Install Hermes Agent

Default decision

Commands to verify against official docs

Run only the command that matches your environment. After installation, open a new terminal and verify that the hermes command is available before connecting providers or gateways.

# Linux / macOS / WSL2
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

# Native Windows PowerShell
iex (irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.ps1)

Expected first checks

• hermes --help prints CLI help.
• The provider setup flow can start without missing runtime errors.
• The working directory is one you are comfortable exposing to an agent.
• You have not added production secrets until the execution boundary is clear.

Common failures

Prerequisites before any install path

• A terminal you understand well enough to inspect output.
• A non-sensitive working directory for the first session.
• Git available on Linux, macOS, or WSL2, unless you use a desktop installer path.
• A provider plan or local model route, but do not add long-lived keys until the base command works.
• A rollback point for machines with important credentials or production projects.

Install path chooser

Expected output after install

• hermes --help or hermes should start without a command-not-found error.
• hermes model or setup flow should be reachable before provider keys are added.
• hermes doctor should give actionable diagnostics if dependencies are missing.
• The data directory should be known before you connect skills, providers, or gateways.

Agent Guide judgment

The install choice is really a trust-boundary choice. Local install is convenient, Docker is more repeatable, WSL2 is often the cleanest Windows route, and VPS is an operations commitment.

If you cannot explain where Hermes stores data, which user owns that data, and what files the first session can see, do not add provider keys yet.

Install smoke test

Community friction to answer

Community discussion clusters around whether installation is scary for non-developers, whether Docker or VPS is the right first path, and whether remote/messaging operation is trustworthy. This page should answer those objections directly instead of pretending installation is only a command.

• If you do not understand shell output, use a source-review and disposable-folder path before provider setup.
• If you want always-on chat access, read VPS and messaging pages before exposing anything.
• If you want the least surprising Windows route, compare WSL2 and Docker before native PowerShell.

Install layout decision