Merge pull request #16728 from NousResearch/docs/docker-multi-profile-section

docs(docker): add "Multi-profile support" section recommending one container per profile
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Ben Barclay 2026-04-28 09:29:24 +10:00 committed by GitHub
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@ -105,6 +105,63 @@ The `/opt/data` volume is the single source of truth for all Hermes state. It ma
Never run two Hermes **gateway** containers against the same data directory simultaneously — session files and memory stores are not designed for concurrent write access. Running a dashboard container alongside the gateway is safe since the dashboard only reads data.
:::
## Multi-profile support
Hermes supports [multiple profiles](../reference/profile-commands.md) — separate `~/.hermes/` directories that let you run independent agents (different SOUL, skills, memory, sessions, credentials) from a single installation. **When running under Docker, using Hermes' built-in multi-profile feature is not recommended.**
Instead, the recommended pattern is **one container per profile**, with each container bind-mounting its own host directory as `/opt/data`:
```sh
# Work profile
docker run -d \
--name hermes-work \
--restart unless-stopped \
-v ~/.hermes-work:/opt/data \
-p 8642:8642 \
nousresearch/hermes-agent gateway run
# Personal profile
docker run -d \
--name hermes-personal \
--restart unless-stopped \
-v ~/.hermes-personal:/opt/data \
-p 8643:8642 \
nousresearch/hermes-agent gateway run
```
Why separate containers over profiles in Docker:
- **Isolation** — each container has its own filesystem, process table, and resource limits. A crash, dependency change, or runaway session in one profile can't affect another.
- **Independent lifecycle** — upgrade, restart, pause, or roll back each agent separately (`docker restart hermes-work` leaves `hermes-personal` untouched).
- **Clean port and network separation** — each gateway binds its own host port; there's no risk of cross-talk between chat platforms or API servers.
- **Simpler mental model** — the container *is* the profile. Backups, migrations, and permissions all follow the bind-mounted directory, with no extra `--profile` flags to remember.
- **Avoids concurrent-write risk** — the warning above about never running two gateways against the same data directory still applies to profiles within a single container.
In Docker Compose, this just means declaring one service per profile with distinct `container_name`, `volumes`, and `ports`:
```yaml
services:
hermes-work:
image: nousresearch/hermes-agent:latest
container_name: hermes-work
restart: unless-stopped
command: gateway run
ports:
- "8642:8642"
volumes:
- ~/.hermes-work:/opt/data
hermes-personal:
image: nousresearch/hermes-agent:latest
container_name: hermes-personal
restart: unless-stopped
command: gateway run
ports:
- "8643:8642"
volumes:
- ~/.hermes-personal:/opt/data
```
## Environment variable forwarding
API keys are read from `/opt/data/.env` inside the container. You can also pass environment variables directly: