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docs(contributing): document Hermes as a knowledge-layer agent #1088

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docs(contributing): add Hermes knowledge-layer agent section
QuantumEdu Jul 10, 2026
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docs(contributing): address review feedback on Hermes section
QuantumEdu Jul 10, 2026
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21 changes: 21 additions & 0 deletions CONTRIBUTING.md
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Expand Up @@ -217,6 +217,27 @@ Breaking changes map to the `type:breaking-change` label.

---

## Hermes — Knowledge-Layer Agent

Hermes is a detect-only agent in the Gentle-AI ecosystem. Unlike coding agents (Claude Code, OpenCode, Cursor), Hermes cannot be auto-installed by Gentle-AI, but once installed manually it can still be configured (skills injection, `SOUL.md` section injection, and YAML MCP config merge under `~/.hermes/`). Hermes does not support subagents.

### Capabilities

- **SOUL.md system prompt** — injected via `StrategyMarkdownSections`, which uses marker-based insertion into existing prompt files.
- **YAML MCP config** — injected via `StrategyMergeIntoYAML`, which merges MCP server blocks into `config.yaml` without overwriting user configuration outside the managed MCP block.
- **Skills directory** — skill files are written to `~/.hermes/skills/` (SDD suite + optional skills).

### Why It Matters

Hermes's YAML MCP strategy is the reference implementation for non-coding agents that need MCP configuration. If you are building a knowledge-layer integration (MCP servers for context, memory, or retrieval), Hermes's YAML merge strategy is the adapter pattern to follow. It demonstrates how to inject MCP configuration into a YAML-structured config file using comment-preserving, hand-rolled helpers (not a full YAML AST round-trip) and without overwriting user content outside managed blocks.

### Contributing

- Hermes cannot be auto-installed. It must be installed manually before Gentle-AI detects it.
- Adapter location: `internal/agents/hermes/adapter.go`
- `Tier()` returns `TierFull` (tier is metadata for display purposes), but `SupportsAutoInstall()` remains `false` — there is no auto-install path.
- No subagents, no slash commands, no output styles.

## Branch Naming

Branch names **must** match this pattern:
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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion README.md
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Expand Up @@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Gentle-AI is NOT an AI agent installer. Most agents are easy to install. It is a
| **OpenClaw** | Solo-agent | Workspace-first `AGENTS.md` / `SOUL.md` with global MCP config |
| **Trae** | Solo-agent | Desktop app by ByteDance; `~/.trae/skills/` + OS-specific rules |
| **Pi** | Full (package-managed subagents) | `gentle-pi` harness with persona/model commands + Engram memory |
| **Hermes** | Detect-only | YAML MCP config, SOUL.md persona; install manually first |
| **Hermes** | Detect-only | Knowledge-layer agent — YAML MCP config via `StrategyMergeIntoYAML`, `SOUL.md` persona; install manually first |

@coderabbitai coderabbitai Bot Jul 10, 2026

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🎯 Functional Correctness | 🟡 Minor | ⚡ Quick win

Update the supported-agent count.

Adding Hermes brings the table to 16 agents, but the heading still says 15 Supported Agents. Update the heading to 16 Supported Agents.

🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

In `@README.md` at line 47, Update the README supported-agents heading from “15
Supported Agents” to “16 Supported Agents” to reflect the addition of Hermes.


> **Note**: This project supersedes [Agent Teams Lite](https://github.com/Gentleman-Programming/agent-teams-lite) (now archived). Everything ATL provided is included here with better installation, automatic updates, and persistent memory.

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