Quickstart

This guide gets you from zero to a working Hermes setup that survives real use. Install, choose a provider, verify a working chat, and know exactly what to do when something breaks.

Who this is for

Brand new and want the shortest path to a working setup
Switching providers and don't want to lose time to config mistakes
Setting up Hermes for a team, bot, or always-on workflow
Tired of "it installed, but it still does nothing"

The fastest path

Pick the row that matches your goal:

Goal	Do this first	Then do this
I just want Hermes working on my machine	`hermes setup`	Run a real chat and verify it responds
I already know my provider	`hermes model`	Save the config, then start chatting
I want a bot or always-on setup	`hermes gateway setup` after CLI works	Connect Telegram, Discord, Slack, or another platform
I want a local or self-hosted model	`hermes model` → custom endpoint	Verify the endpoint, model name, and context length
I want multi-provider fallback	`hermes model` first	Add routing and fallback only after the base chat works

Rule of thumb: if Hermes cannot complete a normal chat, do not add more features yet. Get one clean conversation working first, then layer on gateway, cron, skills, voice, or routing.

1. Install Hermes Agent

Run the one-line installer:

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

Android / Termux

If you're installing on a phone, see the dedicated Termux guide for the tested manual path, supported extras, and current Android-specific limitations.

Windows Users

Install WSL2 first, then run the command above inside your WSL2 terminal.

After it finishes, reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc   # or source ~/.zshrc

For detailed installation options, prerequisites, and troubleshooting, see the Installation guide.

2. Choose a Provider

The single most important setup step. Use hermes model to walk through the choice interactively:

hermes model

Good defaults:

Situation	Recommended path
Least friction	Nous Portal or OpenRouter
You already have Claude or Codex auth	Anthropic or OpenAI Codex
You want local/private inference	Ollama or any custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint
You want multi-provider routing	OpenRouter
You have a custom GPU server	vLLM, SGLang, LiteLLM, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint

For most first-time users: choose a provider, accept the defaults unless you know why you're changing them. The full provider catalog with env vars and setup steps lives on the Providers page.

Minimum context: 64K tokens

Hermes Agent requires a model with at least 64,000 tokens of context. Models with smaller windows cannot maintain enough working memory for multi-step tool-calling workflows and will be rejected at startup. Most hosted models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, Qwen, DeepSeek) meet this easily. If you're running a local model, set its context size to at least 64K (e.g. --ctx-size 65536 for llama.cpp or -c 65536 for Ollama).

tip

You can switch providers at any time with hermes model — no lock-in. For a full list of all supported providers and setup details, see AI Providers.

How settings are stored

Hermes separates secrets from normal config:

Secrets and tokens → ~/.hermes/.env
Non-secret settings → ~/.hermes/config.yaml

The easiest way to set values correctly is through the CLI:

hermes config set model anthropic/claude-opus-4.6
hermes config set terminal.backend docker
hermes config set OPENROUTER_API_KEY sk-or-...

The right value goes to the right file automatically.

3. Run Your First Chat

hermes            # classic CLI
hermes --tui      # modern TUI (recommended)

You'll see a welcome banner with your model, available tools, and skills. Use a prompt that's specific and easy to verify:

Pick your interface

Hermes ships with two terminal interfaces: the classic prompt_toolkit CLI and a newer TUI with modal overlays, mouse selection, and non-blocking input. Both share the same sessions, slash commands, and config — try each with hermes vs hermes --tui.

Summarize this repo in 5 bullets and tell me what the main entrypoint is.

Check my current directory and tell me what looks like the main project file.

Help me set up a clean GitHub PR workflow for this codebase.

What success looks like:

The banner shows your chosen model/provider
Hermes replies without error
It can use a tool if needed (terminal, file read, web search)
The conversation continues normally for more than one turn

If that works, you're past the hardest part.

4. Verify Sessions Work

Before moving on, make sure resume works:

hermes --continue    # Resume the most recent session
hermes -c            # Short form

That should bring you back to the session you just had. If it doesn't, check whether you're in the same profile and whether the session actually saved. This matters later when you're juggling multiple setups or machines.

5. Try Key Features

Use the terminal

❯ What's my disk usage? Show the top 5 largest directories.

The agent runs terminal commands on your behalf and shows results.

Slash commands

Type / to see an autocomplete dropdown of all commands:

Command	What it does
`/help`	Show all available commands
`/tools`	List available tools
`/model`	Switch models interactively
`/personality pirate`	Try a fun personality
`/save`	Save the conversation

Multi-line input

Press Alt+Enter or Ctrl+J to add a new line. Great for pasting code or writing detailed prompts.

Interrupt the agent

If the agent is taking too long, type a new message and press Enter — it interrupts the current task and switches to your new instructions. Ctrl+C also works.

6. Add the Next Layer

Only after the base chat works. Pick what you need:

Bot or shared assistant

hermes gateway setup    # Interactive platform configuration

Connect Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Email, or Home Assistant.

Automation and tools

hermes tools — tune tool access per platform
hermes skills — browse and install reusable workflows
Cron — only after your bot or CLI setup is stable

Sandboxed terminal

For safety, run the agent in a Docker container or on a remote server:

hermes config set terminal.backend docker    # Docker isolation
hermes config set terminal.backend ssh       # Remote server

Voice mode

pip install "hermes-agent[voice]"
# Includes faster-whisper for free local speech-to-text

Then in the CLI: /voice on. Press Ctrl+B to record. See Voice Mode.

Skills

hermes skills search kubernetes
hermes skills install openai/skills/k8s

Or use /skills inside a chat session.

MCP servers

# Add to ~/.hermes/config.yaml
mcp_servers:
  github:
    command: npx
    args: ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]
    env:
      GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN: "ghp_xxx"

Editor integration (ACP)

pip install -e '.[acp]'
hermes acp

See ACP Editor Integration.

Common Failure Modes

These are the problems that waste the most time:

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Hermes opens but gives empty or broken replies	Provider auth or model selection is wrong	Run `hermes model` again and confirm provider, model, and auth
Custom endpoint "works" but returns garbage	Wrong base URL, model name, or not actually OpenAI-compatible	Verify the endpoint in a separate client first
Gateway starts but nobody can message it	Bot token, allowlist, or platform setup is incomplete	Re-run `hermes gateway setup` and check `hermes gateway status`
`hermes --continue` can't find old session	Switched profiles or session never saved	Check `hermes sessions list` and confirm you're in the right profile
Model unavailable or odd fallback behavior	Provider routing or fallback settings are too aggressive	Keep routing off until the base provider is stable
`hermes doctor` flags config problems	Config values are missing or stale	Fix the config, retest a plain chat before adding features

Recovery Toolkit

When something feels off, use this order:

hermes doctor
hermes model
hermes setup
hermes sessions list
hermes --continue
hermes gateway status

That sequence gets you from "broken vibes" back to a known state fast.

Quick Reference

Command	Description
`hermes`	Start chatting
`hermes model`	Choose your LLM provider and model
`hermes tools`	Configure which tools are enabled per platform
`hermes setup`	Full setup wizard (configures everything at once)
`hermes doctor`	Diagnose issues
`hermes update`	Update to latest version
`hermes gateway`	Start the messaging gateway
`hermes --continue`	Resume last session

Next Steps

CLI Guide — Master the terminal interface
Configuration — Customize your setup
Messaging Gateway — Connect Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Email, or Home Assistant
Tools & Toolsets — Explore available capabilities
AI Providers — Full provider list and setup details
Skills System — Reusable workflows and knowledge
Tips & Best Practices — Power user tips

Who this is for​

The fastest path​

1. Install Hermes Agent​

2. Choose a Provider​

How settings are stored​

3. Run Your First Chat​

4. Verify Sessions Work​

5. Try Key Features​

Use the terminal​

Slash commands​

Multi-line input​

Interrupt the agent​

6. Add the Next Layer​

Bot or shared assistant​

Automation and tools​

Sandboxed terminal​

Voice mode​

Skills​

MCP servers​

Editor integration (ACP)​

Common Failure Modes​

Recovery Toolkit​

Quick Reference​

Next Steps​