Full tutorial

flowchart TB
    subgraph core["Hermes core"]
        CLI[CLI / TUI]
        GW[Gateway 18+ platforms]
        CUR[Curator cron 7-day]
    end
    subgraph memory["Memory"]
        MEM[Session memory]
        SKL[Skill library]
    end
    subgraph extend["Ecosystem"]
        COM[Community skills]
        PLG[Plugins]
        MCP[MCP servers]
        GUI[hermes-workspace / mission-control]
    end
    CLI --> MEM
    CLI --> SKL
    CUR --> SKL
    SKL --> COM
    CLI --> PLG
    CLI --> MCP
    GW --> CLI

Session workflow¶

Install Hermes and choose a provider
Stack ecosystem layers: skills → tools → integrations → multi-agent
Curator refines the skill library on a 7-day cycle

Hermes ecosystem workflow { width="100%" }

cd guides/awesome-hermes-agent/assets
python3 render_diagrams.py workflow

Requirement	Check
macOS, Linux, WSL2, or Windows	—
Git installed	`git --version`
Internet for installer	—
Optional: Telegram/Discord token	For Part 6 gateway

The Hermes installer pulls uv, Python 3.11, Node 22, ripgrep, and ffmpeg automatically.

Part 1 — Install Hermes Agent¶

macOS / Linux / WSL2 / Termux¶

curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
source ~/.zshrc   # or source ~/.bashrc

Headless VPS (skip browser deps):

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

Windows (PowerShell)¶

iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)

Or use the Hermes Desktop installer on macOS/Windows.

Verify from this guide¶

cd guides/awesome-hermes-agent
chmod +x verify-install.sh
./verify-install.sh

Expected: hermes on PATH, hermes doctor clean or with fixable warnings.

Config lives under ~/.hermes/ (Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes).

Part 2 — Choose a provider¶

Easiest: Nous Portal (recommended for first run)¶

One OAuth flow — models + Tool Gateway (search, images, TTS, browser):

hermes setup --portal

Interactive picker¶

hermes model

Bring your own keys¶

Copy reference keys:

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env — then configure via:
hermes config set

Ollama (local) — set OpenAI-compatible base URL in hermes model or config docs.

Docs: Configuration · Nous Portal

Part 3 — First conversation¶

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

Try:

"What tools do you have enabled?"
"Create a skill for how I like commit messages formatted."
hermes --continue — resume last session

Quick reference:

Command	Purpose
`hermes`	Chat
`hermes doctor`	Diagnose
`hermes update`	Upgrade
`hermes tools`	Enable/disable tools per platform
`hermes gateway`	Start messaging bridge

Part 4 — Skills & Plugins¶

Hermes creates skills from experience and maintains them via the Curator (v0.12+). Plugins extend core tools (search, memory, shell compression). Together they are procedural + operational memory.

flowchart LR
    A[Session] --> B[Built-in skills]
    A --> C[~/.hermes/skills/]
    A --> D[~/.hermes/plugins/]
    C --> E[agentskills.io]
    D --> F[Hooks + tools]
    G[Curator 7-day] --> C

4.1 — Install skills layer¶

chmod +x install-ecosystem.sh install-starter-pack.sh
./install-ecosystem.sh skills
# or lightweight starter only:
./install-starter-pack.sh

Skill	Tag	Install path	Why
wondelai/skills	production	`~/.hermes/skills/wondelai-skills`	380+ cross-platform skills
litprog-skill	beta	`~/.hermes/skills/litprog-skill`	Literate programming
youtube-skills	production	`~/.hermes/skills/youtube-skills`	VPS-safe YouTube transcripts
drawio-skill	production	`~/.hermes/skills/drawio-skill`	NL → architecture diagrams
Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills	production	optional clone	753+ MITRE security skills (large)
open-design	production	per repo README	31 design skills, 129 design systems
hermes-skill-factory	beta	skill folder	Auto-generate skills from workflows
hermes-incident-commander	beta	skill folder	Autonomous SRE / self-healing

Manual pattern (any skill):

git clone --depth 1 <repo-url> ~/.hermes/skills/<name>
# Each skill needs SKILL.md with YAML frontmatter (agentskills.io)

Discover more: skilldock.io · hermeshub · agentskills.io

4.2 — Install plugins layer¶

./install-ecosystem.sh plugins

Plugins clone to ~/.hermes/plugins/. Enable in Hermes config (see Plugins docs).

Plugin	Tag	What it does
hermes-web-search-plus	beta	Route search across Serper, Tavily, Exa
rtk-hermes	beta	Compress shell output 60–90% before LLM
mnemo-hermes	beta	pgvector semantic memory on Ollama
Mnemosyne	beta	Local hybrid search + knowledge graph
hermes-curator-evolver	beta	Evidence-driven Curator companion
plur	beta	Portable shared memory (YAML engrams)
hermes-payguard	experimental	USDC / x402 payments with limits
agent-analytics-hermes-plugin	beta	Signals analytics dashboard tab

4.3 — Curator + skill evolution¶

Built-in Curator (v0.12+) grades, consolidates, and prunes skills every 7 days. Pair with:

Tool	Tag	Role
Built-in Curator	production	Automatic skill library maintenance
SkillClaw	production	Evolve/dedupe skills from session data
hermes-dojo	beta	Find weak skills, auto-iterate
hermes-agent-self-evolution	official	DSPy/GEPA prompt evolution

Verify skills load:

ls ~/.hermes/skills/
hermes --tui
# Ask: "What skills are available? Try /skill-name if configured."

Part 5 — Tools & Utilities¶

GUIs, linters, browsers, and operator utilities that sit beside the CLI — not replacements.

./install-ecosystem.sh tools

Clones to ~/.hermes/ecosystem-tools/. Follow each repo's README for npm install, pip install, or Docker.

5.1 — GUI dashboards¶

Tool	Tag	Best for	Install notes
hermes-workspace	production	Chat + terminal + skills manager	Nous Hackathon winner; Hermes-native
mission-control	production	Fleet, tasks, cost tracking	SQLite self-hosted dashboard
hermes-web-ui	production	Token/cost analytics, cron, 8 channels	Vue 3 + BFF
hermes-ui	beta	Single-file glassmorphic UI	Python proxy on :3333
hermes-desktop	beta	Native macOS workspace	Direct SSH to host

Example — hermes-workspace:

cd ~/.hermes/ecosystem-tools/hermes-workspace
# Follow README: typically pnpm install && pnpm dev
# Point at your local Hermes gateway / CLI socket

5.2 — Operator & quality utilities¶

Tool	Tag	Role
SkillClaw	production	`skillclaw doctor hermes` — skill health
lintlang	beta	Lint prompts/configs (HERM v1.1 score)
agenttrace	beta	Post-run session audit TUI
Clarvia	production	Score MCP servers for agent-readiness
flowstate-qmd	beta	Anticipatory memory / pre-fetch RAG

5.3 — Browser & headless tooling¶

Tool	Tag	When to use
camofox-browser	production	VPS blocked by Cloudflare — stealth headless API
vessel-browser	experimental	Full AI-native Linux browser
Built-in Playwright	production	Default; skip with `--skip-browser` on install

5.4 — Deployment utilities¶

Tool	Tag	Notes
hermes-agent-docker	beta	Minimal sandbox image
nix-hermes-agent	beta	Reproducible NixOS module
evey-setup	beta	One-command stack + 29 plugins
openclaw-to-hermes	beta	Migration helper

Part 6 — Integrations & Bridges¶

Connect Hermes to memory backends, MCP servers, productivity suites, and other agents.

./install-ecosystem.sh integrations

6.1 — MCP integration pattern¶

Add server block to Hermes MCP config (see MCP docs)
Restart session; verify with hermes tools or ask Hermes to list MCP tools
Score servers with Clarvia before trusting production workflows

MCP / integration	Tag	Surface
MeiGen-AI-Design-MCP	production	Image/video gen (9 models)
mistral-mcp	beta	OCR, audio, Codestral FIM, agents
Not Human Search	production	Discover 8,600+ MCP servers
Global Chat	production	Cross-protocol agent discovery
hermes-blockchain-oracle	experimental	Solana on-chain data
hermes-council	experimental	Adversarial multi-perspective debate

Example MCP config snippet (adjust paths after clone):

# Reference only — merge into your Hermes MCP settings
mcp_servers:
  meigen-design:
    command: node
    args: ["~/.hermes/ecosystem-tools/MeiGen-AI-Design-MCP/dist/index.js"]

6.2 — Memory bridges¶

Integration	Tag	Pattern
hindsight	production	retain / recall / reflect over long history
honcho-self-hosted	beta	Self-hosted Honcho user modeling
yantrikdb-hermes-plugin	beta	Rust backend with explainable recall
plur	beta	Portable YAML engram memory

Memory hygiene: keep USER.md / MEMORY.md concise; let Curator prune stale skills.

6.3 — Productivity & device bridges¶

Integration	Tag	Connects
microsoft-workspace-skill	beta	Outlook / M365 via Graph API
hermes-nextcloud	beta	WebDAV, Notes, CalDAV, CardDAV
hermes-android	beta	Android device control
agent-android	beta	LAN Android over WiFi
hermes-spotify-skill	beta	Headless Linux / Raspberry Pi Spotify
clawsocial-hermes-plugin	beta	Social discovery network

6.4 — Cross-agent bridges¶

Bridge	Tag	Handoff
evey-bridge-plugin	beta	Claude Code ↔ Hermes context share
hermes-agent-acp-skill	beta	Route subtasks to Codex / Claude Code
zouroboros-swarm-executors	experimental	Local executor bridge for Claude + Hermes

Part 7 — Multi-Agent & Swarms¶

When one Hermes session is not enough — orchestration, delegation, and fleet visibility.

./install-ecosystem.sh multiagent

flowchart TB
    H[Hermes primary] --> OH[oh-my-hermes skills]
    H --> ACP[hermes-agent-acp-skill]
    ACP --> CC[Claude Code]
    ACP --> CX[Codex]
    H --> MC[mission-control fleet]
    OH --> R[ralplan / ralph / triage]

7.1 — oh-my-hermes (orchestration skills)¶

Skill	Purpose
`deep-research`	Multi-step research pipeline
`deep-interview`	Structured requirements gathering
`ralplan`	Planner → Architect → Critic consensus
`ralph`	Verified execute → verify → iterate
`triage`	Prioritize incoming work
`autopilot`	End-to-end dispatcher playbook

Install: included in ./install-ecosystem.sh multiagent → ~/.hermes/skills/oh-my-hermes/

7.2 — Specialized agent packs¶

Project	Tag	Agents
opencode-hermes-multiagent	beta	17 role-specialized OpenCode agents
bigiron	beta	SDLC crew + Supermodel code graph
hermes-plugins	beta	Inter-agent bridge between Hermes instances

7.3 — Fleet dashboards¶

Pair multi-agent skills with mission-control (Part 5) for:

Task dispatch across agents
Cost tracking per session
SQLite-backed job history

cd ~/.hermes/ecosystem-tools/mission-control
# Follow upstream README for self-hosted deploy

7.4 — Experimental swarms¶

Project	Tag	Idea
Ankh.md	experimental	TAW Agent × Hermes swarm framework
gladiator	experimental	Competing autonomous agent companies
NemoHermes	experimental	NVIDIA Spark GPU routing

7.5 — When to use multi-agent¶

Scenario	Use
Single repo, one developer	Hermes CLI + skills
Research → plan → execute chain	oh-my-hermes `ralplan` + `ralph`
Best tool per subtask	`hermes-agent-acp-skill`
Many agents, cost visibility	mission-control + cron
Claude Code already in workflow	evey-bridge + ACP skill

Part 8 — Messaging gateway (optional)¶

Hermes ships 18 built-in platforms: Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Feishu/Lark, WeCom, QQBot, Yuanbao, and more. Microsoft Teams via plugin.

hermes gateway

Configure tokens via hermes setup or config — see Messaging Gateway docs.

Security: keep DM pairing / allowlists on until you trust exposure. Run hermes doctor after gateway changes.

Migrating from OpenClaw¶

hermes claw migrate

Community fallback: openclaw-to-hermes (older Hermes versions).

Part 9 — Deployment & cron¶

Method	Tag	Notes
Local / `$5 VPS`	—	Default; use `--skip-browser` on headless
`hermes-agent-docker`	beta	Minimal sandbox image
`nix-hermes-agent`	beta	Reproducible NixOS
Modal / Daytona / Vercel Sandbox	—	Serverless terminal backends (built into Hermes)
`evey-setup`	beta	Opinionated stack + 29 plugins

Cron jobs for autonomous loops:

hermes cron   # see docs for scheduling nightly evolution, monitoring, etc.

Part 10 — Level-up blueprints¶

Opinionated bundles from awesome-hermes-agent:

Memory that compounds¶

Built-in memory → honcho-self-hosted → hindsight → plur (portable engrams) → flowstate-qmd (anticipatory RAG).

Self-improvement without drift¶

hermes-agent-self-evolution + scheduled regression + lintlang + second evaluation pass.

Operator cockpit¶

hermes-workspace daily UI + mission-control for fleet/costs.

Multi-agent execution¶

hermes-agent-acp-skill (route to Codex/Claude Code) + oh-my-hermes + opencode-hermes-multiagent.

Paperclip-managed ops¶

hermes-paperclip-adapter + cron + dashboard for governed autonomous work.

Full resource list: ecosystem catalog.

Part 11 — End-to-end test¶

Run the full ecosystem stack:

./verify-install.sh
./install-ecosystem.sh all    # or layer by layer: skills, plugins, tools, integrations, multiagent
hermes doctor
hermes --tui

In TUI, verify each layer:

Skills — "List skills in ~/.hermes/skills"
Plugins — "Which plugins are enabled?"
Tools — open hermes-workspace or mission-control if installed
Integrations — "List MCP tools available"
Multi-agent — "Use oh-my-hermes triage on this task"

hermes update

Optional: hermes gateway + Telegram message test.

Troubleshooting¶

Symptom	Fix
`hermes: command not found`	`source ~/.zshrc` or re-run installer
Doctor fails on provider	`hermes setup --portal` or `hermes model`
YouTube transcripts fail on VPS	Install `youtube-skills` (cloud IP blocked by default)
Browser tools OOM on small VPS	Install with `--skip-browser`; use `camofox-browser` plugin
Skills not visible	Confirm `SKILL.md` in `~/.hermes/skills/<name>/`; restart session
Plugins not loading	`./install-ecosystem.sh plugins`; enable in Hermes config
Ecosystem clone failed	Check `git`; retry one layer: `./install-ecosystem.sh skills`
MCP tools missing	Add server to Hermes MCP config; restart session
Multi-agent handoff fails	Install `hermes-agent-acp-skill`; verify delegate agent installed
GUI tool won't start	`cd ~/.hermes/ecosystem-tools/<name>` and follow repo README
OpenClaw migration gaps	`hermes claw migrate` then compare cron + channel config

What's next¶

Browse the ecosystem catalog by category
Join Nous Discord
Star NousResearch/hermes-agent and awesome-hermes-agent
Contribute new ecosystem entries via awesome-hermes-agent PRs

Summary¶

Step	Command / artifact
Install	`curl … install.sh \\| bash`
Provider	`hermes setup --portal`
Verify	`./verify-install.sh`
Chat	`hermes --tui`
Skills & plugins	`./install-ecosystem.sh skills` + `plugins`
Tools & utilities	`./install-ecosystem.sh tools`
Integrations	`./install-ecosystem.sh integrations`
Multi-agent	`./install-ecosystem.sh multiagent`
Full stack	`./install-ecosystem.sh all`
Catalog	ecosystem catalog
Gateway	`hermes gateway`

Hermes is the only agent with a closed learning loop — install once, let skills compound, curate intentionally, extend from the ecosystem when you need superpowers.