The background write guard decided ownership from `isinstance(usage_rec, dict)`,
so a local skill with NO usage record passed. That successful write called
bump_patch(), which created a `created_by: null` record — and the identical
write was refused from then on. "Allowed exactly once, then never" is a race
with our own bookkeeping, not a policy. Reproduced on main: patch #1 succeeds,
patch #2 with the same arguments is refused.
Option B from the issue. Option A (split `session_review` from
`scheduled_curator` and let the session fork patch user-owned skills it
consulted) would widen autonomous write permission onto skills the user owns
with no user present to consent — wrong direction for a no-user-present actor.
- skill_manager_tool: missing and explicit-null records now resolve
IDENTICALLY, both fail closed. The refusal names the reason and points at
`hermes curator adopt <name>`.
- background_review: both review prompts told the reviewer to patch any skill
consulted in the session and claimed pinned skills could be improved, while
enforcement refused both. Prompts now list pinned, external, and user-owned
skills as protected, and tell the reviewer to RECOMMEND adoption instead of
attempting a write that will be refused.
- skill_usage: document that `created_by` is a curator-management policy flag,
not a provenance claim, and add `is_curator_managed()` so call sites read as
the question they ask. Field name retained — it is on disk in every
`.usage.json` and renaming would strand those records.
- curator CLI: `hermes curator list-unmanaged` itemizes unmanaged skills with
the reason each is unmanaged (completes the #67139 spec).
Foreground writes are untouched: a user-directed edit to a user-owned skill
still works, including on pinned skills.
Sibling tests: 9 failures in test_skill_manager_tool.py were fixtures that
created record-less skills to exercise OTHER guards (consolidation-delete,
read-before-write) and relied on ownership falling through. Fixed at the
fixture, since the real curator only ever operates on managed sediment. One
test asserted the old "manually authored" wording; rewritten to assert the
behavior contract instead of the string.
Validation: 274 targeted tests + all 7 background-review files (60 tests) pass.
E2E on a temp HERMES_HOME (30 checks) covers the flip, foreground writes,
adoption unblocking, pin semantics, prompt/enforcement parity, and the new verb.
Each new test sabotage-verified: revert the fix, confirm it goes red.
Fixes#67140
243a01d5d7