Files
hermes-webui/api
nesquena-hermes a2b793be4f fix(picker): Nous Portal featured-set cap + endpoint symmetry (closes #1567)
Two related dropdown bugs in one PR — same root shape (model-picker
endpoints disagreeing about which Nous Portal models exist) plus the
preemptive UX guard against the picker becoming unusable on large-tier
Nous accounts.

#1567 — Endpoint disagreement
=============================
Reporter (Deor, Discord, May 03 2026) saw Settings → Providers card
showing "Nous Portal — 396 models · OAuth" while the in-conversation
picker dropdown listed only the four hardcoded curated entries.

Two structural causes:

1. ``api/providers.py:get_providers`` iterates ALL OAuth providers
   regardless of authentication state and unconditionally live-fetches
   the catalog.
2. ``api/config.py:_build_available_models_uncached`` only iterates
   providers in ``detected_providers``, gated on
   ``hermes_cli.models.list_available_providers().authenticated``.
   That flag can disagree with ``get_auth_status(<id>).logged_in`` on
   some hermes_cli versions.

When the disagreement happens for Nous, the picker silently falls
through to the curated 4-entry static list while the providers card
keeps showing the live catalog — exactly the asymmetry users report.

Plus: the Nous live-fetch branch in `_build_available_models_uncached`
fell back to the same curated 4-entry list when `provider_model_ids`
returned an empty list (transient failure / OAuth refresh in flight),
which doubles down on the disagreement instead of healing it.

UX cap (the design concern Nathan flagged on triage)
====================================================
Even with the disagreement fixed, dumping a 397-model catalog into a
flat dropdown is unusable. We trim the visible picker to a curated
~15-entry featured set when the catalog exceeds 25 models, and surface
the rest under a new ``extra_models`` field so:

- ``/model`` slash autocomplete (commands.js) covers the full catalog
- ``_dynamicModelLabels`` (ui.js) hydrates from both lists, so a model
  selected from outside the featured slice still gets a proper label
- The optgroup label gets ``" (15 of 397)"`` appended so the user
  understands the dropdown is intentionally trimmed, not broken
- The providers card surfaces ``models_total`` separately so the
  header still reads "397 models · OAuth"
- A small "+N more" disclosure pill appears at the end of the rendered
  pill list (only fires for non-OAuth providers — OAuth cards never
  render pills) with a tooltip pointing at the slash command

Featured selection rules
------------------------
Deterministic; same algorithm runs in both `/api/models` and
`/api/models/live` so background enrichment doesn't undo the trim:

1. Always include the user's currently-selected model (sticky — no
   orphan IDs in the dropdown after a refresh)
2. Always include every entry from the curated static
   ``_PROVIDER_MODELS["nous"]`` list whose id maps onto a live id
3. Top up to 15 by walking ``_NOUS_VENDOR_PRIORITY`` round-robin
   (one model per vendor each pass) so no vendor monopolises the slots

Changes by file
===============

api/config.py
- New `_format_nous_label` neighbour: `_NOUS_FEATURED_THRESHOLD = 25`,
  `_NOUS_FEATURED_TARGET = 15`, `_NOUS_VENDOR_PRIORITY` tuple,
  `_build_nous_featured_set()` helper (~80 LOC)
- `_build_available_models_uncached` Nous branch:
  - Apply featured-set cap with sticky-selection signal
  - Return `extra_models` alongside `models` for the catalog tail
  - Decorate optgroup label with truncation count
  - Drop stale-4 fallback when authenticated but live-fetch empty
    (omit the group entirely; truth lives in the providers card and
    the next cache rebuild will heal it)
  - Keep stale-4 fallback when hermes_cli is unavailable (test envs,
    package mismatches) — that's a different failure mode
- Detection symmetry: explicit `get_auth_status("nous").logged_in`
  check after the existing `list_available_providers()` loop, so the
  picker matches the providers card on hermes_cli versions where the
  two signals disagree

api/providers.py:get_providers
- Apply same featured-set cap so card body doesn't render 397 pills
- Add `models_total` field reporting full catalog size (used by
  frontend for the "N models · OAuth" header text)

api/routes.py:_handle_live_models
- Apply same featured-set cap for `/api/models/live` so background
  enrichment via `_fetchLiveModels()` doesn't undo the dropdown trim
- Use sticky-selection from `cfg["model"]["model"]` matching the main
  endpoint's logic

static/ui.js:populateModelDropdown
- Hydrate `_dynamicModelLabels` from `g.extra_models` so a selection
  outside the visible dropdown still renders with its proper label

static/commands.js:_loadSlashModelSubArgs
- Iterate `group.extra_models` so `/model` autocomplete covers the
  full catalog (not just the trimmed featured slice)

static/panels.js:_buildProviderCard
- Header count uses `p.models_total` (full catalog size) instead of
  `p.models.length` (trimmed slice)
- Render trailing "+N more" disclosure pill when `models.length <
  models_total` with a tooltip pointing at the slash command

static/style.css
- New `.provider-card-model-tag-more` rule (italic, dashed border,
  cursor:help, no select) — visually distinct from real model pills

Tests
=====

`tests/test_issue1567_nous_picker_capacity_and_symmetry.py` (20 tests):

- TestBuildNousFeaturedSet (8): unit tests on the helper —
  small-catalog no-op, large-catalog cap to target, disjoint+complete
  invariants, priority-vendor round-robin guarantee, sticky selection
  with and without `@nous:` prefix, curated-flagship preservation,
  empty-catalog handling, determinism
- TestApiModelsLargeCatalog (2): /api/models cap behavior end-to-end
  on a synthetic 397-model catalog vs a 20-model catalog
- TestNousDetectionSymmetry (2): picker includes Nous when
  `get_auth_status` agrees but `list_available_providers` disagrees;
  picker omits Nous when both disagree
- TestNousLiveFetchEmpty (2): authenticated + empty-fetch omits group;
  hermes_cli unavailable still falls back to static-4
- TestProvidersCardPickerSymmetry (1): both endpoints agree on
  exactly the same featured-set IDs + total catalog count
- TestFrontendExtrasContract (4): static-source assertions pinning
  the JS contract for `extra_models`, `models_total`, and the "+N more"
  disclosure

Verified live on port 8789 (30-model catalog):
- /api/models Nous group: provider="Nous Portal (15 of 30)", 15 models,
  15 extra_models
- /api/models/live?provider=nous: 15 entries (matches main path)
- /api/providers Nous card: models_total=30, models=15
- Browser dropdown after backfill: 15 options, 30 entries in
  _dynamicModelLabels
- Sticky selection: Claude Opus 4.7 (the active model) in the featured
  slice as expected

4073 pytest passed (was 4053 → 4073, +20 from this PR).
3 CI test runs (3.11/3.12/3.13) green.
QA harness 11/11 passed.

Reporter: Deor (Discord #report-bugs, May 03 2026 14:15 PT)
Relayed by: AvidFuturist
2026-05-03 21:44:22 +00:00
..
2026-04-29 19:54:07 -07:00