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Hermes Agent Documentation

Hermes Agent Documentation — Complete Guide (2026)

Synced with the official v2026.9.14 docs. Install, CLI reference, Skills system, MCP integration, and troubleshooting in one place — with code examples.

Open QuickstartOpen official Hermes docs
Hermes Agentv2026.9.14Last updated

Quick overview (5 min read)

Hermes Agent is the open-source self-learning AI agent from Nous Research. Install in 2 minutes (Mac/Linux) or via WSL2 (Windows), point it at any LLM provider, and start using bundled skills and the Skills Hub catalog. This page is the documentation hub: each H2 below links into the dedicated guide for that topic.

Install shortcuts

Foundation

One-line install (Mac / Linux)

curl-pipe-bash install. The script handles Python, Node.js, dependencies, and adds the hermes command to PATH.

Open install guide

Windows

Windows (WSL2)

Full WSL2 + Ubuntu walkthrough for Win10/11 plus 8 common errors and fixes.

Open Windows guide

First Run

Quickstart (5 min)

Run your first Hermes task and grok the self-learning loop.

Open quickstart

CLI cheatsheet

The most-used CLI commands at a glance. Full 50+ command reference is in the dedicated CLI guide.

CommandPurposeExample
hermes setupFirst-time configuration of the LLM provider and API key.hermes setup
hermesLaunch the interactive agent.hermes
hermes doctorSelf-check 12 common issues (install, deps, network, config, API keys).hermes doctor
hermes updateUpgrade Hermes to the latest release.hermes update
hermes skills installInstall a ready-made Skill from one of the 4 registries.hermes skills install code-review
hermes skills listList installed Skills.hermes skills list
hermes gateway startStart the Gateway service for messaging-platform integration.hermes gateway start
hermes configView or edit the active configuration.hermes config get

Want flag-by-flag detail and the full command surface? Continue to the dedicated CLI guides.

Open full CLI reference

Skills system

Skills are reusable capability modules — code review, data queries, doc generation, web scraping, etc. Hermes maintains the bundled catalog and Skills Hub with bundled and hub-distributed Skills. Install one with hermes skills install <name>, list installed with hermes skills list, write your own with the YAML/JS skill spec.

  • the bundled catalog and Skills Hub: nous/core, nous/dev, community/skills, partner/skills.
  • bundled skills and the Skills Hub catalog covering code, ops, data, writing, and research.
  • Self-learning loop: every conversation contributes to skill discovery.
  • Custom Skills: write a skill.yaml + handler.js, or extend an existing one.
Related Guides

Troubleshooting

Recurring issues from real install + first-run sessions. Run hermes doctor first; it covers most of these automatically.

  • hermes: command not found

    PATH was not refreshed after install. Run source ~/.bashrc (or open a new terminal). Also check that ~/.hermes/bin is in your PATH.

  • API key authentication failed

    Re-run hermes setup, paste the key without surrounding whitespace, confirm the provider matches the key (e.g. a Zhipu key only works with provider=glm).

  • WSL2: install hangs at dependency resolution

    WSL2 default DNS is sometimes broken on enterprise networks. Try: sudo bash -c "echo 'nameserver 8.8.8.8' > /etc/resolv.conf" before re-running install.

  • Skills install fails with checksum mismatch

    Stale registry cache. Run hermes skills cache clean, then retry hermes skills install <name>.

Open full FAQ

Changelog

Highlights from recent releases. Full changelog is in the GitHub release notes.

  • v2026.9.14

    Self-learning loop GA, the bundled catalog and Skills Hub rollout, Gateway hardening for production messaging integrations, hermes doctor expanded to 12 checks.

  • v0.9.x series

    Skills authoring spec stabilized; Memory module preview; OpenClaw config converter; expanded LLM provider matrix.

  • Earlier

    CLI reorganization, Gateway alpha, initial Skills support. Full history in the project changelog.

Scope of this page

  • This page is a hub — each H2 links to a dedicated long-form guide.
  • Synced with official Hermes Agent docs at v2026.9.14.
  • For deeper API references and edge cases, use the official docs link below.

Need the full official docs?

Use the official Hermes documentation for the complete reference set, latest release structure, and details beyond this hub.

Open official Hermes docs