test(kanban): harden cross-platform assertions

tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_review_surfaces.py

@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def test_worker_guidance_distinguishes_same_card_and_downstream_review() -> None
 
     repo_root = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
     review_skill = repo_root / "skills" / "devops" / "sdlc-review" / "SKILL.md"
-    skill_text = review_skill.read_text()
+    skill_text = review_skill.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     assert "kanban_request_changes" in skill_text
     assert "approve" in skill_text.lower()
     assert "escalate" in skill_text.lower()

tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_swarm.py

@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ def test_create_swarm_builds_parallel_workers_verifier_and_synthesizer(tmp_path)
         verifier = kb.get_task(conn, created.verifier_id)
         synthesizer = kb.get_task(conn, created.synthesizer_id)
 
+        assert root is not None
+        assert all(task is not None for task in workers)
+        workers = [task for task in workers if task is not None]
+        assert verifier is not None
+        assert synthesizer is not None
         assert root.status == "done"
         assert root.assignee == "orchestrator"
         assert [task.status for task in workers] == ["ready", "ready"]
@@ -140,13 +145,21 @@ def test_swarm_verifier_and_synthesis_are_dependency_gated(tmp_path):
             metadata={"confidence": 0.8},
         )
         kb.recompute_ready(conn)
-        assert kb.get_task(conn, created.verifier_id).status == "todo"
-        assert kb.get_task(conn, created.synthesizer_id).status == "todo"
+        verifier = kb.get_task(conn, created.verifier_id)
+        synthesizer = kb.get_task(conn, created.synthesizer_id)
+        assert verifier is not None
+        assert synthesizer is not None
+        assert verifier.status == "todo"
+        assert synthesizer.status == "todo"
 
         kb.complete_task(conn, created.worker_ids[1], summary="B done")
         kb.recompute_ready(conn)
-        assert kb.get_task(conn, created.verifier_id).status == "ready"
-        assert kb.get_task(conn, created.synthesizer_id).status == "todo"
+        verifier = kb.get_task(conn, created.verifier_id)
+        synthesizer = kb.get_task(conn, created.synthesizer_id)
+        assert verifier is not None
+        assert synthesizer is not None
+        assert verifier.status == "ready"
+        assert synthesizer.status == "todo"
 
         kb.complete_task(
             conn,
@@ -155,6 +168,8 @@ def test_swarm_verifier_and_synthesis_are_dependency_gated(tmp_path):
             metadata={"gate": "pass"},
         )
         kb.recompute_ready(conn)
-        assert kb.get_task(conn, created.synthesizer_id).status == "ready"
+        synthesizer = kb.get_task(conn, created.synthesizer_id)
+        assert synthesizer is not None
+        assert synthesizer.status == "ready"
     finally:
         conn.close()

tests/plugins/test_kanban_dashboard_plugin.py

@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ def test_dashboard_markdown_html_is_sanitized_before_render():
 
     repo_root = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
     bundle = repo_root / "plugins" / "kanban" / "dashboard" / "dist" / "index.js"
-    js = bundle.read_text()
+    js = bundle.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
 
     assert "function sanitizeMarkdownHtml(html)" in js
     assert "MARKDOWN_ALLOWED_TAGS" in js