fix(dashboard): preserve placeholder cwd fallback

hermes_cli/config.py

@@ -3529,6 +3529,25 @@ def _terminal_env_value(value: Any) -> str:
     return str(value)
 
 
+def _terminal_config_value_is_bridgeable(key: str, value: Any) -> bool:
+    """Return whether a terminal config value owns its mirrored env var."""
+    if key == "cwd" and str(value or "").strip() in {".", "auto", "cwd"}:
+        return False
+    return True
+
+
+def terminal_config_owned_env_vars(terminal_config: Any) -> Set[str]:
+    """Return env vars explicitly owned by a raw ``terminal`` config section."""
+    if not isinstance(terminal_config, dict):
+        return set()
+    return {
+        env_var
+        for key, env_var in TERMINAL_CONFIG_ENV_MAP.items()
+        if key in terminal_config
+        and _terminal_config_value_is_bridgeable(key, terminal_config[key])
+    }
+
+
 def terminal_config_env_var_for_key(key: str) -> Optional[str]:
     """Return the env var mirrored by a ``terminal.*`` config key."""
     prefix = "terminal."
@@ -3599,10 +3618,10 @@ def apply_terminal_config_to_env(
         if cfg_key not in terminal_cfg:
             continue
         value = terminal_cfg[cfg_key]
+        if not _terminal_config_value_is_bridgeable(cfg_key, value):
+            continue
         if cfg_key == "cwd":
             raw_cwd = str(value or "").strip()
-            if raw_cwd in {".", "auto", "cwd"}:
-                continue
             if isinstance(value, str) and not _is_ssh_remote_tilde_cwd(
                 terminal_backend, raw_cwd
             ):

hermes_cli/web_server.py

@@ -16380,9 +16380,9 @@ def _resolve_chat_argv(
         env["HERMES_HOME"] = str(profile_dir)
     try:
         from hermes_cli.config import (
-            TERMINAL_CONFIG_ENV_MAP,
             apply_terminal_config_to_env,
             read_raw_config,
+            terminal_config_owned_env_vars,
         )
 
         if profile_dir is not None:
@@ -16392,12 +16392,7 @@ def _resolve_chat_argv(
             # exported by the operator for keys omitted from the launch profile
             # remain valid fallbacks, matching apply_terminal_config_to_env().
             raw_launch_terminal = read_raw_config().get("terminal")
-            if not isinstance(raw_launch_terminal, dict):
-                raw_launch_terminal = {}
-            for config_key in raw_launch_terminal:
-                env_var = TERMINAL_CONFIG_ENV_MAP.get(config_key)
-                if env_var is None:
-                    continue
+            for env_var in terminal_config_owned_env_vars(raw_launch_terminal):
                 env.pop(env_var, None)
             with _config_profile_scope(requested):
                 apply_terminal_config_to_env(env=env)

tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server_profile_unification.py

@@ -710,6 +710,34 @@ class TestProfileScopedChatPty:
         assert env["TERMINAL_ENV"] == "docker"
         assert env["TERMINAL_SSH_USER"] == "operator-user"
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("placeholder", [".", "auto", "cwd"])
+    def test_chat_argv_placeholder_cwd_preserves_exported_value(
+        self, isolated_profiles, monkeypatch, placeholder
+    ):
+        import hermes_cli.web_server as web_server
+
+        (isolated_profiles["default"] / "config.yaml").write_text(
+            f"terminal:\n  backend: docker\n  cwd: {placeholder}\n",
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+        (isolated_profiles["worker_beta"] / "config.yaml").write_text(
+            "terminal:\n  backend: ssh\n",
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERMINAL_ENV", "docker")
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERMINAL_CWD", "/operator/work")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "hermes_cli.main._make_tui_argv",
+            lambda root, tui_dev=False: (["cat"], None),
+            raising=False,
+        )
+
+        _argv, _cwd, env = web_server._resolve_chat_argv(profile="worker_beta")
+
+        assert env is not None
+        assert env["TERMINAL_ENV"] == "ssh"
+        assert env["TERMINAL_CWD"] == "/operator/work"
+
     def test_chat_argv_warns_when_profile_terminal_bridge_fails(
         self, isolated_profiles, monkeypatch, caplog
     ):
@@ -718,6 +746,11 @@ class TestProfileScopedChatPty:
         import hermes_cli.config as config_mod
         import hermes_cli.web_server as web_server
 
+        (isolated_profiles["default"] / "config.yaml").write_text(
+            "terminal:\n  backend: docker\n",
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERMINAL_ENV", "docker")
         monkeypatch.setattr(
             "hermes_cli.main._make_tui_argv",
             lambda root, tui_dev=False: (["cat"], None),
@@ -734,6 +767,7 @@ class TestProfileScopedChatPty:
 
         assert env is not None
         assert env["HERMES_HOME"] == str(isolated_profiles["worker_beta"])
+        assert "TERMINAL_ENV" not in env
         assert "Failed to apply terminal config bridge for dashboard chat" in caplog.text