feat(desktop): resizable VS Code-themed terminal pane + palette polish

agent/agent_init.py

@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ def init_agent(
     thinking_callback: callable = None,
     reasoning_callback: callable = None,
     clarify_callback: callable = None,
+    read_terminal_callback: callable = None,
     step_callback: callable = None,
     stream_delta_callback: callable = None,
     interim_assistant_callback: callable = None,
@@ -417,6 +418,7 @@ def init_agent(
     agent.thinking_callback = thinking_callback
     agent.reasoning_callback = reasoning_callback
     agent.clarify_callback = clarify_callback
+    agent.read_terminal_callback = read_terminal_callback
     agent.step_callback = step_callback
     agent.stream_delta_callback = stream_delta_callback
     agent.interim_assistant_callback = interim_assistant_callback

agent/agent_runtime_helpers.py

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def _ra():
 
 
 AGENT_RUNTIME_POST_HOOK_TOOL_NAMES = frozenset(
-    {"todo", "session_search", "memory", "clarify", "delegate_task"}
+    {"todo", "session_search", "memory", "clarify", "read_terminal", "delegate_task"}
 )
 
 
@@ -1784,6 +1784,17 @@ def _execute(next_args: dict) -> Any:
                 ),
                 next_args,
             )
+    elif function_name == "read_terminal":
+        def _execute(next_args: dict) -> Any:
+            from tools.read_terminal_tool import read_terminal_tool as _read_terminal_tool
+            return _finish_agent_tool(
+                _read_terminal_tool(
+                    start_line=next_args.get("start_line"),
+                    count=next_args.get("count"),
+                    callback=getattr(agent, "read_terminal_callback", None),
+                ),
+                next_args,
+            )
     elif function_name == "delegate_task":
         def _execute(next_args: dict) -> Any:
             return _finish_agent_tool(agent._dispatch_delegate_task(next_args), next_args)

agent/prompt_builder.py

@@ -885,6 +885,22 @@ def build_environment_hints() -> str:
                 f"`uname -a && whoami && pwd`."
             )
 
+    # Hermes desktop GUI — any agent running under the desktop app should know
+    # it. HERMES_DESKTOP marks the backend powering the chat; HERMES_DESKTOP_TERMINAL
+    # marks a hermes launched in the embedded terminal pane. Both set by main.cjs.
+    _truthy = ("1", "true", "yes")
+    _in_desktop = (os.getenv("HERMES_DESKTOP") or "").strip().lower() in _truthy
+    _in_desktop_term = (os.getenv("HERMES_DESKTOP_TERMINAL") or "").strip().lower() in _truthy
+    if _in_desktop or _in_desktop_term:
+        _desktop_hint = "Runtime surface: you're running inside the Hermes desktop GUI app."
+        if _in_desktop_term:
+            _desktop_hint += (
+                " You're in its embedded terminal pane, beside the GUI chat — the user can "
+                "select your output (⌥-drag on macOS, Shift-drag elsewhere) and press "
+                "⌘/Ctrl+L to send it to the chat composer."
+            )
+        hints.append(_desktop_hint)
+
     if is_wsl():
         hints.append(WSL_ENVIRONMENT_HINT)
 

agent/tool_executor.py

@@ -1065,6 +1065,25 @@ def _execute(next_args: dict) -> Any:
             tool_duration = time.time() - tool_start_time
             if agent._should_emit_quiet_tool_messages():
                 agent._vprint(f"  {_get_cute_tool_message_impl('clarify', function_args, tool_duration, result=function_result)}")
+        elif function_name == "read_terminal":
+            def _execute(next_args: dict) -> Any:
+                from tools.read_terminal_tool import read_terminal_tool as _read_terminal_tool
+                return _read_terminal_tool(
+                    start_line=next_args.get("start_line"),
+                    count=next_args.get("count"),
+                    callback=getattr(agent, "read_terminal_callback", None),
+                )
+            function_result, function_args = _run_agent_tool_execution_middleware(
+                agent,
+                function_name=function_name,
+                function_args=function_args,
+                effective_task_id=effective_task_id,
+                tool_call_id=getattr(tool_call, "id", "") or "",
+                execute=_execute,
+            )
+            tool_duration = time.time() - tool_start_time
+            if agent._should_emit_quiet_tool_messages():
+                agent._vprint(f"  {_get_cute_tool_message_impl('read_terminal', function_args, tool_duration, result=function_result)}")
         elif function_name == "delegate_task":
             tasks_arg = function_args.get("tasks")
             if tasks_arg and isinstance(tasks_arg, list):

apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs

@@ -63,9 +63,11 @@ const {
 } = require('./hardening.cjs')
 
 let nodePty = null
+let nodePtyDir = null
 
 try {
   nodePty = require('node-pty')
+  nodePtyDir = path.dirname(require.resolve('node-pty/package.json'))
 } catch {
   // Packaged builds set `files:` in package.json, which excludes node_modules
   // from the asar.  Workspace dedup also hoists this native dep to the repo
@@ -78,10 +80,12 @@ try {
     const path = require('node:path')
     const resourcesPath = process.resourcesPath
     if (resourcesPath) {
-      nodePty = require(path.join(resourcesPath, 'native-deps', 'node-pty'))
+      nodePtyDir = path.join(resourcesPath, 'native-deps', 'node-pty')
+      nodePty = require(nodePtyDir)
     }
   } catch {
     nodePty = null
+    nodePtyDir = null
   }
 }
 
@@ -3271,14 +3275,18 @@ function setAndPersistZoomLevel(window, zoomLevel) {
   const next = clampZoomLevel(zoomLevel)
   window.webContents.setZoomLevel(next)
   window.webContents
-    .executeJavaScript(`try { localStorage.setItem(${JSON.stringify(ZOOM_STORAGE_KEY)}, ${JSON.stringify(String(next))}) } catch {}`)
+    .executeJavaScript(
+      `try { localStorage.setItem(${JSON.stringify(ZOOM_STORAGE_KEY)}, ${JSON.stringify(String(next))}) } catch {}`
+    )
     .catch(error => rememberLog(`[zoom] persist failed: ${error?.message || error}`))
 }
 
 function restorePersistedZoomLevel(window) {
   if (!window || window.isDestroyed()) return
   window.webContents
-    .executeJavaScript(`(() => { try { return localStorage.getItem(${JSON.stringify(ZOOM_STORAGE_KEY)}) } catch { return null } })()`)
+    .executeJavaScript(
+      `(() => { try { return localStorage.getItem(${JSON.stringify(ZOOM_STORAGE_KEY)}) } catch { return null } })()`
+    )
     .then(stored => {
       if (stored == null || !window || window.isDestroyed()) return
       const level = clampZoomLevel(Number(stored))
@@ -4137,9 +4145,7 @@ async function requestJsonForProfile(profile, path, method, body) {
   const conn = await ensureBackend(profile)
   const url = `${conn.baseUrl}${path}`
   const opts = { method, body, timeoutMs: DEFAULT_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS }
-  return conn.authMode === 'oauth'
-    ? fetchJsonViaOauthSession(url, opts)
-    : fetchJson(url, conn.token, opts)
+  return conn.authMode === 'oauth' ? fetchJsonViaOauthSession(url, opts) : fetchJson(url, conn.token, opts)
 }
 
 async function probeRemoteAuthMode(rawUrl) {
@@ -4213,7 +4219,8 @@ async function testDesktopConnectionConfig(input = {}) {
   // The block under test: a per-profile entry or the global remote. Coerce has
   // already normalized the URL and resolved token inheritance for the scope.
   const block = key ? config.profiles?.[key] || null : config.remote
-  const wantRemote = block?.mode === 'remote' || (!key && config.mode === 'remote') || (input.mode === 'remote' && block)
+  const wantRemote =
+    block?.mode === 'remote' || (!key && config.mode === 'remote') || (input.mode === 'remote' && block)
   // ``/api/status`` is public on every gateway (no creds needed), so a
   // reachability test works for local, token, and oauth modes alike — we only
   // need a base URL. For a remote config we normalize the URL from the input;
@@ -4478,7 +4485,9 @@ async function spawnPoolBackend(profile, entry) {
     rememberLog(`Hermes backend for profile "${profile}" exited (${signal || code})`)
     backendPool.delete(profile)
     if (!ready) {
-      rejectStart?.(new Error(`Hermes backend for profile "${profile}" exited before it became ready (${signal || code}).`))
+      rejectStart?.(
+        new Error(`Hermes backend for profile "${profile}" exited before it became ready (${signal || code}).`)
+      )
     }
   })
 
@@ -5248,17 +5257,19 @@ async function mergeRemoteProfileSessions(searchParams, remoteProfiles) {
   let total = (Number(base.total) || 0) - remoteProfiles.reduce((n, p) => n + (profileTotals[p] || 0), 0)
 
   // Swap each remote profile's stale local rows/total for the remote's real ones.
-  await Promise.all(remoteProfiles.map(async name => {
-    const list = await remoteSessionList(name, remoteParams).catch(() => null)
-    if (!list) {
-      delete profileTotals[name] // dead remote → drop its stale local total too
-      return
-    }
-    const rows = rowsOf(list)
-    merged.push(...rows)
-    profileTotals[name] = Number(list.total) || rows.length
-    total += profileTotals[name]
-  }))
+  await Promise.all(
+    remoteProfiles.map(async name => {
+      const list = await remoteSessionList(name, remoteParams).catch(() => null)
+      if (!list) {
+        delete profileTotals[name] // dead remote → drop its stale local total too
+        return
+      }
+      const rows = rowsOf(list)
+      merged.push(...rows)
+      profileTotals[name] = Number(list.total) || rows.length
+      total += profileTotals[name]
+    })
+  )
 
   const recency = s => s?.[order] ?? s?.started_at ?? 0
   merged.sort((a, b) => recency(b) - recency(a))
@@ -5516,22 +5527,121 @@ function findGitRoot(start) {
   return null
 }
 
-function terminalShellCommand() {
-  if (IS_WINDOWS) {
-    return { args: [], command: process.env.COMSPEC || 'cmd.exe' }
+function isExecutableFile(filePath) {
+  if (!filePath || !path.isAbsolute(filePath)) {
+    return false
   }
 
-  const configuredShell = process.env.SHELL || ''
-  const shellPath =
-    (path.isAbsolute(configuredShell) && fs.existsSync(configuredShell) && configuredShell) ||
-    ['/bin/zsh', '/bin/bash', '/bin/sh'].find(candidate => fs.existsSync(candidate)) ||
-    '/bin/sh'
+  try {
+    fs.accessSync(filePath, fs.constants.X_OK)
+    return true
+  } catch {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
+function posixShellSpec(shellPath) {
   const shellName = path.basename(shellPath)
   const interactiveArgs = shellName.includes('zsh') || shellName.includes('bash') ? ['-il'] : ['-i']
 
   return { args: interactiveArgs, command: shellPath, name: shellName }
 }
 
+let spawnHelperChecked = false
+
+// node-pty execs a `spawn-helper` binary on macOS/Linux to launch the shell in a
+// fresh session. The prebuilt that ships in node-pty's `prebuilds/` (and the
+// staged copy under resources/native-deps) loses its execute bit through npm
+// pack / electron-builder file collection, so every nodePty.spawn() dies with
+// "posix_spawnp failed". Restore +x once, lazily, before the first spawn.
+function ensureSpawnHelperExecutable() {
+  if (spawnHelperChecked || IS_WINDOWS || !nodePtyDir) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  spawnHelperChecked = true
+
+  const arch = process.arch
+  const candidates = [
+    path.join(nodePtyDir, 'build', 'Release', 'spawn-helper'),
+    path.join(nodePtyDir, 'prebuilds', `${process.platform}-${arch}`, 'spawn-helper')
+  ]
+
+  for (const helper of candidates) {
+    try {
+      const mode = fs.statSync(helper).mode
+
+      if ((mode & 0o111) !== 0o111) {
+        fs.chmodSync(helper, mode | 0o755)
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // Not present in this layout (e.g. compiled build vs prebuild); skip.
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// Windows PowerShell 5.1 ships at a fixed System32 path on every Windows box;
+// prefer it only after PowerShell 7+ (`pwsh`).
+function windowsPowerShellPath() {
+  const systemRoot = process.env.SystemRoot || process.env.windir || 'C:\\Windows'
+  const builtin = path.join(systemRoot, 'System32', 'WindowsPowerShell', 'v1.0', 'powershell.exe')
+
+  return isExecutableFile(builtin) ? builtin : findOnPath('powershell.exe')
+}
+
+// Map a resolved shell path to its spawn spec, picking interactive flags by
+// family: PowerShell drops its logo banner (so the prompt sits flush like the
+// POSIX shells), cmd needs nothing, and everything else (zsh/bash/fish/sh…)
+// gets POSIX interactive-login flags.
+function shellSpecFor(shellPath) {
+  const name = path.basename(shellPath).toLowerCase()
+
+  if (name.startsWith('pwsh') || name.startsWith('powershell')) {
+    return { args: ['-NoLogo'], command: shellPath, name }
+  }
+
+  if (name.startsWith('cmd')) {
+    return { args: [], command: shellPath, name }
+  }
+
+  return posixShellSpec(shellPath)
+}
+
+// Best installed Windows shell: PowerShell 7+ (`pwsh`), then Windows PowerShell
+// 5.1, then comspec/cmd.exe as the universal fallback.
+function windowsShellSpec() {
+  const command =
+    findOnPath('pwsh.exe') || findOnPath('pwsh') || windowsPowerShellPath() || process.env.COMSPEC || 'cmd.exe'
+
+  return shellSpecFor(command)
+}
+
+// Resolve the interactive shell for the embedded terminal: an explicit user
+// override wins, otherwise auto-detect the best one installed for the platform.
+function terminalShellCommand() {
+  // HERMES_DESKTOP_SHELL is the cross-platform escape hatch (a path or a bare
+  // name on PATH); $SHELL is honored on POSIX, where it's the user's canonical
+  // choice, but ignored on Windows, where it's usually a stray MSYS/Git path
+  // node-pty can't spawn natively.
+  const override = (process.env.HERMES_DESKTOP_SHELL || (IS_WINDOWS ? '' : process.env.SHELL) || '').trim()
+
+  if (override) {
+    const resolved = isExecutableFile(override) ? override : findOnPath(override)
+
+    if (resolved) {
+      return shellSpecFor(resolved)
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (IS_WINDOWS) {
+    return windowsShellSpec()
+  }
+
+  const shellPath = ['/bin/zsh', '/bin/bash', '/bin/sh'].find(candidate => isExecutableFile(candidate))
+
+  return posixShellSpec(shellPath || '/bin/sh')
+}
+
 function safeTerminalCwd(cwd) {
   const candidate = path.resolve(String(cwd || app.getPath('home')))
 
@@ -5569,6 +5679,11 @@ function terminalShellEnv() {
   env.TERM_PROGRAM = 'Hermes'
   env.TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION = app.getVersion()
 
+  // Let a hermes/--tui launched in this pane know it's embedded in the desktop
+  // GUI (build_environment_hints surfaces this). Distinct from HERMES_DESKTOP,
+  // which marks the agent *backend* and gates cron/gateway behavior.
+  env.HERMES_DESKTOP_TERMINAL = '1'
+
   return env
 }
 
@@ -5640,6 +5755,8 @@ ipcMain.handle('hermes:terminal:start', async (event, payload = {}) => {
     throw new Error('PTY support is unavailable. Reinstall desktop dependencies and restart Hermes.')
   }
 
+  ensureSpawnHelperExecutable()
+
   const id = crypto.randomUUID()
   const { args, command, name } = terminalShellCommand()
   const cwd = safeTerminalCwd(payload?.cwd)
@@ -5962,7 +6079,6 @@ ipcMain.handle('hermes:uninstall:run', async (_event, payload) => {
   return runDesktopUninstall(String(mode || ''))
 })
 
-
 app.whenReady().then(() => {
   if (IS_MAC) {
     Menu.setApplicationMenu(buildApplicationMenu())

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/controls.tsx

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { Tip } from '@/components/ui/tooltip'
 import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
 import { AudioLines, Layers3, Loader2, Square, SteeringWheel } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { formatCombo } from '@/lib/keybinds/combo'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 
 import type { ConversationStatus } from './hooks/use-voice-conversation'
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ export function ComposerControls({
 }) {
   const { t } = useI18n()
   const c = t.composer
+  const steerLabel = `${c.steer} (${formatCombo('mod+enter')})`
 
   if (conversation.active) {
     return <ConversationPill {...conversation} disabled={disabled} />
@@ -73,9 +75,9 @@ export function ComposerControls({
     <div className="ml-auto flex shrink-0 items-center gap-(--composer-control-gap)">
       <DictationButton disabled={disabled} onToggle={onDictate} state={state.voice} status={voiceStatus} />
       {canSteer && (
-        <Tip label={c.steer}>
+        <Tip label={steerLabel}>
           <Button
-            aria-label={c.steer}
+            aria-label={steerLabel}
             className={GHOST_ICON_BTN}
             disabled={disabled}
             onClick={onSteer}