Hermes Desktop and Menu File/Image/Folder Actions Can Close Without Opening the Native Dialog (#64111)

Bug Tracker — July 14, 2026. A reported Electron renderer event-handling defect leaves file selection actions inert: the menu closes, but the native Files, Images, or Folder dialog never appears and the preload selectPaths() IPC call is not reached.

Issue Summary

Issue #64111 reports that selecting Files, Images, or Folder in the Electron Desktop composer closes the Radix dropdown without opening a native chooser. The failure reproduces with mouse activation and Enter/Space keyboard activation. Root-cause analysis points to Radix DropdownMenu event handlers swallowing the renderer event before the preload selectPaths() IPC call. The result blocks a core input workflow even though the menu itself appears responsive.

Observed Failure Path

StepReported BehaviorUser-Level Consequence
Composer menu opensRadix dropdown displays Files, Images, and Folder actions.User expects an action to invoke the native chooser.
Mouse or keyboard activationMenu closes after click or Enter/Space.Both pointer and accessible keyboard paths appear to accept the action.
Renderer handoffDropdown event handling swallows the action before the preload bridge runs.selectPaths() IPC is never reached and no native dialog opens.
User outcomeNo file, image, or folder can be selected through the composer.Attachment and workspace-input workflows are blocked with no visible error.

Operational Impact

Classification: P3. This page summarizes a publicly reported issue; scope and remediation status can change as the upstream project investigates and merges fixes. Validate the affected workflow on the relevant operating system, terminal, or desktop build before treating a workaround or update as complete.

Mitigation and Verification

  1. Run a desktop acceptance test for Files, Images, and Folder actions using both mouse and Enter/Space keyboard activation.
  2. Instrument or inspect the renderer/preload boundary in an authorized test build to confirm whether selectPaths() is invoked.
  3. Track issue #64111 and validate the Radix event-handler fix without regressing keyboard focus, menu dismissal, or native-dialog return values.
  4. After remediation, verify the selected paths return to the composer and that canceling the native dialog leaves the UI in a recoverable state.

Source Evidence

Primary issue: NousResearch/hermes-agent issue #64111

For a managed-agent comparison, the relevant question is whether setup failures, desktop actions, and IPC boundaries fail clearly, preserve recoverability, and remain observable to operators—not only whether the happy path works.