Wiki · Features in depth
Desktop
The same agent in a window with buttons: projects, files, a terminal and conversations side by side — and you can connect it to an agent on a server.
When it helps
| Situation | Why the app |
|---|---|
| You want to see what the agent is doing | Streaming answers and every tool call are laid out clearly, images included |
| You work on several things at once | Multiple windows and panes: one conversation on each monitor |
| You need files and a terminal at hand | A file browser and a real terminal sit next to the chat — no window switching |
| You would rather not type commands | Settings live on plainly labelled pages instead of in a config file |
| You run several agents | The optional "Applies to" chip row says which profile a change belongs to |
Install and launch
The app is downloadable from the project's site, but if Hermes is already on your machine one command is enough — it uses your keys, conversations and skills:
It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. On Windows you need Git, and SSH client for connecting to a remote machine.
What is in the app
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Chat (centre) | The conversation, live tool activity, drag-and-drop attachments, restored unsent messages |
| Sidebar | Conversations, projects, settings, profile switching |
| Preview rail (right) | Files, tool results and web pages the agent is working on |
| Terminal (right) | A real terminal: Ctrl+` opens it, Ctrl+Shift+` starts another. Shells keep running while hidden |
| Artifacts | Finished files and previews offered above the composer — click to open |
| Live subagents | A frame with the count and state of working helpers; you can steer them or stop them |
Working on several things at once
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
Ctrl+T | New conversation in a new tab |
Ctrl+Tab | Cycle between conversations |
Ctrl+1…9 | Jump to a conversation by position |
Ctrl+Shift+N | New window — handy for parking a long job on a second monitor |
Ctrl+B / Ctrl+J | Hide the left / right rail (more room for chat) |
On macOS use Cmd instead of Ctrl.
Projects
The app handles several projects side by side. It discovers project folders at startup by scanning your home directory to a bounded depth. You can limit or disable that scan:
You can also set the folder the agent works in at launch (--cwd) or permanently via
terminal.cwd in the profile settings — see
Profiles and multiple agents.
Several profiles in one app
With more than one profile (say one for work and one for personal things) you do not have to switch the whole app. Settings pages show an "Applies to" switcher at the top that selects which profile your edit targets.
Cmd/Ctrl+K → Export profile… # one whole profile into one fileThe export carries skills, memory, persona, scheduled jobs and settings — API keys are stripped out and are added on the target machine. Great for moving a setup between computers or sharing it with a colleague.
The agent on a server, the app on your desk
The app can also run without doing any work itself and simply connect to an agent on a server (a VPS, a home server, a small machine at home). One settings page handles it — Settings → Gateways:
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Local backend | Default: the app starts and manages the agent on your own computer |
| Remote gateway | Enter the URL of a server running hermes serve and sign in |
| Hermes Cloud | Sign in once and pick an agent from your account — no URL to paste |
Connections are machine-level, not per profile: one computer can connect to several servers, and profiles are discovered from the gateway you are connected to.
When something does not work
| What happens | What to do |
|---|---|
After an update (hermes update) the app vanished | It closed while files were being replaced. Launch it again: hermes desktop |
| I cannot sign in to the server | Check both username and password (the backend deliberately does not reveal which is wrong) and whether sign-in is enabled on the server |
| The "window below" feature sees nothing | On Windows ARM64 it cannot — use the x64 build or ignore it |
| A remote connection dropped | You can reconnect without closing the app (Gateways page) |
| The server's SSH key changed | The app warns you that the host key changed — that is protection against impersonation, not a bug. Take it up with whoever runs the server |
What we learned
| What we dealt with | The lesson |
|---|---|
| A conversation started in the terminal and we wanted to continue in the app | It works — the state is shared. You can even switch mid-job |
| We needed to watch what the agent does on the server | The right-hand terminal and the file preview save window switching; a hidden terminal keeps running |
| We chatted with two agents and settings got mixed up | The "Applies to" switcher fixed it — an edit targets the selected profile, not all of them |
| Two updates in a row and the app did not open | That is expected: launch it again after an update (from a terminal with hermes desktop if needed) |
Our tips
| Tip | Why |
|---|---|
Set --cwd or terminal.cwd | The agent starts in the project instead of your home folder — less explaining at the start |
| Pop a long job out into its own window | You can work elsewhere without touching the same conversation |
| Use the app and the terminal as the moment suits | A quick question is faster in the terminal; a review with images and files belongs in the app |
| Export a profile before moving machines | You take settings and memory with you; keys are added separately on purpose |