hermes - 💡(How to fix) Fix Memory silently ignored when MEMORY.md is raw markdown instead of §-delimited entries [3 pull requests]

Bug: Silent memory failure with wrong file format

Summary

When MEMORY.md is written as raw markdown (headings, paragraphs, lists) instead of §-delimited entries, the memory system silently fails — the bot has zero knowledge of the file's contents. No errors logged, no warnings, just invisible.

Root Cause

tools/memory_tool.py _read_file() splits on ENTRY_DELIMITER = "\n§\n". Raw markdown has no § characters, so the entire file becomes a single entry. Then:

1. The single entry exceeds memory_char_limit (default 2200)
2. _detect_external_drift() flags it as externally written bulk content
3. The entry gets blocked from the system prompt snapshot (replaced with [BLOCKED: ...] placeholder)
4. The bot responds as if memory is empty

Reproduction

1. Write a MEMORY.md with standard markdown formatting (no § delimiters):

   ## Schedule
   - Daily: website check
   - Weekly: backup
   
   ## Projects
   FOAF network at /data/dossiers/

2. Start a gateway session
3. Ask the bot about anything in the memory file → "I don't know about that"
4. Check logs → zero warnings about invalid memory format

Expected Behavior (pick one)

1. Auto-detect and wrap: If no § delimiters found, treat the whole file as a single entry with a warning
2. Log a warning: "MEMORY.md contains no § delimiters — entries may not parse correctly"
3. Document the format: hermes memory --help or docs should explain the § delimiter requirement
4. Accept both formats: Parse markdown sections as separate entries

Impact

This caused a complete migration failure from openclaw to Hermes — the bot ran for hours with empty memory, unable to answer basic questions about its own scheduled tasks or the FOAF contact system, while verification scripts (checking file existence/content) passed.

Environment

• Hermes Agent: latest (installed May 2026)
• Platform: Linux (Ubuntu 24.04)
• Memory config: memory_enabled: true, no explicit provider (using built-in MemoryStore)
• MEMORY.md: 15K chars raw markdown → silently blocked