Release: manual title regeneration for queued-user transcripts (#7545) (#7547)

* fix(api): scan to first complete exchange for title regeneration (#7543)

_first_exchange_snippets() aborted at a second consecutive user message
before collecting assistant text, so transcripts opening with queued user
rows (channel-backed imports) hit the missing_exchange rejection and the
deterministic fallback got persisted with HTTP 200 — invisible in the UI
and unrecoverable by retrying.

Keep scanning until the first complete user+assistant pair instead, and
fall back to the last complete exchange when the opening user message
yields no user text (privacy scrubbing) instead of failing with
empty_user_message.

Tests: tests/test_issue7543_title_first_exchange.py (8 cases, incl. the
issue-pinned transcript shape and walker-mocked discriminator tests for
both fixes).

* test(api): drop local-machine notes and sys.path hack from 7543 test module

- Docstring described the change as a local-only uncommitted hotfix with
  machine-specific paths — wrong for an upstream PR and unsafe to publish.
- Drop the defensive REPO_ROOT sys.path insert; the repo conftest already
  puts the package root on sys.path (matches the neighboring test modules).

* fix(api): drop unreachable latest-exchange fallback from title regeneration

Greptile flagged the mocked-walker fallback test (P2) as fabricating
internal state, and an exhaustive enumeration of realistic transcript
shapes (5460 combinations, lengths 1-6) confirms it: both walkers share
the same text extraction and the forward walker scans every message, so
'first walker empty while latest walker yields a pair' is unreachable
from real transcripts. The fallback branch was dead code.

Remove it together with its two walker-mocked tests; the fixed first-
exchange walker alone resolves the reported issue shape. Replace the
mocked tests with an observable E2E error-path test through the real
walkers, and make the aux mock guard-faithful (empty assistant_text ->
missing_exchange per the generate_title_raw_via_aux contract) so the
fail-before proof actually exercises the endpoint contract.

* fix(#7543): scope first-exchange scan-past to the manual-regen path only

The full suite caught that broadening the SHARED _first_exchange_snippets also
activated the automatic in-stream background-title path for consecutive-user-row
transcripts, moving stream teardown from the synchronous stream_end branch to the
background-title-thread branch (test_issue3929 emits_done regressed: stream_end
was no longer in the synchronous queue). #7543 is specifically about the MANUAL
'Regenerate title' endpoint, so gate the scan-past behavior behind an opt-in
scan_past_consecutive_users flag (default False = master behavior) and pass True
only from generate_session_title_for_session. Auto in-stream path is now
byte-identical to master; added a default-behavior regression guard test.

* docs(changelog): stamp #7545 (manual title regen for queued-user transcripts)

---------

Co-authored-by: Raylands <Raylands@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: nesquena-hermes <nesquena-hermes@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: n <a@n>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- **Manual "Regenerate title" now works for conversations that open with several queued user messages.** For a session whose transcript begins with consecutive user turns (no assistant reply before the second user message), the first-exchange walker stopped at the second user row with no assistant text, so "Regenerate title" skipped the LLM call, silently persisted the local fallback (a truncated first message), and returned `200` with that same wrong title on every retry — leaving the session permanently stuck. Manual regeneration now scans past the opening user rows to the first complete user+assistant pair so it reaches the aux model. The automatic in-stream title path is deliberately unchanged. Thanks @Raylands. (#7545, closes #7543)
+
 - **Custom providers that Hermes auto-discovered now show their full live `/v1/models` catalog again instead of just the saved models.** When a provider entry carries `models_discovered: true` alongside a `models:` mapping of per-model metadata (vision, context length), that mapping is discovery metadata — not a hand-curated allowlist — but the WebUI treated it as one and suppressed the live catalog, collapsing the model picker to only the already-saved IDs. Such a provider now defers to its live `/v1/models` catalog (matching the Hermes Agent's own `_models_config_is_allowlist` semantics), while an explicit `discover_models: false` opt-out (including the Agent-compatible string forms `false`/`no`/`0`) still pins the configured list, and a transient empty live probe falls back to the configured models rather than dropping the provider from the picker. Thanks @evgenyponomarev. (#7409, closes #7404)
 
 - **Ctrl-C and `ctl.sh`-launched daemons now shut down gracefully instead of leaving the server running.** The WebUI installed a SIGTERM handler that drains in-flight work through `serve_forever()`'s `finally`, but SIGINT fell through to Python's default, so a daemon started via `./ctl.sh start` could only be stopped with `kill <pid>` and the Settings "Stop server" button did not stop it. SIGINT now shares the same idempotent graceful-shutdown handler as SIGTERM. Thanks @aniruddhaadak80. (#7315, closes #7078)

api/streaming.py

@@ -4011,11 +4011,21 @@ def _looks_like_current_user_turn(msg, msg_text) -> bool:
     return any(" ".join(str(candidate or '').split()) == needle for candidate in candidates)
 
 
-def _first_exchange_snippets(messages):
+def _first_exchange_snippets(messages, *, scan_past_consecutive_users: bool = False):
     """Return (first_user_text, first_assistant_text) snippets for title generation.
 
     Prefer the first substantive assistant answer in the opening exchange,
     skipping empty placeholders and assistant tool-call preambles.
+
+    ``scan_past_consecutive_users`` (opt-in) keeps scanning past consecutive
+    opening user rows (queued first turns) until the first COMPLETE user+assistant
+    pair — needed by the manual "Regenerate title" path (#7543), which otherwise
+    aborted at the second user row with an empty assistant snippet and silently
+    persisted the local fallback. It defaults False so the automatic in-stream
+    background-title path keeps its exact prior behavior (a transcript with no
+    assistant text before the second user row yields an empty assistant snippet,
+    which _background_title_generation_inputs treats as "not yet eligible" — the
+    stream teardown then emits stream_end on its synchronous path unchanged).
     """
     user_text = ''
     asst_text = ''
@@ -4025,11 +4035,14 @@ def _first_exchange_snippets(messages):
         role = m.get('role')
         if role == 'user':
             candidate = _strip_thinking_markup(_title_exchange_input_text(m.get('content')))
-            if not user_text and candidate:
+            if candidate and not user_text:
                 user_text = candidate
-                continue
+            elif user_text and candidate and not scan_past_consecutive_users:
-            if user_text and candidate:
+                # Legacy/default behavior: a second populated user row before any
+                # assistant text ends the opening exchange (asst_text stays empty).
                 break
+            # When scan_past_consecutive_users is set, keep going past consecutive
+            # user rows (#7543) until the first user+assistant pair.
         elif role == 'assistant' and user_text:
             candidate = _message_text(m.get('content'))
             # Skip tool-call preambles *only* when content is empty or looks
@@ -5098,7 +5111,12 @@ def generate_session_title_for_session(session, *, prefer_latest: bool = False,
     if prefer_latest:
         user_text, assistant_text = _latest_exchange_snippets(messages)
     else:
-        user_text, assistant_text = _first_exchange_snippets(messages)
+        # Manual "Regenerate title" (#7543): scan past consecutive opening user
+        # rows to the first complete user+assistant pair, so a transcript that
+        # opens with queued user turns still reaches the aux LLM instead of
+        # silently persisting the local fallback. The automatic in-stream path
+        # keeps the default (no scan-past) so its stream teardown is unchanged.
+        user_text, assistant_text = _first_exchange_snippets(messages, scan_past_consecutive_users=True)
     if not user_text:
         return None, 'empty_user_message', ''
     from api import profiles as profiles_api

tests/test_issue7543_title_first_exchange.py

@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+"""Regression coverage for nesquena/hermes-webui#7543.
+
+Bug: manual "Regenerate title" failed with missing_exchange for sessions
+whose transcript opens with consecutive user rows (no assistant text before
+the second user turn) — _first_exchange_snippets() aborted at the second
+user message, the aux call was skipped, and the deterministic local fallback
+was persisted (200 + identical wrong title on every retry).
+"""
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import api.profiles as profiles_api
+import api.streaming as streaming
+
+
+class _ProfileEnv:
+    def __enter__(self):
+        return None
+
+    def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb):
+        return False
+
+
+def _capturing_llm_result(captured, title="LLM Title", status="llm_aux"):
+    # Guard-faithful stand-in for the aux route: mirrors the documented
+    # generate_title_raw_via_aux contract — empty assistant_text is rejected
+    # with missing_exchange (the provider edge), never the selection logic.
+    def _fake(user_text, assistant_text, **kwargs):
+        captured["user_text"] = user_text
+        captured["assistant_text"] = assistant_text
+        if not user_text or not assistant_text:
+            return None, "missing_exchange", ""
+        return title, status, ""
+
+    return _fake
+
+
+def _run_generation(monkeypatch, messages, captured, prefer_latest=False):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(profiles_api, "profile_env_for_background_worker", lambda *a, **k: _ProfileEnv())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(streaming, "_aux_title_generation_enabled", lambda: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(streaming, "_generate_llm_session_title_via_aux", _capturing_llm_result(captured))
+    session = MagicMock()
+    session.messages = messages
+    session.session_id = "issue7543"
+    return streaming.generate_session_title_for_session(session, prefer_latest=prefer_latest)
+
+
+# --- Fix A: _first_exchange_snippets scans past consecutive user rows (opt-in) ---
+
+
+def test_first_exchange_snippets_scan_past_consecutive_user_rows():
+    # Channel-backed import/projection shape: opening run of user rows,
+    # first assistant answer only much later (#7543 repro shape).
+    # scan_past_consecutive_users=True is the manual-regen behavior.
+    messages = [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Opening question about certificates"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Follow-up that used to trigger the break"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Another queued user turn"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "## Real first answer with substance"},
+    ]
+    user_text, asst_text = streaming._first_exchange_snippets(
+        messages, scan_past_consecutive_users=True
+    )
+    assert user_text == "Opening question about certificates"
+    assert asst_text == "## Real first answer with substance"
+
+
+def test_first_exchange_snippets_default_stops_at_second_user_row():
+    # The DEFAULT (automatic in-stream background-title path) must keep master's
+    # exact behavior: a second populated user row before any assistant text ends
+    # the opening exchange with an empty assistant snippet. This is load-bearing —
+    # _background_title_generation_inputs treats an empty assistant snippet as
+    # "not yet eligible", which keeps the stream teardown on its synchronous
+    # stream_end path (regression guard for test_issue3929 emits_done).
+    messages = [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Opening question about certificates"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Follow-up that used to trigger the break"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Another queued user turn"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "## Real first answer with substance"},
+    ]
+    user_text, asst_text = streaming._first_exchange_snippets(messages)
+    assert user_text == "Opening question about certificates"
+    assert asst_text == ""
+
+
+def test_first_exchange_snippets_normal_pair_unchanged():
+    # Classic [user, assistant] opening must keep its exact behavior in BOTH modes.
+    messages = [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Please fix the stale sidebar title controls"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "I will add a regenerate-title action."},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Second question"},
+    ]
+    for scan in (False, True):
+        user_text, asst_text = streaming._first_exchange_snippets(
+            messages, scan_past_consecutive_users=scan
+        )
+        assert user_text == "Please fix the stale sidebar title controls"
+        assert asst_text == "I will add a regenerate-title action."
+
+
+def test_first_exchange_snippets_without_any_assistant_text_still_empty():
+    # No assistant text anywhere -> still unusable for the LLM path in BOTH modes;
+    # the missing_exchange rejection in generate_title_raw_via_aux stays intact.
+    messages = [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Question one"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Question two"},
+    ]
+    for scan in (False, True):
+        user_text, asst_text = streaming._first_exchange_snippets(
+            messages, scan_past_consecutive_users=scan
+        )
+        assert user_text == "Question one"
+        assert asst_text == ""
+
+
+def test_issue7543_real_transcript_shape_reaches_llm_path(monkeypatch):
+    captured = {}
+    messages = [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Wie kann ich auf einem windows server 2025 ein zertifikat erstellen"} ,
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Wächst das Log so nicht in eine unendliche Schleife"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "## Zertifikat für Windows Admin Center mit AD-CS"},
+    ]
+    title, status, _raw = _run_generation(monkeypatch, messages, captured)
+    assert status == "llm_aux"
+    assert title == "LLM Title"
+    assert captured["user_text"].startswith("Wie kann ich auf einem windows server 2025")
+    assert captured["assistant_text"].startswith("## Zertifikat")
+
+
+def test_regenerate_helper_errors_with_real_walkers_when_no_user_text_exists(monkeypatch):
+    """Observable error path through the real walkers: no user text anywhere
+    (orphan assistant rows only) -> empty_user_message, aux never called."""
+    captured = {}
+    messages = [{"role": "assistant", "content": "orphan answer without any user turn"}]
+    title, status, _raw = _run_generation(monkeypatch, messages, captured)
+    assert title is None
+    assert status == "empty_user_message"
+    assert "user_text" not in captured  # aux path never reached
+
+
+def test_regenerate_helper_prefer_latest_path_unchanged(monkeypatch):
+    captured = {}
+    messages = [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "First question"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "First answer"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "Latest question"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Latest answer"},
+    ]
+    title, status, _raw = _run_generation(monkeypatch, messages, captured, prefer_latest=True)
+    assert status == "llm_aux"
+    assert captured["user_text"] == "Latest question"
+    assert captured["assistant_text"] == "Latest answer"
+
+
+def test_regenerate_helper_prefer_latest_with_empty_last_user_message_errors(monkeypatch):
+    captured = {}
+    messages = [
+        {"role": "user", "content": "First question"},
+        {"role": "assistant", "content": "First answer"},
+        {"role": "user", "content": "   "},
+    ]
+    title, status, _raw = _run_generation(monkeypatch, messages, captured, prefer_latest=True)
+    assert title is None
+    assert status == "empty_user_message"
+    assert "user_text" not in captured