docs(AGENTS): add quick reference section for common tasks and architecture decisions

.dockerignore

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Git
+.git
+.gitignore
+.gitmodules
+
+# Dependencies
+node_modules
+**/node_modules
+.venv
+**/.venv
+
+# Built artifacts that are regenerated inside the image.  Excluded so local
+# rebuilds on the developer's machine don't invalidate the npm-install layer
+# that now depends on the full ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/ tree being present.
+ui-tui/dist/
+ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/dist/
+
+# CI/CD
+.github
+
+# Environment files
+.env
+
+*.md
+
+# Runtime data (bind-mounted at /opt/data; must not leak into build context)
+data/
+
+# Compose/profile runtime state (bind-mounted; avoid ownership/secret issues)
+hermes-config/
+runtime/

.envrc

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+watch_file pyproject.toml uv.lock
+watch_file ui-tui/package-lock.json ui-tui/package.json
+watch_file flake.nix flake.lock nix/devShell.nix nix/tui.nix nix/package.nix nix/python.nix
+
+use flake

.gitattributes

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Auto-generated files — collapse diffs and exclude from language stats
+web/package-lock.json linguist-generated=true

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ body:
         **Before submitting**, please:
         - [ ] Search [existing issues](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/issues) to avoid duplicates
         - [ ] Update to the latest version (`hermes update`) and confirm the bug still exists
+        - [ ] Run `hermes debug share` and paste the links below (see Debug Report section)
 
   - type: textarea
     id: description
@@ -82,6 +83,25 @@ body:
         - Slack
         - WhatsApp
 
+  - type: textarea
+    id: debug-report
+    attributes:
+      label: Debug Report
+      description: |
+        Run `hermes debug share` from your terminal and paste the links it prints here.
+        This uploads your system info, config, and recent logs to a paste service automatically.
+
+        If you're in an interactive chat session, you can also use the `/debug` slash command — it does the same thing.
+
+        If the upload fails, run `hermes debug share --local` and paste the output directly.
+      placeholder: |
+        Report   https://paste.rs/abc123
+        agent.log   https://paste.rs/def456
+        gateway.log   https://paste.rs/ghi789
+      render: shell
+    validations:
+      required: true
+
   - type: input
     id: os
     attributes:
@@ -97,23 +117,21 @@ body:
       label: Python Version
       description: Output of `python --version`
       placeholder: "3.11.9"
-    validations:
-      required: true
 
   - type: input
     id: hermes-version
     attributes:
       label: Hermes Version
       description: Output of `hermes version`
       placeholder: "2.1.0"
-    validations:
-      required: true
 
   - type: textarea
     id: logs
     attributes:
-      label: Relevant Logs / Traceback
-      description: Paste any error output, traceback, or log messages. This will be auto-formatted as code.
+      label: Additional Logs / Traceback (optional)
+      description: |
+        The debug report above covers most logs. Use this field for any extra error output, 
+        tracebacks, or screenshots not captured by `hermes debug share`.
       render: shell
 
   - type: textarea

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.yml

@@ -71,3 +71,15 @@ body:
       label: Contribution
       options:
         - label: I'd like to implement this myself and submit a PR
+
+  - type: textarea
+    id: debug-report
+    attributes:
+      label: Debug Report (optional)
+      description: |
+        If this feature request is related to a problem you're experiencing, run `hermes debug share` and paste the links here.
+        In an interactive chat session, you can use `/debug` instead.
+        This helps us understand your environment and any related logs.
+      placeholder: |
+        Report   https://paste.rs/abc123
+      render: shell

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/setup_help.yml

@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ body:
         Sorry you're having trouble! Please fill out the details below so we can help.
 
         **Quick checks first:**
-        - Run `hermes doctor` and include the output below
+        - Run `hermes debug share` and paste the links in the Debug Report section below
+        - If you're in a chat session, you can use `/debug` instead — it does the same thing
         - Try `hermes update` to get the latest version
         - Check the [README troubleshooting section](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent#troubleshooting)
         - For general questions, consider the [Nous Research Discord](https://discord.gg/NousResearch) for faster help
@@ -74,10 +75,21 @@ body:
       placeholder: "2.1.0"
 
   - type: textarea
-    id: doctor-output
+    id: debug-report
     attributes:
-      label: Output of `hermes doctor`
-      description: Run `hermes doctor` and paste the full output. This will be auto-formatted.
+      label: Debug Report
+      description: |
+        Run `hermes debug share` from your terminal and paste the links it prints here.
+        This uploads your system info, config, and recent logs to a paste service automatically.
+
+        If you're in an interactive chat session, you can also use the `/debug` slash command — it does the same thing.
+
+        If the upload fails or install didn't get that far, run `hermes debug share --local` and paste the output directly.
+        If even that doesn't work, run `hermes doctor` and paste that output instead.
+      placeholder: |
+        Report   https://paste.rs/abc123
+        agent.log   https://paste.rs/def456
+        gateway.log   https://paste.rs/ghi789
       render: shell
 
   - type: textarea

.github/actions/hermes-smoke-test/action.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+name: Hermes smoke test
+description: >
+  Run the image's built-in entrypoint against `--help` and `dashboard --help`
+  to catch basic runtime regressions before publishing.  Requires the image
+  to already be loaded into the local Docker daemon under `image`.
+
+  Works identically on amd64 and arm64 runners.
+
+inputs:
+  image:
+    description: Fully-qualified image tag (e.g. nousresearch/hermes-agent:test)
+    required: true
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Ensure /tmp/hermes-test is hermes-writable
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        # The image runs as the hermes user (UID 10000).  GitHub Actions
+        # creates /tmp/hermes-test root-owned by default, which hermes
+        # can't write to — chown it to match the in-container UID before
+        # bind-mounting.  Real users doing `docker run -v ~/.hermes:...`
+        # with their own UID hit the same issue and have their own
+        # remediations (HERMES_UID env var, or chown locally).
+        mkdir -p /tmp/hermes-test
+        sudo chown -R 10000:10000 /tmp/hermes-test
+
+    - name: hermes --help
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        docker run --rm \
+          -v /tmp/hermes-test:/opt/data \
+          --entrypoint /opt/hermes/docker/entrypoint.sh \
+          "${{ inputs.image }}" --help
+
+    - name: hermes dashboard --help
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        # Regression guard for #9153: dashboard was present in source but
+        # missing from the published image.  If this fails, something in
+        # the Dockerfile is excluding the dashboard subcommand from the
+        # installed package.
+        docker run --rm \
+          -v /tmp/hermes-test:/opt/data \
+          --entrypoint /opt/hermes/docker/entrypoint.sh \
+          "${{ inputs.image }}" dashboard --help

.github/actions/nix-setup/action.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+name: 'Setup Nix'
+description: 'Install Nix and configure Cachix binary cache'
+
+inputs:
+  cachix-auth-token:
+    description: 'Cachix auth token (enables push). Omit for read-only.'
+    required: false
+    default: ''
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - uses: DeterminateSystems/nix-installer-action@ef8a148080ab6020fd15196c2084a2eea5ff2d25 # v22
+    - uses: cachix/cachix-action@1eb2ef646ac0255473d23a5907ad7b04ce94065c # v17
+      with:
+        name: hermes-agent
+        authToken: ${{ inputs.cachix-auth-token }}
+      continue-on-error: true

.github/dependabot.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# Dependabot configuration for hermes-agent.
+#
+# Deliberately scoped to github-actions only.
+#
+# We do NOT enable Dependabot for pip / npm / any source-dependency ecosystem
+# because we pin source dependencies exactly (uv.lock, package-lock.json) as
+# part of our supply-chain posture. Automatic version-bump PRs against those
+# pins would undermine the strategy — pins are moved deliberately, after
+# review, not on a schedule.
+#
+# github-actions is the exception: action pins (we use full commit SHAs per
+# supply-chain policy) must be updated when upstream actions publish
+# patches — usually themselves security fixes. Dependabot opens a PR with
+# the new SHA and release notes; we review and merge like any other PR.
+#
+# Security-update PRs for source dependencies (opened ONLY when a CVE is
+# published affecting a currently-pinned version) are enabled separately
+# via the repo's Dependabot security updates setting
+# (Settings → Code security → Dependabot → Dependabot security updates).
+# Those are CVE-only, not schedule-driven, and do not conflict with our
+# pinning strategy — they fire when a pinned version becomes known-bad,
+# which is exactly when we want to move the pin.
+
+version: 2
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
+    directory: "/"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "weekly"
+      day: "monday"
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 5
+    labels:
+      - "dependencies"
+      - "github-actions"
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "chore(actions)"
+      include: "scope"
+    groups:
+      # Batch routine action bumps into one PR per week to reduce noise.
+      # Security updates still open individually and bypass grouping.
+      actions-minor-patch:
+        update-types:
+          - "minor"
+          - "patch"

.github/workflows/contributor-check.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+name: Contributor Attribution Check
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+    paths:
+      # Only run when code files change (not docs-only PRs)
+      - '*.py'
+      - '**/*.py'
+      - '.github/workflows/contributor-check.yml'
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  check-attribution:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd  # v6.0.2
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0  # Full history needed for git log
+
+      - name: Check for unmapped contributor emails
+        run: |
+          # Get the merge base between this PR and main
+          MERGE_BASE=$(git merge-base origin/main HEAD)
+
+          # Find any new author emails in this PR's commits
+          NEW_EMAILS=$(git log ${MERGE_BASE}..HEAD --format='%ae' --no-merges | sort -u)
+
+          if [ -z "$NEW_EMAILS" ]; then
+            echo "No new commits to check."
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          # Check each email against AUTHOR_MAP in release.py
+          MISSING=""
+          while IFS= read -r email; do
+            # Skip teknium and bot emails
+            case "$email" in
+              *teknium*|*noreply@github.com*|*dependabot*|*github-actions*|*anthropic.com*|*cursor.com*)
+                continue ;;
+            esac
+
+            # Check if email is in AUTHOR_MAP (either as a key or matches noreply pattern)
+            if echo "$email" | grep -qP '\+.*@users\.noreply\.github\.com'; then
+              continue  # GitHub noreply emails auto-resolve
+            fi
+
+            if ! grep -qF "\"${email}\"" scripts/release.py 2>/dev/null; then
+              AUTHOR=$(git log --author="$email" --format='%an' -1)
+              MISSING="${MISSING}\n  ${email} (${AUTHOR})"
+            fi
+          done <<< "$NEW_EMAILS"
+
+          if [ -n "$MISSING" ]; then
+            echo ""
+            echo "⚠️  New contributor email(s) not in AUTHOR_MAP:"
+            echo -e "$MISSING"
+            echo ""
+            echo "Please add mappings to scripts/release.py AUTHOR_MAP:"
+            echo -e "$MISSING" | while read -r line; do
+              email=$(echo "$line" | sed 's/^ *//' | cut -d' ' -f1)
+              [ -z "$email" ] && continue
+              echo "    \"${email}\": \"<github-username>\","
+            done
+            echo ""
+            echo "To find the GitHub username for an email:"
+            echo "  gh api 'search/users?q=EMAIL+in:email' --jq '.items[0].login'"
+            exit 1
+          else
+            echo "✅ All contributor emails are mapped in AUTHOR_MAP."
+          fi