Install Hermes Agent

Complete guide for Linux, macOS, WSL2, and Windows. Get your AI agent running in 60 seconds.

Quick Install

One command — the installer handles everything:

# Linux / macOS / WSL2 / Android (Termux)
$ curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash

# Windows (PowerShell)
PS> iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)

What the Installer Does

The installer automatically sets up all dependencies:

✅ uv — fast Python package manager
✅ Python 3.11 — via uv, no sudo
✅ Node.js v22 — for browser automation and WhatsApp
✅ ripgrep — fast file search
✅ ffmpeg — audio conversion for TTS
✅ Git repository — cloned and configured
✅ Global command hermes

Note: You don't need to install Python, Node.js, ripgrep, or ffmpeg manually. The installer detects what's missing and installs it automatically. The only prerequisite is Git (git --version). On Linux, make sure you have curl and xz-utils.

After Installation

Reload your shell and run:

# Reload shell
$ source ~/.bashrc   # or: source ~/.zshrc

# Launch
$ hermes

Configuration

# Select LLM provider and model
$ hermes model

# Configure tools
$ hermes tools

# Set up messaging platforms (Telegram, Discord…)
$ hermes gateway setup

# Or all at once via the setup wizard
$ hermes setup

Fastest Path: Nous Portal

One subscription covers 300+ models plus Tool Gateway (web search, image generation, TTS, cloud browser).

$ hermes setup --portal

System Service Installation

To run Hermes as a dedicated user (e.g., systemd service):

Admin: Install Chromium system libraries

$ sudo npx playwright install-deps chromium
Service user: Install Hermes

$ curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash

If you don't need browser automation:

$ curl -fsSL .../install.sh | bash -s -- --skip-browser
Make hermes command available

# Add to PATH $ echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc # Or symlink (as admin) $ sudo ln -s /home/hermes/.hermes/hermes-agent/venv/bin/hermes /usr/local/bin/hermes
Verify

$ hermes doctor

Desktop Installer

On macOS and Windows you can use the Hermes Desktop installer — download from hermes-agent.nousresearch.com and run it. After installation, run hermes desktop.

Manual / Developer Install

For contributors or full control over the virtual environment:

# Clone the repository
$ git clone https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.git
$ cd hermes-agent

# Create virtual environment
$ python3 -m venv venv
$ source venv/bin/activate

# Install dependencies
$ uv pip install -e .

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
`hermes: command not found`	Reload shell: `source ~/.bashrc`
`API key not set`	Run `hermes model` to configure
Missing config after update	`hermes config check` → `hermes config migrate`

For more diagnostics: hermes doctor

Minimum Requirements

💾 RAM: 1 GB min, 2 GB recommended
⚙️ CPU: 1 vCPU minimum
💿 Storage: 10–20 GB SSD
🐧 OS: Ubuntu 22.04+ or modern Linux
🤖 Model: Your own API key — Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, or local

No GPU required — Hermes calls external APIs.

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