P2 Disabling Coding Toolset Strips Terminal and File Tools — Overly Broad Config Side Effect (#58281)
Executive Summary
Disabling the coding toolset in Hermes Agent also removes terminal and file tools — despite those being independently useful outside of coding workflows. Users who want to disable code execution for security, cost, or workflow reasons lose terminal access and file operations entirely. There is no way to have terminal + file tools without also enabling the coding toolset.
Why This Matters
Terminal and file operations are infrastructure tools, not coding tools. They are used for:
- Running system checks and diagnostics
- Reading configuration files and logs
- Managing project files and directories
- Executing non-Python scripts and utilities
- File-based data processing workflows
None of these use cases require code execution. But the toolset boundary is drawn too coarsely: disabling coding disables them all. This forces users into an all-or-nothing choice: either accept the full coding toolset including code execution, or lose terminal and file access entirely.
Impact Assessment
| Dimension | Severity | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration Granularity | HIGH | Toolsets should have clear, non-overlapping boundaries. Disabling one toolset should not disable unrelated infrastructure tools. |
| User Agency | HIGH | Users who want to restrict code execution for security reasons cannot do so without losing essential file and terminal capabilities. |
| Workaround Quality | HIGH | The only workaround is to re-enable the coding toolset — which defeats the purpose of disabling it in the first place. |
| Fix Complexity | MEDIUM | The fix should be a configuration boundary adjustment: separate terminal and file tools from the coding toolset scope. |
Toolset/Config-Boundary Bug History
| Issue | Severity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| #53667 | P1 | Tool loader collapses to cronjob-only — get_environment not exported |
| #58281 | P2 | Disabling coding strips terminal/file — toolset boundaries too coarse |
⚠️ Pattern: Toolset boundaries are a recurring configuration surface problem. #53667 showed the tool loader itself can collapse to a minimal set. #58281 shows that even when the loader works, the toolset grouping is too coarse for practical security and workflow configuration.
Source Evidence
- GitHub Issue: #58281 — Disabling coding toolset strips terminal and file tools
- Opened: July 4, 2026
- Reporter: @richardwhetton
- Labels: P2, area/config, bug, comp/tools, type/bug
📌 https://hermes-agent.reviews/hermes-coding-toolset-strips-terminal-file-58281.html
Tracked by hermes-agent.reviews — July 4, 2026