fix(compress): abort instead of dropping messages when summary LLM fails#28102
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When auxiliary compression's summary generation returns None (aux model errored, returned non-JSON, timed out, etc.) the compressor previously still dropped every middle message between compress_start..compress_end and replaced them with a static 'Summary generation was unavailable' placeholder. The session kept going but the user silently lost N turns of context for nothing. New behavior: on summary failure, compress() aborts entirely — returns the input messages unchanged and sets _last_compress_aborted=True. The existing _summary_failure_cooldown_until gate (30-60s) keeps the aux model from being burned on every turn. Auto-compress callers detect the no-op (len(after) == len(before)) and stop looping. The chat is 'frozen' at its current size until the next /compress or /new. Manual /compress (CLI + gateway) now passes force=True which clears the cooldown so users can retry immediately after an auto-abort. If the manual retry also fails, the user gets a visible warning telling them nothing was dropped and how to retry. - agent/context_compressor.py: compress() gains force= kwarg; failure branch sets _last_compress_aborted and returns messages unchanged instead of inserting placeholder. - run_agent.py: _compress_context() detects abort, surfaces warning, skips session-rotation entirely, returns messages unchanged. - cli.py + gateway/run.py: manual /compress paths pass force=True. - gateway/run.py: hygiene + /compress handlers detect _last_compress_aborted and emit the new 'Compression aborted' warning (gateway.compress.aborted) instead of the old 'N historical messages were removed' message. - locales/*.yaml: new gateway.compress.aborted key in all 16 locales. - tests: updated to assert the abort contract (messages preserved, compression_count not incremented, abort flag set, no placeholder leaked). New test_force_true_bypasses_failure_cooldown covers the manual-retry path.
…ession.compress_context Origin/main extracted _compress_context into agent/conversation_compression. Forward force= through the new function signature and apply the abort short-circuit there instead of in run_agent.py.
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teknium1
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May 18, 2026
…28117) PR #28102 made the summary-failure abort path the unconditional default, changing established behavior. Gate it behind config.yaml flag `compression.abort_on_summary_failure` (default False = historical fallback-placeholder behavior). - hermes_cli/config.py: new `compression.abort_on_summary_failure` key, default False, documented inline. - agent/agent_init.py: read the flag from compression config and pass to ContextCompressor. - agent/context_compressor.py: `__init__` accepts `abort_on_summary_failure` (default False). `compress()` failure branch gates the abort on the flag; when False, falls through to the restored legacy fallback path (static "summary unavailable" placeholder + drop middle window). - tests: restore original fallback expectations as default; add new TestAbortOnSummaryFailure class for the opt-in mode. Gateway/CLI plumbing (force=True on /compress, hygiene/handler abort detection, locale `gateway.compress.aborted` key) from PR #28102 stays intact — those paths only fire when `_last_compress_aborted` is True, which now only happens when the flag is enabled.
This was referenced May 19, 2026
Lillard01
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May 21, 2026
…ils (NousResearch#28102) When auxiliary compression's summary generation returns None (aux model errored, returned non-JSON, timed out, etc.) the compressor previously still dropped every middle message between compress_start..compress_end and replaced them with a static 'Summary generation was unavailable' placeholder. The session kept going but the user silently lost N turns of context for nothing. New behavior: on summary failure, compress() aborts entirely — returns the input messages unchanged and sets _last_compress_aborted=True. The existing _summary_failure_cooldown_until gate (30-60s) keeps the aux model from being burned on every turn. Auto-compress callers detect the no-op (len(after) == len(before)) and stop looping. The chat is 'frozen' at its current size until the next /compress or /new. Manual /compress (CLI + gateway) now passes force=True which clears the cooldown so users can retry immediately after an auto-abort. If the manual retry also fails, the user gets a visible warning telling them nothing was dropped and how to retry. - agent/context_compressor.py: compress() gains force= kwarg; failure branch sets _last_compress_aborted and returns messages unchanged instead of inserting placeholder. - run_agent.py: _compress_context() detects abort, surfaces warning, skips session-rotation entirely, returns messages unchanged. - cli.py + gateway/run.py: manual /compress paths pass force=True. - gateway/run.py: hygiene + /compress handlers detect _last_compress_aborted and emit the new 'Compression aborted' warning (gateway.compress.aborted) instead of the old 'N historical messages were removed' message. - locales/*.yaml: new gateway.compress.aborted key in all 16 locales. - tests: updated to assert the abort contract (messages preserved, compression_count not incremented, abort flag set, no placeholder leaked). New test_force_true_bypasses_failure_cooldown covers the manual-retry path.
Lillard01
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May 21, 2026
…ousResearch#28117) PR NousResearch#28102 made the summary-failure abort path the unconditional default, changing established behavior. Gate it behind config.yaml flag `compression.abort_on_summary_failure` (default False = historical fallback-placeholder behavior). - hermes_cli/config.py: new `compression.abort_on_summary_failure` key, default False, documented inline. - agent/agent_init.py: read the flag from compression config and pass to ContextCompressor. - agent/context_compressor.py: `__init__` accepts `abort_on_summary_failure` (default False). `compress()` failure branch gates the abort on the flag; when False, falls through to the restored legacy fallback path (static "summary unavailable" placeholder + drop middle window). - tests: restore original fallback expectations as default; add new TestAbortOnSummaryFailure class for the opt-in mode. Gateway/CLI plumbing (force=True on /compress, hygiene/handler abort detection, locale `gateway.compress.aborted` key) from PR NousResearch#28102 stays intact — those paths only fire when `_last_compress_aborted` is True, which now only happens when the flag is enabled.
Mucky010
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May 24, 2026
…ils (NousResearch#28102) When auxiliary compression's summary generation returns None (aux model errored, returned non-JSON, timed out, etc.) the compressor previously still dropped every middle message between compress_start..compress_end and replaced them with a static 'Summary generation was unavailable' placeholder. The session kept going but the user silently lost N turns of context for nothing. New behavior: on summary failure, compress() aborts entirely — returns the input messages unchanged and sets _last_compress_aborted=True. The existing _summary_failure_cooldown_until gate (30-60s) keeps the aux model from being burned on every turn. Auto-compress callers detect the no-op (len(after) == len(before)) and stop looping. The chat is 'frozen' at its current size until the next /compress or /new. Manual /compress (CLI + gateway) now passes force=True which clears the cooldown so users can retry immediately after an auto-abort. If the manual retry also fails, the user gets a visible warning telling them nothing was dropped and how to retry. - agent/context_compressor.py: compress() gains force= kwarg; failure branch sets _last_compress_aborted and returns messages unchanged instead of inserting placeholder. - run_agent.py: _compress_context() detects abort, surfaces warning, skips session-rotation entirely, returns messages unchanged. - cli.py + gateway/run.py: manual /compress paths pass force=True. - gateway/run.py: hygiene + /compress handlers detect _last_compress_aborted and emit the new 'Compression aborted' warning (gateway.compress.aborted) instead of the old 'N historical messages were removed' message. - locales/*.yaml: new gateway.compress.aborted key in all 16 locales. - tests: updated to assert the abort contract (messages preserved, compression_count not incremented, abort flag set, no placeholder leaked). New test_force_true_bypasses_failure_cooldown covers the manual-retry path.
Mucky010
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that referenced
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May 24, 2026
…ousResearch#28117) PR NousResearch#28102 made the summary-failure abort path the unconditional default, changing established behavior. Gate it behind config.yaml flag `compression.abort_on_summary_failure` (default False = historical fallback-placeholder behavior). - hermes_cli/config.py: new `compression.abort_on_summary_failure` key, default False, documented inline. - agent/agent_init.py: read the flag from compression config and pass to ContextCompressor. - agent/context_compressor.py: `__init__` accepts `abort_on_summary_failure` (default False). `compress()` failure branch gates the abort on the flag; when False, falls through to the restored legacy fallback path (static "summary unavailable" placeholder + drop middle window). - tests: restore original fallback expectations as default; add new TestAbortOnSummaryFailure class for the opt-in mode. Gateway/CLI plumbing (force=True on /compress, hygiene/handler abort detection, locale `gateway.compress.aborted` key) from PR NousResearch#28102 stays intact — those paths only fire when `_last_compress_aborted` is True, which now only happens when the flag is enabled.
gweeteve
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that referenced
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Jun 2, 2026
…ils (NousResearch#28102) When auxiliary compression's summary generation returns None (aux model errored, returned non-JSON, timed out, etc.) the compressor previously still dropped every middle message between compress_start..compress_end and replaced them with a static 'Summary generation was unavailable' placeholder. The session kept going but the user silently lost N turns of context for nothing. New behavior: on summary failure, compress() aborts entirely — returns the input messages unchanged and sets _last_compress_aborted=True. The existing _summary_failure_cooldown_until gate (30-60s) keeps the aux model from being burned on every turn. Auto-compress callers detect the no-op (len(after) == len(before)) and stop looping. The chat is 'frozen' at its current size until the next /compress or /new. Manual /compress (CLI + gateway) now passes force=True which clears the cooldown so users can retry immediately after an auto-abort. If the manual retry also fails, the user gets a visible warning telling them nothing was dropped and how to retry. - agent/context_compressor.py: compress() gains force= kwarg; failure branch sets _last_compress_aborted and returns messages unchanged instead of inserting placeholder. - run_agent.py: _compress_context() detects abort, surfaces warning, skips session-rotation entirely, returns messages unchanged. - cli.py + gateway/run.py: manual /compress paths pass force=True. - gateway/run.py: hygiene + /compress handlers detect _last_compress_aborted and emit the new 'Compression aborted' warning (gateway.compress.aborted) instead of the old 'N historical messages were removed' message. - locales/*.yaml: new gateway.compress.aborted key in all 16 locales. - tests: updated to assert the abort contract (messages preserved, compression_count not incremented, abort flag set, no placeholder leaked). New test_force_true_bypasses_failure_cooldown covers the manual-retry path.
gweeteve
pushed a commit
to gweeteve/hermes-agent
that referenced
this pull request
Jun 2, 2026
…ousResearch#28117) PR NousResearch#28102 made the summary-failure abort path the unconditional default, changing established behavior. Gate it behind config.yaml flag `compression.abort_on_summary_failure` (default False = historical fallback-placeholder behavior). - hermes_cli/config.py: new `compression.abort_on_summary_failure` key, default False, documented inline. - agent/agent_init.py: read the flag from compression config and pass to ContextCompressor. - agent/context_compressor.py: `__init__` accepts `abort_on_summary_failure` (default False). `compress()` failure branch gates the abort on the flag; when False, falls through to the restored legacy fallback path (static "summary unavailable" placeholder + drop middle window). - tests: restore original fallback expectations as default; add new TestAbortOnSummaryFailure class for the opt-in mode. Gateway/CLI plumbing (force=True on /compress, hygiene/handler abort detection, locale `gateway.compress.aborted` key) from PR NousResearch#28102 stays intact — those paths only fire when `_last_compress_aborted` is True, which now only happens when the flag is enabled.
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Summary
When auto-compression's summary LLM fails, freeze the chat as-is instead of silently dropping N turns and replacing them with a 'summary unavailable' placeholder. User can /compress to retry or /new to start fresh.
What was wrong
context_compressor.compress()called_generate_summary(). When that returned None (aux model errored, returned non-JSON, timed out), the code STILL dropped every middle message betweencompress_start..compress_endand inserted a static placeholder saying 'Summary generation was unavailable. N message(s) were removed and could not be summarized.' Session continued but you'd just lost N turns of context for nothing.Changes
agent/context_compressor.py:compress()gainsforce=kwarg. On summary failure, set_last_compress_aborted=Trueand return messages unchanged.run_agent.py:_compress_context()detects abort, emits warning, skips session-rotation, returns messages unchanged.cli.py+gateway/run.py(manual/compresshandler): passforce=Trueto bypass the failure cooldown so users can retry immediately.gateway/run.py(session hygiene +/compresshandlers): detect_last_compress_abortedand emit newgateway.compress.abortedi18n key ("locales/*.yaml: newgateway.compress.abortedkey in all 16 locales.compression_countnot incremented, abort flag set, no placeholder leaked). Newtest_force_true_bypasses_failure_cooldowncovers manual-retry path.Why force=True on manual /compress
After an auto-compress aborts,
_summary_failure_cooldown_untilis set for 30-60s to keep the aux model from being burned every turn. Manual/compressis the user explicitly saying 'retry now' — it should bypass that cooldown.Net effect
/compress→ cooldown bypassed, fresh attemptTest plan
scripts/run_tests.sh tests/agent/test_context_compressor.py→ 81 passedscripts/run_tests.sh tests/gateway/test_session_hygiene.py→ 23 passedscripts/run_tests.sh tests/gateway/test_compress_command.py→ 4 passedscripts/run_tests.sh tests/agent/test_i18n.py→ 43 passed (locale parity holds with new key)