HERMES AGENT MANUAL

Quickstart Guide

Install the official Hermes Agent CLI, choose a model provider, and verify the install with real diagnostics — in under 5 minutes.

Step 1: Install Hermes CLI

Run the official installer published by Nous Research on your host machine or server (Linux / macOS / WSL2 / Android Termux):

bash (Linux / macOS / WSL2)

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

Windows (native PowerShell): iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1). After the installer finishes, reload your shell, then confirm the version:

terminal

$ hermes --version
Hermes Agent v0.20.0 (2026.8.3)

[SECURITY BOUNDARY]

The installer performs a per-user install under ~/.hermes/ — no sudo or root password is required for the default path. As with any installer, review the script before running it: the full source is published at hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh.

Step 2: Choose a Provider & Configure

Pick your inference provider with the interactive picker:

terminal

$ hermes model

The fastest path on a fresh install is the Nous Portal one-shot setup — one OAuth login covers a model plus the Tool Gateway (web search, image generation, TTS, browser):

terminal

$ hermes setup --portal

hermes setup alone runs the full interactive wizard (provider/model, terminal backend, messaging gateway, tools, telemetry, agent behaviour). Sections can be run individually, e.g. hermes setup model or hermes setup gateway.

Step 3: Check the Bundled Skills

Hermes ships with a catalog of bundled skills. Verify they are present, then browse the hub for more:

terminal

$ hermes skills list
$ hermes skills browse

Skills are installed by identifier from a registry — for example hermes skills install openai/skills/k8s — and are security-scanned before installation. See the Skills Reference for details.

Step 4: Verify the Install

Run the built-in diagnostics to confirm configuration and dependencies are healthy:

terminal (abridged from a real run)

$ hermes doctor
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                 🩺 Hermes Doctor                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

◆ Python Environment
  ✓ Python 3.11.15
  ✓ Virtual environment active
  ✓ Version files consistent (0.20.0)

◆ Configuration Files
  ✓ ~/.hermes/.env file exists
  ✓ ~/.hermes/config.yaml exists
  ✓ No deprecated config keys or env vars

◆ Auth Providers
  ✓ Nous Portal auth (logged in)

[NOTE]

Sample output above is abridged from an actual hermes doctor run on Hermes Agent v0.20.0. Your machine will show its own environment details; the check marks indicate healthy checks. hermes status shows which provider keys are configured, and hermes verify can smoke-test a project's build/test/start recipe in your current directory.