Re-port of the PR's version gate onto the decomposed layout: the field and
parser live in plugins_manifest.py (with running_hermes_version /
version_satisfies helpers), the load-time skip in plugins_loader.py
before any import. Unsatisfied plugins record an error and never run
register(); one invariant test proves both halves.
Move the general-vs-memory hook ownership logic out of the memory collector into
PluginLedgerMixin (_drop_fallback_hooks / _register_fallback_hook) so the collector
and the loader each call one manager method instead of reaching into manager privates.
Hoist hashlib to module scope. Trim the new suite to the three invariant cases
(run-once across load orders, distinct sources not suppressed, re-exported register).
hermes_cli/plugin_compat.py is now the single source of truth for the compat window:
COMPAT_REMOVAL_DATE = 2026-09-14; scan_plugin() statically finds `from F import n`, `import F` + `F.n`,
alias forms and string targets against compat_manifest.json; compat_report() aggregates over the user's
ENABLED external (non-bundled) plugins; disable_reason() decides the loader's skip.
Surfaces (all read from that one report):
* CLI: yellow block under the banner naming plugins + date + `hermes plugins compat` (red + DISABLED after)
* `hermes plugins compat [--json] [path]`: file:line, old -> new per hit; exit 1 while anything remains;
`path` lets a plugin author scan their own checkout
* `hermes doctor`: "Plugin import paths (removed Sep 14, 2026)" section next to the xAI retirement check
* `hermes update`: post-update notice alongside the FTS/curator notices
* Desktop: compat_report() writes HERMES_HOME/.plugin-compat-report.json (deleted when clean); Electron
shows ONE warning dialog per distinct report after the backend is up and persists the dismissal in
userData/plugin-compat-dismissed.json. A new affected plugin, or the date passing, is a new report.
From the date, PluginManager skips a hitting external plugin before importing it, with the reason in
LoadedPlugin.error ("uses N import path(s) removed on 2026-09-14; run `hermes plugins compat` ...") — the
same path a plugin with a broken register() takes, so nothing else is affected. Escape hatch:
plugins.allow_deprecated_imports: true (config_defaults), which only helps until the compat commit is
actually reverted.
Docs: COMPAT_MANIFEST.md (removal date, what-happens table, author instructions), plugin dev guide section.
Tests: tests/test_plugin_compat_notice.py (scanner forms, report scope, date gate + escape hatch, summary
text, report file lifecycle, loader skip via a real PluginManager), electron/plugin-compat-notice.test.ts
(show once, re-show on a different set or on the date passing, malformed file ignored).
Live A/B on this box with a demo plugin on old paths: before the date it loads and the banner/doctor/report
name it; with today=2026-09-14 it is skipped with the reason and the banner turns red; with the escape
hatch it loads again.
For each issue anchor present in BASE 63279301bc non-test .py and absent on HEAD, the BASE comment/docstring block was re-attached at the HEAD location of the code it explained (matched by the distinctive code line / enclosing def). Sentences already covered by an existing HEAD comment were deduped; the issue number always survives. Insert-only: no code lines changed.