fix(cli): dispatch /indicator to set the busy-indicator style (#50618)

cli.py

@@ -10066,6 +10066,8 @@ def process_command(self, command: str) -> bool:
             self._handle_wake_command(cmd_original)
         elif canonical == "busy":
             self._handle_busy_command(cmd_original)
+        elif canonical == "indicator":
+            self._handle_indicator_command(cmd_original)
         else:
             # Check for user-defined quick commands (bypass agent loop, no LLM call)
             base_cmd = cmd_lower.split()[0]

hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py

@@ -3056,6 +3056,46 @@ def _handle_busy_command(self, cmd: str):
         else:
             _cprint(f"  {_ACCENT}✓ Busy input mode set to '{arg}' (session only){_RST}")
 
+    def _handle_indicator_command(self, cmd: str):
+        """Handle /indicator — pick the TUI busy-indicator style.
+
+        Usage:
+            /indicator              Show the current busy-indicator style
+            /indicator status       Show the current busy-indicator style
+            /indicator kaomoji      Animated kaomoji faces (default)
+            /indicator emoji        Emoji spinner
+            /indicator unicode      Braille spinner
+            /indicator ascii        Plain ASCII spinner
+
+        Persists to ``display.tui_status_indicator`` — the same config key the
+        TUI reads — so the change is picked up the next time the TUI renders.
+        """
+        from cli import _ACCENT, _DIM, _RST, _cprint, save_config_value
+        from hermes_constants import DEFAULT_INDICATOR_STYLE, INDICATOR_STYLES
+        styles = INDICATOR_STYLES
+        current = (
+            (self.config.get("display") or {}).get("tui_status_indicator", DEFAULT_INDICATOR_STYLE)
+        )
+
+        parts = cmd.strip().split(maxsplit=1)
+        if len(parts) < 2 or parts[1].strip().lower() == "status":
+            _cprint(f"  {_ACCENT}Busy-indicator style: {current}{_RST}")
+            _cprint(f"  {_DIM}Usage: /indicator [{'|'.join(styles)}]{_RST}")
+            return
+
+        arg = parts[1].strip().lower()
+        if arg not in styles:
+            _cprint(f"  {_DIM}(._.) Unknown indicator style: {arg}{_RST}")
+            _cprint(f"  {_DIM}Usage: /indicator [{'|'.join(styles)}]{_RST}")
+            return
+
+        self.config.setdefault("display", {})["tui_status_indicator"] = arg
+        if save_config_value("display.tui_status_indicator", arg):
+            _cprint(f"  {_ACCENT}✓ Busy-indicator style set to '{arg}' (saved to config){_RST}")
+            _cprint(f"  {_DIM}The TUI picks up the new style on its next render.{_RST}")
+        else:
+            _cprint(f"  {_ACCENT}✓ Busy-indicator style set to '{arg}' (session only){_RST}")
+
     def _handle_fast_command(self, cmd: str):
         """Handle /fast — toggle fast mode (OpenAI Priority Processing / Anthropic Fast Mode).
 

hermes_cli/commands.py

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from typing import Any
 
 from utils import is_truthy_value
+from hermes_constants import INDICATOR_STYLES
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -226,8 +227,8 @@ class CommandDef:
     CommandDef("skin", "Show or change the display skin/theme", "Configuration",
                cli_only=True, args_hint="[name]"),
     CommandDef("indicator", "Pick the TUI busy-indicator style", "Configuration",
-               cli_only=True, args_hint="[kaomoji|emoji|unicode|ascii]",
-               subcommands=("kaomoji", "emoji", "unicode", "ascii")),
+               cli_only=True, args_hint=f"[{'|'.join(INDICATOR_STYLES)}]",
+               subcommands=INDICATOR_STYLES),
     CommandDef("voice", "Toggle voice mode", "Configuration",
                args_hint="[on|off|tts|status]", subcommands=("on", "off", "tts", "status")),
     CommandDef("wake", "Toggle the 'Hey Hermes' wake word listener", "Configuration",

hermes_constants.py

@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@
     "_HERMES_HOME_OVERRIDE", default=_UNSET
 )
 
+# ── TUI busy-indicator styles ─────────────────────────────────────────
+# Single source of truth shared by the CLI /indicator command, the TUI
+# gateway config handler, and the /help command registry. Keep in sync
+# with ``INDICATOR_STYLES`` / ``DEFAULT_INDICATOR_STYLE`` in
+# ``ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts`` on the frontend side.
+INDICATOR_STYLES: tuple[str, ...] = ("ascii", "emoji", "kaomoji", "unicode")
+DEFAULT_INDICATOR_STYLE: str = "kaomoji"
+
 
 def set_hermes_home_override(path: str | Path | None) -> Token:
     """Set a context-local Hermes home override and return its reset token.

tests/cli/test_indicator_command.py

@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+"""Tests for the /indicator CLI command and busy-indicator style config.
+
+The /indicator command is registered in COMMAND_REGISTRY (and advertised by
+/help, tab-completion and the tips system) but used to have no dispatch branch
+in HermesCLI.process_command — so typing it printed "Unknown command:
+/indicator". These tests lock in the dispatch wiring and the handler behavior.
+"""
+
+import unittest
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+from cli import HermesCLI
+
+
+def _import_cli():
+    import hermes_cli.config as config_mod
+
+    if not hasattr(config_mod, "save_env_value_secure"):
+        config_mod.save_env_value_secure = lambda key, value: {
+            "success": True,
+            "stored_as": key,
+            "validated": False,
+        }
+
+    import cli as cli_mod
+
+    return cli_mod
+
+
+def _make_cli():
+    cli_obj = HermesCLI.__new__(HermesCLI)
+    cli_obj.config = {}
+    cli_obj.console = MagicMock()
+    cli_obj.agent = None
+    cli_obj.conversation_history = []
+    cli_obj.session_id = None
+    cli_obj._pending_input = MagicMock()
+    return cli_obj
+
+
+class TestIndicatorDispatch(unittest.TestCase):
+    """The command must route to its handler — not fall through to "Unknown"."""
+
+    def test_indicator_dispatches_to_handler(self):
+        cli_obj = _make_cli()
+        with patch.object(cli_obj, "_handle_indicator_command") as mock_handler:
+            result = cli_obj.process_command("/indicator emoji")
+
+        mock_handler.assert_called_once_with("/indicator emoji")
+        self.assertTrue(result)
+
+    def test_indicator_is_not_unknown_command(self):
+        cli_obj = _make_cli()
+        with (
+            patch("cli._cprint") as mock_cprint,
+            patch("cli.save_config_value", return_value=True),
+        ):
+            result = cli_obj.process_command("/indicator emoji")
+
+        printed = " ".join(str(c) for c in mock_cprint.call_args_list)
+        self.assertNotIn("Unknown command", printed)
+        self.assertTrue(result)
+
+
+class TestHandleIndicatorCommand(unittest.TestCase):
+    def _stub(self, current=None):
+        config = {}
+        if current is not None:
+            config["display"] = {"tui_status_indicator": current}
+        return SimpleNamespace(config=config)
+
+    def test_no_args_shows_status(self):
+        cli_mod = _import_cli()
+        stub = self._stub("emoji")
+        with (
+            patch.object(cli_mod, "_cprint") as mock_cprint,
+            patch.object(cli_mod, "save_config_value") as mock_save,
+        ):
+            cli_mod.HermesCLI._handle_indicator_command(stub, "/indicator")
+
+        mock_save.assert_not_called()
+        printed = " ".join(str(c) for c in mock_cprint.call_args_list)
+        self.assertIn("emoji", printed)
+
+    def test_status_argument_shows_status(self):
+        cli_mod = _import_cli()
+        stub = self._stub()  # no display config -> default kaomoji
+        with (
+            patch.object(cli_mod, "_cprint") as mock_cprint,
+            patch.object(cli_mod, "save_config_value") as mock_save,
+        ):
+            cli_mod.HermesCLI._handle_indicator_command(stub, "/indicator status")
+
+        mock_save.assert_not_called()
+        printed = " ".join(str(c) for c in mock_cprint.call_args_list)
+        self.assertIn("kaomoji", printed)
+
+    def test_valid_style_saves_to_config_key(self):
+        cli_mod = _import_cli()
+        stub = self._stub("kaomoji")
+        with (
+            patch.object(cli_mod, "_cprint"),
+            patch.object(cli_mod, "save_config_value", return_value=True) as mock_save,
+        ):
+            cli_mod.HermesCLI._handle_indicator_command(stub, "/indicator unicode")
+
+        # Persists to the SAME key the TUI reads, and mirrors it in memory.
+        mock_save.assert_called_once_with("display.tui_status_indicator", "unicode")
+        self.assertEqual(stub.config["display"]["tui_status_indicator"], "unicode")
+
+    def test_invalid_style_prints_usage_and_does_not_save(self):
+        cli_mod = _import_cli()
+        stub = self._stub("kaomoji")
+        with (
+            patch.object(cli_mod, "_cprint") as mock_cprint,
+            patch.object(cli_mod, "save_config_value") as mock_save,
+        ):
+            cli_mod.HermesCLI._handle_indicator_command(stub, "/indicator rainbow")
+
+        mock_save.assert_not_called()
+        # The stored value must be untouched.
+        self.assertEqual(stub.config["display"]["tui_status_indicator"], "kaomoji")
+        printed = " ".join(str(c) for c in mock_cprint.call_args_list)
+        self.assertIn("Usage: /indicator", printed)
+
+
+class TestIndicatorRegistry(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_indicator_in_registry(self):
+        from hermes_cli.commands import COMMAND_REGISTRY
+
+        names = [c.name for c in COMMAND_REGISTRY]
+        self.assertIn("indicator", names)
+
+    def test_indicator_subcommands_match_handler(self):
+        from hermes_cli.commands import COMMAND_REGISTRY
+        from hermes_constants import INDICATOR_STYLES
+
+        indicator = next(c for c in COMMAND_REGISTRY if c.name == "indicator")
+        self.assertEqual(indicator.category, "Configuration")
+        # The registered styles are what the handler accepts — single source of truth.
+        self.assertEqual(
+            set(indicator.subcommands), set(INDICATOR_STYLES)
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()

tui_gateway/server.py

@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
     set_secret_scope,
 )
 from hermes_constants import (
+    DEFAULT_INDICATOR_STYLE,
+    INDICATOR_STYLES,
     get_hermes_home,
     get_hermes_home_override,
     reset_hermes_home_override,
@@ -2624,12 +2626,6 @@ def _set_session_cwd(session: dict, cwd: str) -> str:
 # ── Config I/O ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 
-# Keep aligned with `INDICATOR_STYLES` / `DEFAULT_INDICATOR_STYLE` in
-# ``ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts`` — both ends validate against the
-# same shape so `config.get indicator` and the live TUI render agree.
-_INDICATOR_STYLES: tuple[str, ...] = ("ascii", "emoji", "kaomoji", "unicode")
-_INDICATOR_DEFAULT = "kaomoji"
-
 _DASHBOARD_TURN_ISOLATION_DEFAULT = False
 _DASHBOARD_COMPUTE_HOST_HEARTBEAT_SECS_DEFAULT = 15
 _DASHBOARD_COMPUTE_HOST_RESPAWN_MAX_DEFAULT = 3
@@ -10628,11 +10624,11 @@ def _resolve_toggle(current: bool) -> bool:
         # non-string inputs (0, False, []) still surface as themselves
         # in the error message instead of looking like a blank value.
         raw = ("" if value is None else str(value)).strip().lower()
-        if raw not in _INDICATOR_STYLES:
+        if raw not in INDICATOR_STYLES:
             return _err(
                 rid,
                 4002,
-                f"unknown indicator: {raw!r}; pick one of {'|'.join(_INDICATOR_STYLES)}",
+                f"unknown indicator: {raw!r}; pick one of {'|'.join(INDICATOR_STYLES)}",
             )
         _write_config_key("display.tui_status_indicator", raw)
         return _ok(rid, {"key": key, "value": raw})