NousResearch/hermes-agent · error · RuntimeError

Failed to read cron database: {e}

Error message

Failed to read cron database: {e}

What it means

Error "Failed to read cron database: {e}" thrown in NousResearch/hermes-agent.

Source

Thrown at cron/jobs.py:1094

def load_jobs() -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
    """Load all jobs from storage."""
    jobs_file = _current_cron_store().jobs_file
    ensure_dirs()
    # Stamp BEFORE reading (fail-safe direction — see _record_load_stamp):
    # a sibling write racing this load leaves the stamp older than disk, so
    # the save-path merge runs instead of being wrongly skipped.
    pre_read_stamp = _jobs_file_stamp(jobs_file)
    if not jobs_file.exists():
        _record_load_stamp(None)
        return []

    try:
        data, _strict_retry = _parse_jobs_file(jobs_file)
    except IOError as e:
        logger.error("IOError reading jobs.json: %s", e)
        raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to read cron database: {e}") from e
    except Exception as e:
        logger.error("Failed to auto-repair jobs.json: %s", e)
        raise RuntimeError(f"Cron database corrupted and unrepairable: {e}") from e

    # Validate the top-level JSON shape: accept a dict (expected) or a bare
    # list (auto-repair). Anything else (str/number/null) is corruption that
    # would otherwise raise an uncaught AttributeError on ``.get()`` and take
    # down the whole cron subsystem.
    if isinstance(data, dict):
        jobs = data.get("jobs", [])
        if _strict_retry and jobs:
            # Hit control-character corruption — rewrite with proper escaping.
            save_jobs(jobs)
            logger.warning("Auto-repaired jobs.json (had invalid control characters)")
        _record_load_stamp(pre_read_stamp)
        return jobs
    if isinstance(data, list):
        # Bare array — likely saved/edited outside save_jobs(). Wrap it back

View on GitHub (pinned to c896c09c42)

Solutions

1. Inspect the cron database file for corruption and restore from backup if available.
2. Check filesystem permissions on the cron database.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cron/jobs.py:1094 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of NousResearch/hermes-agent@c896c09c42 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3abf1ad299e7a956. Report an issue: GitHub.