hermes-agent

# Hermes Agent Hermes Agent is an open-source AI agent framework by Nous Research that runs in your terminal, messaging platforms, and IDEs. It belongs to the same category as Claude Code (Anthropic), Codex (OpenAI), and OpenClaw — autonomous coding and task-execution agents that use tool calling to interact with your system. Hermes works with any LLM provider (OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, local models, and 15+ others) and runs on Linux, macOS, and WSL. What makes Hermes different: - **Self-improving through skills** — Hermes learns from experience by saving reusable procedures as skills. When it solves a complex problem, discovers a workflow, or gets corrected, it can persist that knowledge as a skill document that loads into future sessions. Skills accumulate over time, making the agent better at your specific tasks and environment. - **Persistent memory across sessions** — remembers who you are, your preferences, environment details, and lessons learned. Pluggable memory backends (built-in, Honcho, Mem0, and more) let you choose how memory works. - **Multi-platform gateway** — the same agent runs on Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Matrix, Email, and 10+ other platforms with full tool access, not just chat. - **Provider-agnostic** — swap models and providers mid-workflow without changing anything else. Credential pools rotate across multiple API keys automatically. - **Profiles** — run multiple independent Hermes instances with isolated configs, sessions, skills, and memory. - **Extensible** — plugins, MCP servers, custom tools, webhook triggers, cron scheduling, and the full Python ecosystem. People use Hermes for software development, research, system administration, data analysis, content creation, home automation, and anything else that benefits from an AI agent with persistent context and full system access. **This skill helps you work with Hermes Agent effectively** — setting it up, configuring features, spawning additional agent instances, troubleshooting issues, finding the right commands and settings, and understanding how the system works when you need to extend or contribute to it. **IMPORTANT:** When answering Hermes-related questions, ALWAYS reference the installed knowledge bases first: - **Hermes-Wiki** (`~/.hermes/wiki/`) — 37 architecture docs for troubleshooting and optimization - **hermes-ecosystem** (`~/.hermes/ecosystem-atlas/`) — 111 curated projects for tool recommendations See `references/hermes-knowledge-base-workflow.md` for the mandatory reference workflow. **Docs:** https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/ ## Quick Start ```bash # Install curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash # Interactive chat (default) hermes # Single query hermes chat -q "What is the capital of France?" # Setup wizard hermes setup # Change model/provider hermes model # Check health hermes doctor ``` --- ## References - [Hermes documentation](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs) - [VSCode extensions for custom providers](references/vscode-extensions.md) — Continue, Cline, Twinny setup ``` hermes [flags] [command] --version, -V Show version --resume, -r SESSION Resume session by ID or title --continue, -c [NAME] Resume by name, or most recent session --worktree, -w Isolated git worktree mode (parallel agents) --skills, -s SKILL Preload skills (comma-separate or repeat) --profile, -p NAME Use a named profile --yolo Skip dangerous command approval --pass-session-id Include session ID in system prompt ``` No subcommand defaults to `chat`. ### Chat ``` hermes chat [flags] -q, --query TEXT Single query, non-interactive -m, --model MODEL Model (e.g. anthropic/claude-sonnet-4) -t, --toolsets LIST Comma-separated toolsets --provider PROVIDER Force provider (openrouter, anthropic, nous, etc.) -v, --verbose Verbose output -Q, --quiet Suppress banner, spinner, tool previews --checkpoints Enable filesystem checkpoints (/rollback) --source TAG Session source tag (default: cli) ``` ### Configuration ``` hermes setup [section] Interactive wizard (model|terminal|gateway|tools|agent) hermes model Interactive model/provider picker hermes config View current config hermes config edit Open config.yaml in $EDITOR hermes config set KEY VAL Set a config value hermes config path Print config.yaml path hermes config env-path Print .env path hermes config check Check for missing/outdated config hermes config migrate Update config with new options hermes login [--provider P] OAuth login (nous, openai-codex) hermes logout Clear stored auth hermes doctor [--fix] Check dependencies and config hermes status [--all] Show component status ``` ### Tools & Skills ``` hermes tools Interactive tool enable/disable (curses UI) hermes tools list Show all tools and status hermes tools enable NAME Enable a toolset hermes tools disable NAME Disable a toolset hermes skills list List installed skills hermes skills search QUERY Search the skills hub hermes skills install ID Install a skill (ID can be a hub identifier OR a direct https://…/SKILL.md URL; pass --name to override when frontmatter has no name) hermes skills inspect ID Preview without installing hermes skills config Enable/disable skills per platform hermes skills check Check for updates hermes skills update Update outdated skills hermes skills uninstall N Remove a hub skill hermes skills publish PATH Publish to registry hermes skills browse Browse all available skills hermes skills tap add REPO Add a GitHub repo as skill source ``` ### MCP Servers ``` hermes mcp serve Run Hermes as an MCP server hermes mcp add NAME Add an MCP server (--url or --command) hermes mcp remove NAME Remove an MCP server hermes mcp list List configured servers hermes mcp test NAME Test connection hermes mcp configure NAME Toggle tool selection ``` ### Gateway (Messaging Platforms) ``` hermes gateway run Start gateway foreground hermes gateway install Install as background service hermes gateway start/stop Control the service hermes gateway restart Restart the service hermes gateway status Check status hermes gateway setup Configure platforms ``` Supported platforms: Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Email, SMS, Matrix, Mattermost, Home Assistant, DingTalk, Feishu, WeCom, BlueBubbles (iMessage), Weixin (WeChat), API Server, Webhooks. Open WebUI connects via the API Server adapter. Platform docs: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/messaging/ ### Sessions ``` hermes sessions list List recent sessions hermes sessions browse Interactive picker hermes sessions export OUT Export to JSONL hermes sessions rename ID T Rename a session hermes sessions delete ID Delete a session hermes sessions prune Clean up old sessions (--older-than N days) hermes sessions stats Session store statistics ``` ### Cron Jobs ``` hermes cron list List jobs (--all for disabled) hermes cron create SCHED Create: '30m', 'every 2h', '0 9 * * *' hermes cron edit ID Edit schedule, prompt, delivery hermes cron pause/resume ID Control job state hermes cron run ID Trigger on next tick hermes cron remove ID Delete a job hermes cron status Scheduler status ``` ### Webhooks ``` hermes webhook subscribe N Create route at /webhooks/<name> hermes webhook list List subscriptions hermes webhook remove NAME Remove a subscription hermes webhook test NAME Send a test POST ``` ### Profiles ``` hermes profile list List all profiles hermes profile create NAME Create (--clone, --clone-all, --clone-from) hermes profile use NAME Set sticky default hermes profile delete NAME Delete a profile hermes profile show NAME Show details hermes profile alias NAME Manage wrapper scripts hermes profile rename A B Rename a profile hermes profile export NAME Export to tar.gz hermes profile import FILE Import from archive ``` ### Credential Pools ``` hermes auth add Interactive credential wizard hermes auth list [PROVIDER] List pooled credentials hermes auth remove P INDEX Remove by provider + index hermes auth reset PROVIDER Clear exhaustion status ``` ### Other ``` hermes insights [--days N] Usage analytics hermes update Update to latest version hermes pairing list/approve/revoke DM authorization hermes plugins list/install/remove Plugin management hermes honcho setup/status Honcho memory integration (requires honcho plugin) hermes memory setup/status/off Memory provider config hermes completion bash|zsh Shell completions hermes acp ACP server (IDE integration) hermes claw migrate Migrate from OpenClaw hermes uninstall Uninstall Hermes ``` --- ## Slash Commands (In-Session) Type these during an interactive chat session. ### Session Control ``` /new (/reset) Fresh session /clear Clear screen + new session (CLI) /retry Resend last message /undo Remove last exchange /title [name] Name the session /compress Manually compress context /stop Kill background processes /rollback [N] Restore filesystem checkpoint /background <prompt> Run prompt in background /queue <prompt> Queue for next turn /resume [name] Resume a named session ``` ### Configuration ``` /config Show config (CLI) /model [name] Show or change model /personality [name] Set personality /reasoning [level] Set reasoning (none|minimal|low|medium|high|xhigh|show|hide) /verbose Cycle: off → new → all → verbose /voice [on|off|tts] Voice mode /yolo Toggle approval bypass /skin [name] Change theme (CLI) /statusbar Toggle status bar (CLI) ``` ### Tools & Skills ``` /tools Manage tools (CLI) /toolsets List toolsets (CLI) /skills Search/install skills (CLI) /skill <name> Load a skill into session /cron Manage cron jobs (CLI) /reload-mcp Reload MCP servers /plugins List plugins (CLI) ``` ### Gateway ``` /approve Approve a pending command (gateway) /deny Deny a pending command (gateway) /restart Restart gateway (gateway) /sethome Set current chat as home channel (gateway) /update Update Hermes to latest (gateway) /platforms (/gateway) Show platform connection status (gateway) ``` ### Utility ``` /branch (/fork) Branch the current session /fast Toggle priority/fast processing /browser Open CDP browser connection /history Show conversation history (CLI) /save Save conversation to file (CLI) /paste Attach clipboard image (CLI) /image Attach local image file (CLI) ``` ### Info ``` /help Show commands /commands [page] Browse all commands (gateway) /usage Token usage /insights [days] Usage analytics /status Session info (gateway) /profile Active profile info ``` ### Exit ``` /quit (/exit, /q) Exit CLI ``` --- --- ## Curator (Skill Garbage Collection) **New in v0.12.0** — Hermes automatically cleans up unused skills to prevent library bloat. Curator runs in the background every 7 days, tracking which skills are actually loaded and used. Skills that haven't been touched in 30+ days are marked stale; after 90 days they're archived (removed from active library). **Default config:** ```yaml curator: enabled: true # On by default interval_hours: 168 # Run every 7 days min_idle_hours: 2 # Only analyze skills idle for 2+ hours stale_after_days: 30 # Mark unused skills as stale archive_after_days: 90 # Remove skills unused for 90 days ``` Curator uses an auxiliary model (separate from your main model) for usage analysis. Configure via `auxiliary.curator` section if needed. **Why it matters:** - Prevents skill bloat that wastes context window - Keeps token usage efficient by removing irrelevant skills - Agent maintains itself without manual cleanup Curator is fully automatic — no CLI commands needed. It tracks usage silently and prunes during the 7-day background pass. --- ## Key Paths & Config ``` ~/.hermes/config.yaml Main configuration ~/.hermes/.env API keys and secrets $HERMES_HOME/skills/ Installed skills ~/.hermes/sessions/ Session transcripts ~/.hermes/logs/ Gateway and error logs ~/.hermes/auth.json OAuth tokens and credential pools ~/.hermes/hermes-agent/ Source code (if git-installed) ``` Profiles use `~/.hermes/profiles/<name>/` with the same layout. ### Config Sections Edit with `hermes config edit` or `hermes config set section.key value`. | Section | Key options | |---------|-------------| | `model` | `default`, `provider`, `base_url`, `api_key`, `context_length` | | `agent` | `max_turns` (90), `tool_use_enforcement` | | `terminal` | `backend` (local/docker/ssh/modal), `cwd`, `timeout` (180) | | `compression` | `enabled`, `threshold` (0.50), `target_ratio` (0.20) | | `display` | `skin`, `tool_progress`, `show_reasoning`, `show_cost` | | `stt` | `enabled`, `provider` (local/groq/openai/mistral) | | `tts` | `provider` (edge/elevenlabs/openai/minimax/mistral/neutts) | | `memory` | `memory_enabled`, `user_profile_enabled`, `provider` | | `security` | `tirith_enabled`, `website_blocklist` | | `delegation` | `model`, `provider`, `base_url`, `api_key`, `max_iterations` (50), `reasoning_effort` | | `checkpoints` | `enabled`, `max_snapshots` (50) | | `curator` | `enabled` (true), `interval_hours` (168), `min_idle_hours` (2), `stale_after_days` (30), `archive_after_days` (90) | Full config reference: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/configuration ### Providers 20+ providers supported. Set via `hermes model` or `hermes setup`. | Provider | Auth | Key env var | |----------|------|-------------| | OpenRouter | API key | `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` | | Anthropic | API key | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | | Nous Portal | OAuth | `hermes auth` | | OpenAI Codex | OAuth | `hermes auth` | | GitHub Copilot | Token | `COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN` | | Google Gemini | API key | `GOOGLE_API_KEY` or `GEMINI_API_KEY` | | DeepSeek | API key | `DEEPSEEK_API_KEY` | | xAI / Grok | API key | `XAI_API_KEY` | | Hugging Face | Token | `HF_TOKEN` | | Z.AI / GLM | API key | `GLM_API_KEY` | | MiniMax | API key | `MINIMAX_API_KEY` | | MiniMax CN | API key | `MINIMAX_CN_API_KEY` | | Kimi / Moonshot | API key | `KIMI_API_KEY` | | Alibaba / DashScope | API key | `DASHSCOPE_API_KEY` | | Xiaomi MiMo | API key | `XIAOMI_API_KEY` | | Kilo Code | API key | `KILOCODE_API_KEY` | | AI Gateway (Vercel) | API key | `AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY` | | OpenCode Zen | API key | `OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY` | | OpenCode Go | API key | `OPENCODE_GO_API_KEY` | | Qwen OAuth | OAuth | `hermes login --provider qwen-oauth` | | Custom endpoint | Config | `model.base_url` + `model.api_key` in config.yaml | | GitHub Copilot ACP | External | `COPILOT_CLI_PATH` or Copilot CLI | Full provider docs: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/integrations/providers ### Toolsets Enable/disable via `hermes tools` (interactive) or `hermes tools enable/disable NAME`. | Toolset | What it provides | |---------|-----------------| | `web` | Web search and content extraction | | `browser` | Browser automation (Browserbase, Camofox, or local Chromium) | | `terminal` | Shell commands and process management | | `file` | File read/write/search/patch | | `code_execution` | Sandboxed Python execution | | `vision` | Image analysis | | `image_gen` | AI image generation | | `tts` | Text-to-speech | | `skills` | Skill browsing and management | | `memory` | Persistent cross-session memory | | `session_search` | Search past conversations |