fix(config): auto-migrate stale profile config on serve/dashboard startup

hermes_cli/main.py

@@ -2911,6 +2911,79 @@ def _sync_bundled_skills_quietly() -> None:
         pass
 
 
+def _migrate_profile_config(profile) -> None:
+    """Run non-interactive config migration for a single profile.
+
+    Called from ``cmd_update`` to catch up named profiles whose config.yaml
+    is still at an older version after the active profile was migrated.
+    Only version-bump-only migrations are applied silently; if new required
+    settings are needed, a warning is printed telling the user to run
+    ``hermes config migrate`` with that profile active.
+    """
+    from hermes_constants import (
+        reset_hermes_home_override,
+        set_hermes_home_override,
+    )
+    token = set_hermes_home_override(profile.path)
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.config import (
+            get_missing_env_vars,
+            get_missing_config_fields,
+            check_config_version,
+            migrate_config,
+        )
+        current_ver, latest_ver = check_config_version()
+        if current_ver < latest_ver:
+            missing_env = get_missing_env_vars(required_only=True)
+            missing_config = get_missing_config_fields()
+            if not (missing_env or missing_config):
+                migrate_config(interactive=False, quiet=True)
+            else:
+                print(
+                    f"⚠️  Profile '{profile.name}' config v{current_ver} is "
+                    f"outdated (current: v{latest_ver}). Run "
+                    f"`hermes --profile {profile.name} config migrate` to update.",
+                    file=sys.stderr,
+                )
+    finally:
+        reset_hermes_home_override(token)
+
+
+def _migrate_active_profile_on_startup() -> None:
+    """Auto-migrate the active profile's config before serve/dashboard startup.
+
+    ``hermes update`` only migrates the active profile's config; when the
+    desktop app spawns ``hermes serve --profile <name>``, that profile's
+    config may still be at an older version, causing agent init failures.
+    Apply the same non-interactive migration for version-bump-only bumps;
+    if new required settings are needed, warn on stderr.
+
+    Never raises — startup must not be blocked by a migration hiccup.
+    """
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.config import (
+            get_missing_env_vars,
+            get_missing_config_fields,
+            check_config_version,
+            migrate_config,
+        )
+        current_ver, latest_ver = check_config_version()
+        if current_ver < latest_ver:
+            missing_env = get_missing_env_vars(required_only=True)
+            missing_config = get_missing_config_fields()
+            has_new_options = bool(missing_env or missing_config)
+            if not has_new_options:
+                migrate_config(interactive=False, quiet=True)
+            else:
+                print(
+                    f"⚠️  Config v{current_ver} is outdated (current: v{latest_ver}). "
+                    f"Run `hermes config migrate` to update.",
+                    file=sys.stderr,
+                )
+    except Exception:
+        pass  # non-fatal — let start_server surface real config errors
+
+
 def _resolve_use_tui(args) -> bool:
     """Decide whether to launch the TUI for a chat/bare invocation.
 
@@ -11676,6 +11749,9 @@ def cmd_dashboard(args):
         logger.debug("terminal config → env bridge failed for dashboard/serve",
                      exc_info=True)
 
+    # Auto-migrate config if the version is stale.
+    _migrate_active_profile_on_startup()
+
     if _headless_backend:
         # Don't build the SPA, and tell mount_spa() (read at web_server import
         # below) to disable it even if a stray dist exists. Set it first.

hermes_cli/update_cmd.py

@@ -5735,6 +5735,33 @@ def _rebuild_desktop_after_update(
     return True
 
 
+def _migrate_all_profiles() -> None:
+    """Run config migration for every named profile (best-effort).
+
+    ``hermes update`` runs with the default profile active, so named
+    profiles keep their stale config version and break when the desktop
+    app spawns ``hermes serve --profile <name>``.  This loop catches them
+    up.  Per-profile failures are surfaced as visible stderr warnings.
+    """
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.main import _migrate_profile_config
+        from hermes_cli.profiles import list_profiles
+
+        all_profiles = list_profiles()
+        for p in all_profiles:
+            try:
+                _migrate_profile_config(p)
+            except Exception as pe:
+                print(
+                    f"  ⚠️  Config migration for profile '{p.name}' "
+                    f"failed: {pe}. Run `hermes --profile {p.name} "
+                    f"config migrate` manually.",
+                    file=sys.stderr,
+                )
+    except Exception:
+        pass  # profiles module not available or no profiles
+
+
 def _cmd_update_impl(args, gateway_mode: bool):
     """Body of ``cmd_update`` — kept separate so the wrapper can always
     restore stdio even on ``sys.exit``."""
@@ -7265,6 +7292,9 @@ def _print_items(items, label, key, fallback_key=None):
         except Exception as exc:
             logger.debug("Sibling config migration failed: %s", exc)
 
+        # Migrate config for ALL profiles, not just the active one.
+        _migrate_all_profiles()
+
         # Safety net: config-version migrations have been observed to leave
         # cron/jobs.json valid-but-empty, silently dropping every scheduled
         # job (issue #34600). The desktop scheduler can also overwrite with