILLS_DIR
candidates: List[Tuple[str, Path]] = []
# Default profile (~/.hermes/skills) — only consider when active is non-default.
default_skills = root / "skills"
try:
if default_skills.resolve() != active_dir:
candidates.append(("default", default_skills))
except (OSError, RuntimeError):
pass
# All named profiles (~/.hermes/profiles/*/skills)
profiles_root = root / "profiles"
if profiles_root.is_dir():
try:
for entry in profiles_root.iterdir():
if not entry.is_dir():
continue
pskills = entry / "skills"
try:
if pskills.resolve() == active_dir:
continue
except (OSError, RuntimeError):
continue
candidates.append((entry.name, pskills))
except OSError:
pass
for profile_name, skills_dir in candidates:
if not skills_dir.is_dir():
continue
try:
for skill_md in skills_dir.rglob("SKILL.md"):
if is_excluded_skill_path(skill_md):
continue
if skill_md.parent.name == name:
matches.append((profile_name, skill_md.parent))
break # one match per profile is enough
except OSError:
continue
return matches
def _skill_not_found_error(name: str, suffix: str = "") -> str:
"""Build a "skill not found" error that names other profiles holding
the same skill, so the agent can recognize a profile-scoping mistake.
``suffix`` is appended after the cross-profile hint if present
(e.g. ``" Create it first with action='create'."``).
"""
from agent.file_safety import _resolve_active_profile_name
active = _resolve_active_profile_name()
base = f"Skill '{name}' not found in active profile '{active}'."
others = _find_skill_in_other_profiles(name)
if others:
if len(others) == 1:
other_profile, other_path = others[0]
base += (
f" A skill by that name exists in profile "
f"'{other_profile}' ({other_path}). To edit a skill in "
f"another profile, switch profiles (`hermes -p "
f"{other_profile}`) or operate via explicit file tools "
f"with ``cross_profile=True``."
)
else:
names = ", ".join(f"'{p}'" for p, _ in others)
base += (
f" Skills by that name exist in other profiles: {names}. "
f"Switch profiles (`hermes -p <name>`) to edit there, or "
f"operate via explicit file tools with ``cross_profile=True``."
)
else:
base += " Use skills_list() to see available skills."
if suffix:
base += suffix
return base
def _validate_file_path(file_path: str) -> Optional[str]:
"""
Validate a file path for write_file/remove_file.
Must be under an allowed subdirectory and not escape the skill dir.
"""
from tools.path_security import has_traversal_component
if not file_path:
return "file_path is required."
normalized = Path(file_path)
# Prevent path traversal
if has_traversal_component(file_path):
return "Path traversal ('..') is not allowed."
# Must be under an allowed subdirectory
if not normalized.parts or normalized.parts[0] not in ALLOWED_SUBDIRS:
allowed = ", ".join(sorted(ALLOWED_SUBDIRS))
return f"File must be under one of: {allowed}. Got: '{file_path}'"
# Must have a filename (not just a directory)
if len(normalized.parts) < 2:
return f"Provide a file path, not just a directory. Example: '{normalized.parts[0]}/myfile.md'"
return None
def _resolve_skill_target(skill_dir: Path, file_path: str) -> Tuple[Optional[Path], Optional[str]]:
"""Resolve a supporting-file path and ensure it stays within the skill directory."""
from tools.path_security import validate_within_dir
target = skill_dir / file_path
error = validate_within_dir(target, skill_dir)
if error:
return None, error
return target, None
def _atomic_write_text(file_path: Path, content: str, encoding: str = "utf-8") -> None:
"""
Atomically write text content to a file.
Uses a temporary file in the same directory and os.replace() to ensure
the target file is never left in a partially-written state if the process
crashes or is interrupted.
Args:
file_path: Target file path
content: Content to write
encoding: Text encoding (default: utf-8)
"""
file_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
fd, temp_path = tempfile.mkstemp(
dir=str(file_path.parent),
prefix=f".{file_path.name}.tmp.",
suffix="",
)
try:
with os.fdopen(fd, "w", encoding=encoding) as f:
f.write(content)
atomic_replace(temp_path, file_path)
except Exception:
# Clean up temp file on error
try:
os.unlink(temp_path)
except OSError:
logger.error("Failed to remove temporary file %s during atomic write", temp_path, exc_info=True)
raise
# =============================================================================
# Core actions
# =============================================================================
def _create_skill(name: str, content: str, category: str = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Create a new user skill with SKILL.md content."""
# Validate name
err = _validate_name(name)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
err = _validate_category(category)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
# Validate content
err = _validate_frontmatter(content)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
err = _validate_content_size(content)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
# Check for name collisions across all directories
existing = _find_skill(name)
if existing:
return {
"success": False,
"error": f"A skill named '{name}' already exists at {existing['path']}."
}
# Create the skill directory
skill_dir = _resolve_skill_dir(name, category)
skill_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
# Write SKILL.md atomically
skill_md = skill_dir / "SKILL.md"
_atomic_write_text(skill_md, content)
# Security scan — roll back on block
scan_error = _security_scan_skill(skill_dir)
if scan_error:
shutil.rmtree(skill_dir, ignore_errors=True)
return {"success": False, "error": scan_error}
result = {
"success": True,
"message": f"Skill '{name}' created.",
"path": str(skill_dir.relative_to(SKILLS_DIR)),
"skill_md": str(skill_md),
}
if category:
result["category"] = category
result["hint"] = (
"To add reference files, templates, or scripts, use "
"skill_manage(action='write_file', name='{}', file_path='references/example.md', file_content='...')".format(name)
)
return result
def _edit_skill(name: str, content: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Replace the SKILL.md of any existing skill (full rewrite)."""
err = _validate_frontmatter(content)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
err = _validate_content_size(content)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
existing = _find_skill(name)
if not existing:
return {"success": False, "error": _skill_not_found_error(name)}
skill_md = existing["path"] / "SKILL.md"
# Back up original content for rollback
original_content = skill_md.read_text(encoding="utf-8") if skill_md.exists() else None
_atomic_write_text(skill_md, content)
# Security scan — roll back on block
scan_error = _security_scan_skill(existing["path"])
if scan_error:
if original_content is not None:
_atomic_write_text(skill_md, original_content)
return {"success": False, "error": scan_error}
return {
"success": True,
"message": f"Skill '{name}' updated.",
"path": str(existing["path"]),
}
def _patch_skill(
name: str,
old_string: str,
new_string: str,
file_path: str = None,
replace_all: bool = False,
) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Targeted find-and-replace within a skill file.
Defaults to SKILL.md. Use file_path to patch a supporting file instead.
Requires a unique match unless replace_all is True.
"""
if not old_string:
return {"success": False, "error": "old_string is required for 'patch'."}
if new_string is None:
return {"success": False, "error": "new_string is required for 'patch'. Use an empty string to delete matched text."}
existing = _find_skill(name)
if not existing:
return {"success": False, "error": _skill_not_found_error(name)}
skill_dir = existing["path"]
if file_path:
# Patching a supporting file
err = _validate_file_path(file_path)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
target, err = _resolve_skill_target(skill_dir, file_path)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
else:
# Patching SKILL.md
target = skill_dir / "SKILL.md"
if not target.exists():
return {"success": False, "error": f"File not found: {target.relative_to(skill_dir)}"}
content = target.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
# Use the same fuzzy matching engine as the file patch tool.
# This handles whitespace normalization, indentation differences,
# escape sequences, and block-anchor matching — saving the agent
# from exact-match failures on minor formatting mismatches.
from tools.fuzzy_match import fuzzy_find_and_replace
new_content, match_count, _strategy, match_error = fuzzy_find_and_replace(
content, old_string, new_string, replace_all
)
if match_error:
# Show a short preview of the file so the model can self-correct
preview = content[:500] + ("..." if len(content) > 500 else "")
err_msg = match_error
try:
from tools.fuzzy_match import format_no_match_hint
err_msg += format_no_match_hint(match_error, match_count, old_string, content)
except Exception:
pass
return {
"success": False,
"error": err_msg,
"file_preview": preview,
}
# Check size limit on the result
target_label = "SKILL.md" if not file_path else file_path
err = _validate_content_size(new_content, label=target_label)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
# If patching SKILL.md, validate frontmatter is still intact
if not file_path:
err = _validate_frontmatter(new_content)
if err:
return {
"success": False,
"error": f"Patch would break SKILL.md structure: {err}",
}
original_content = content # for rollback
_atomic_write_text(target, new_content)
# Security scan — roll back on block
scan_error = _security_scan_skill(skill_dir)
if scan_error:
_atomic_write_text(target, original_content)
return {"success": False, "error": scan_error}
return {
"success": True,
"message": f"Patched {'SKILL.md' if not file_path else file_path} in skill '{name}' ({match_count} replacement{'s' if match_count > 1 else ''}).",
}
def _delete_skill(name: str, absorbed_into: Optional[str] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Delete a skill.
``absorbed_into`` declares intent:
- ``None`` / missing → caller didn't declare (legacy / non-curator path);
accepted for backward compat but logs a warning because the curator
classification pipeline can't tell consolidation from pruning without it.
- ``""`` (empty) → explicit "truly pruned, no forwarding target".
- ``"<skill-name>"`` → content was absorbed into that umbrella; the
target must exist on disk. Validated here so the model can't claim an
umbrella that doesn't exist.
"""
existing = _find_skill(name)
if not existing:
return {"success": False, "error": _skill_not_found_error(name)}
pinned_err = _pinned_guard(name)
if pinned_err:
return {"success": False, "error": pinned_err}
# Validate absorbed_into target when declared non-empty
if absorbed_into is not None and isinstance(absorbed_into, str) and absorbed_into.strip():
target_name = absorbed_into.strip()
if target_name == name:
return {
"success": False,
"error": f"absorbed_into='{target_name}' cannot equal the skill being deleted.",
}
target = _find_skill(target_name)
if not target:
return {
"success": False,
"error": (
f"absorbed_into='{target_name}' does not exist. "
f"Create or patch the umbrella skill first, then retry the delete."
),
}
skill_dir = existing["path"]
skills_root = _containing_skills_root(skill_dir)
shutil.rmtree(skill_dir)
# Clean up empty category directories (don't remove the skills root itself)
parent = skill_dir.parent
if parent != skills_root and parent.exists() and not any(parent.iterdir()):
parent.rmdir()
message = f"Skill '{name}' deleted."
if absorbed_into is not None and isinstance(absorbed_into, str) and absorbed_into.strip():
message += f" Content absorbed into '{absorbed_into.strip()}'."
return {
"success": True,
"message": message,
}
def _write_file(name: str, file_path: str, file_content: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Add or overwrite a supporting file within any skill directory."""
err = _validate_file_path(file_path)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
if not file_content and file_content != "":
return {"success": False, "error": "file_content is required."}
# Check size limits
content_bytes = len(file_content.encode("utf-8"))
if content_bytes > MAX_SKILL_FILE_BYTES:
return {
"success": False,
"error": (
f"File content is {content_bytes:,} bytes "
f"(limit: {MAX_SKILL_FILE_BYTES:,} bytes / 1 MiB). "
f"Consider splitting into smaller files."
),
}
err = _validate_content_size(file_content, label=file_path)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
existing = _find_skill(name)
if not existing:
return {"success": False, "error": _skill_not_found_error(name, " Create it first with action='create'.")}
target, err = _resolve_skill_target(existing["path"], file_path)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
target.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
# Back up for rollback
original_content = target.read_text(encoding="utf-8") if target.exists() else None
_atomic_write_text(target, file_content)
# Security scan — roll back on block
scan_error = _security_scan_skill(existing["path"])
if scan_error:
if original_content is not None:
_atomic_write_text(target, original_content)
else:
target.unlink(missing_ok=True)
return {"success": False, "error": scan_error}
return {
"success": True,
"message": f"File '{file_path}' written to skill '{name}'.",
"path": str(target),
}
def _remove_file(name: str, file_path: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Remove a supporting file from any skill directory."""
err = _validate_file_path(file_path)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
existing = _find_skill(name)
if not existing:
return {"success": False, "error": _skill_not_found_error(name)}
skill_dir = existing["path"]
target, err = _resolve_skill_target(skill_dir, file_path)
if err:
return {"success": False, "error": err}
if not target.exists():
# List what's actually there for the model to see
available = []
for subdir in ALLOWED_SUBDIRS:
d = skill_dir / subdir
if d.exists():
for f in d.rglob("*"):
if f.is_file():
available.append(str(f.relative_to(skill_dir)))
return {
"success": False,
"error": f"File '{file_path}' not found in skill '{name}'.",
"available_files": available if available else None,
}
target.unlink()
# Clean up empty subdirectories
parent = target.parent
if parent != skill_dir and parent.exists() and not any(parent.iterdir()):
parent.rmdir()
return {
"success": True,
"message": f"File '{file_path}' removed from skill '{name}'.",
}
# =============================================================================
# Main entry point
# =============================================================================
def skill_manage(
action: str,
name: str,
content: str = None,
category: str = None,
file_path: str = None,
file_content: str = None,
old_string: str = None,
new_string: str = None,
replace_all: bool = False,
absorbed_into: str = None,
) -> str:
"""
Manage user-created skills. Dispatches to the appropriate action handler.
Returns JSON string with results.
"""
if action == "create":
if not content:
return tool_error("content is required for 'create'. Provide the full SKILL.md text (frontmatter + body).", success=False)
result = _create_skill(name, content, category)
elif action == "edit":
if not content:
return tool_error("content is required for 'edit'. Provide the full updated SKILL.md text.", success=False)
result = _edit_skill(name, content)
elif action == "patch":
if not old_string:
return tool_error("old_string is required for 'patch'. Provide the text to find.", success=False)
if new_string is None:
return tool_error("new_string is required for 'patch'. Use empty string to delete matched text.", success=False)
result = _patch_skill(name, old_string, new_string, file_path, replace_all)
elif action == "delete":
result = _delete_skill(name, absorbed_into=absorbed_into)
elif action == "write_file":
if not file_path:
return tool_error("file_path is required for 'write_file'. Example: 'references/api-guide.md'", success=False)
if file_content is None:
return tool_error("file_content is required for 'write_file'.", success=False)
result = _write_file(name, file_path, file_content)
elif action == "remove_file":
if not file_path:
return tool_error("file_path is required for 'remove_file'.", success=False)
result = _remove_file(name, file_path)
else:
result = {"success": False, "error": f"Unknown action '{action}'. Use: create, edit, patch, delete, write_file, remove_file"}
if result.get("success"):
try:
from agent.prompt_builder import clear_skills_system_prompt_cache
clear_skills_system_prompt_cache(clear_snapshot=True)
except Exception:
pass
# Curator telemetry: bump patch_count on edit/patch/write_file (the actions
# that mutate an existing skill's guidance), drop the record on delete.
# Only mark a skill as agent-created when the background self-improvement
# review fork creates it — foreground `skill_manage(create)` calls are
# user-directed, and those skills belong to the user (the curator must
# not touch them). Best-effort; telemetry failures never break the tool.
try:
from tools.skill_usage import bump_patch, forget, mark_agent_created
from tools.skill_provenance import is_background_review
if action == "create":
if is_background_review():
mark_agent_created(name)
elif action in {"patch", "edit", "write_file", "remove_file"}:
bump_patch(name)
elif action == "delete":
forget(name)
except Exception:
pass
return json.dumps(result, ensure_ascii=False)
# =============================================================================
# OpenAI Function-Calling Schema
# =============================================================================
SKILL_MANAGE_SCHEMA = {
"name": "skill_manage",
"description": (
"Manage skills (create, update, delete). Skills are your procedural "
"memory — reusable approaches for recurring task types. "
f"New skills go to {display_hermes_home()}/skills/; existing skills can be modified wherever they live.\n\n"
"Actions: create (full SKILL.md + optional category), "
"patch (old_string/new_string — preferred for fixes), "
"edit (full SKILL.md rewrite — major overhauls only), "
"delete, write_file, remove_file.\n\n"
"On delete, pass `absorbed_into=<umbrella>` when you're merging this "
"skill's content into another one, or `absorbed_into=\"\"` when you're "
"pruning it with no forwarding target. This lets the curator tell "
"consolidation from pruning without guessing, so downstream consumers "
"(cron jobs that reference the old skill name, etc.) get updated "
"correctly. The target you name in `absorbed_into` must already "
"exist — create/patch the umbrella first, then delete.\n\n"
"Create when: complex task succeeded (5+ calls), errors overcome, "
"user-corrected approach worked, non-trivial workflow discovered, "
"or user asks you to remember a procedure.\n"
"Update when: instructions stale/wrong, OS-specific failures, "
"missing steps or pitfalls found during use. "
"If you used a skill and hit issues not covered by it, patch it immediately.\n\n"
"After difficult/iterative tasks, offer to save as a skill. "
"Skip for simple one-offs. Confirm with user before creating/deleting.\n\n"
"Good skills: trigger conditions, numbered steps with exact commands, "
"pitfalls section, verification steps. Use skill_view() to see format examples.\n\n"
"Pinned skills are protected from deletion only — skill_manage(action='delete') "
"will refuse with a message pointing the user to `hermes curator unpin <name>`. "
"Patches and edits go through on pinned skills so you can still improve them as "
"pitfalls come up; pin only guards against irrecoverable loss."
),
"parameters": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"action": {
"type": "string",
"enum": ["create", "patch", "edit", "delete", "write_file", "remove_file"],
"description": "The action to perform."
},
"name": {
"type": "string",
"description": (
"Skill name (lowercase, hyphens/underscores, max 64 chars). "
"Must match an existing skill for patch/edit/delete/write_file/remove_file."
)
},
"content": {
"type": "string",
"description": (
"Full SKILL.md content (YAML frontmatter + markdown body). "
"Required for 'create' and 'edit'. For 'edit', read the skill "
"first with skill_view() and provide the complete updated text."
)
},
"old_string": {
"type": "string",
"description": (
"Text to find in the file (required for 'patch'). Must be unique "
"unless replace_all=true. Include enough surrounding context to "
"ensure uniqueness."
)
},
"new_string": {
"type": "string",
"description": (
"Replacement text (required for 'patch'). Can be empty string "
"to delete the matched text."
)
},
"replace_all": {
"type": "boolean",
"description": "For 'patch': replace all occurrences instead of requiring a unique match (default: false)."
},
"category": {
"type": "string",
"description": (
"Optional category/domain for organizing the skill (e.g., 'devops', "
"'data-science', 'mlops'). Creates a subdirectory grouping. "
"Only used with 'create'."
)
},
"file_path": {
"type": "string",
"description": (
"Path to a supporting file within the skill directory. "
"For 'write_file'/'remove_file': required, must be under references/, "
"templates/, scripts/, or assets/. "
"For 'patch': optional, defaults to SKILL.md if omitted."
)
},
"file_content": {
"type": "string",
"description": "Content for the file. Required for 'write_file'."
},
"absorbed_into": {
"type": "string",
"description": (
"For 'delete' only — declares intent so the curator can "
"tell consolidation from pruning without guessing. "
"Pass the umbrella skill name when this skill's content "
"was merged into another (the target must already exist). "
"Pass an empty string when the skill is truly stale and "
"being pruned with no forwarding target. Omitting the arg "
"on delete is supported for backward compatibility but "
"downstream tooling (e.g. cron-job skill reference "
"rewriting) will have to guess at intent."
)
},
},
"required": ["action", "name"],
},
}
# --- Registry ---
from tools.registry import registry, tool_error
registry.register(
name="skill_manage",
toolset="skills",
schema=SKILL_MANAGE_SCHEMA,
handler=lambda args, **kw: skill_manage(
action=args.get("action", ""),
name=args.get("name", ""),
content=args.get("content"),
category=args.get("category"),
file_path=args.get("file_path"),
file_content=args.get("file_content"),
old_string=args.get("old_string"),
new_string=args.get("new_string"),
replace_all=args.get("replace_all", False),
absorbed_into=args.get("absorbed_into")),
emoji="📝",
)