PR #28596: fix(cli): warn before resetting with active work (#28547)

• Repository: NousResearch/hermes-agent
• Author: wesleysimplicio
• State: open | merged: False
• Link: https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/pull/28596

Description (problem / solution / changelog)

What does this PR do?

Summary

This adds an active-work guardrail to destructive session commands in the CLI.

When /new or /reset is about to discard the current conversation while delegated subagents or background tasks are still running, Hermes now keeps the confirmation prompt on screen even if the user previously disabled the global destructive-slash confirmation gate.

Problem

Right now it is easy to start a fresh session while work from the current one is still in flight.

That creates an awkward failure mode:

• delegated subagents keep running
• background terminal jobs keep running
• the user loses the immediate connection between the old conversation and the work that is still producing results

The existing confirmation gate helps in the general case, but once a user opts out of that prompt entirely, there is no last checkpoint when active work is still attached to the current session.

What this changes

• counts active delegated children before destructive slash commands proceed
• counts active background tasks tracked by the CLI
• augments the confirmation detail with a short active-work summary
• forces the prompt to stay enabled whenever active work is present, even if the global destructive-slash confirmation setting is off

This keeps the existing UX for normal idle-session resets, while adding a sharper warning exactly in the cases that can detach ongoing work from the conversation the user was watching.

Why this shape

I kept this as a narrow CLI-side follow-up instead of adding a larger workflow branch.

That lets Hermes reuse the existing destructive-slash confirmation flow, preserves the current opt-out behavior for ordinary resets, and only introduces the extra friction when there is active work that could be abandoned accidentally.

Tests

• python -m pytest tests/cli/test_destructive_slash_confirm.py -q -n 4
• python -m pytest tests/cli/test_cli_new_session.py -q -n 4

Fixes #28547.

Solution Sketch

• fix the root cause in the touched subsystem instead of layering a broad workaround around the symptom
• keep surrounding behavior stable and avoid unrelated refactors while the area is under review
• prove the change with focused checks on the exact path that regressed

Related Issue

Fixes #28547.

Type of Change

• 🐛 Bug fix (non-breaking change that fixes an issue)
• ✨ New feature (non-breaking change that adds functionality)
• 🔒 Security fix
• 📝 Documentation update
• ✅ Tests (adding or improving test coverage)
• ♻️ Refactor (no behavior change)
• 🎯 New skill (bundled or hub)

Changes Made

• preserved the existing technical rationale and validation notes inside the template body
• scoped this PR description to the implementation already present on the branch
• aligned the delivery format with .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md

How to Test

1. Review the existing validation notes preserved in this PR body.
2. Run the focused checks for the touched area.
3. Confirm the scoped change still behaves as described above.

Checklist

Code

• I've read the Contributing Guide
• My commit messages follow Conventional Commits (fix(scope):, feat(scope):, etc.)
• I searched for existing PRs to make sure this isn't a duplicate
• My PR contains only changes related to this fix/feature (no unrelated commits)
• I've run pytest tests/ -q and all tests pass
• I've added tests for my changes (required for bug fixes, strongly encouraged for features)
• I've tested on my platform: <!-- e.g. Ubuntu 24.04, macOS 15.2, Windows 11 -->

Documentation & Housekeeping

• I've updated relevant documentation (README, docs/, docstrings) — or N/A
• I've updated cli-config.yaml.example if I added/changed config keys — or N/A
• I've updated CONTRIBUTING.md or AGENTS.md if I changed architecture or workflows — or N/A
• I've considered cross-platform impact (Windows, macOS) per the compatibility guide — or N/A
• I've updated tool descriptions/schemas if I changed tool behavior — or N/A

Screenshots / Logs

• N/A.

Changed files

• cli.py (modified, +38/-1)
• tests/cli/test_destructive_slash_confirm.py (modified, +101/-40)