- Hoist todo to first-class widget (shadcn checkboxes, brand colors, no
tool-accordion). Header derives label from active task; non-active rows fade.
- Replace raw JSON dumps with structured key/value summaries via
formatToolResultSummary; nested error extraction for clearer failures.
- Fix loaded-session grouping: stitch interleaved assistant/tool iterations
into one bubble instead of orphaned synthetic messages.
- Stable tool/thinking timers via keyed registry so unmount/scroll doesn't
reset elapsed counts; gate "running" on real live thread state.
- Reorganize chat-only assistant-ui components under components/chat/.
The packaged Windows installer now detects Python 3.11+ and Git for Windows
at install time and offers to install missing prereqs via winget. Mirrors
the prereq logic scripts/install.ps1 already runs for CLI installs, so
desktop installer users get the same out-of-the-box experience as
install.ps1 users.
Why
- Hermes' terminal tool calls bash.exe directly (tools/environments/
local.py); on Windows that's Git Bash from Git for Windows. Without it,
the agent fails on the first terminal() call.
- Hermes' Python runtime needs 3.11+. Without it, the desktop bootstrapper
errors out at venv creation.
- Both gaps surfaced on a fresh Windows 11 VM smoke test: VM had Python
pre-installed but no Git, so the agent's first terminal call failed
with "Git Bash isn't installed."
- install.ps1 has had Install-Git + Install-Uv functions for ages. The
desktop installer was the asymmetric outlier.
How — NSIS prereq page
- New file: apps/desktop/installer/prereq-check.nsh (plugged into
electron-builder via build.nsis.include)
- Real Wizard page using nsDialogs, inserted via customPageAfterChangeDir
hook (between the Directory page and InstFiles).
- Group boxes for Python and Git, each showing detection status.
- Pre-checked install checkboxes when winget is available.
- Auto-skips silently if both prereqs are already installed.
- Falls back to manual download URLs when winget itself is missing.
- Detection:
- Python: probes `py -3.11`/`-3.12`/`-3.13`/`-3.14` via the Python
launcher. Microsoft Store "Python stub" (no py.exe) is correctly
classified as not-installed.
- Git: `where git`.
- winget: `where winget` (Win10 1809+ / Win11 with App Installer).
- Install execution (in customInstall macro):
- Python: nsExec::ExecToLog with `--scope user --silent`. Per-user
install, no UAC prompt, output streams to install log.
- Git: ExecShellWait via Windows ShellExecute. Critical because Git
always installs per-machine and triggers UAC; ShellExecute preserves
the foreground focus chain across non-elevated → elevated process
spawns, so UAC actually comes to the foreground. nsExec::ExecToLog
breaks the chain because winget runs hidden.
- Both pass `--disable-interactivity --accept-package-agreements
--accept-source-agreements` to suppress winget's own dialogs.
- Verification: probes Git's standard install locations via FileExists
rather than `where git`. NSIS's process inherits PATH at startup, so
a freshly-installed Git won't be visible to `where` until restart.
- Silent installs (/S) skip the prompts; managed deploys handle prereqs
out-of-band via Group Policy / Intune.
How — Electron-side safety net
- New findGitBash() in main.cjs, parallel to findSystemPython(). Probes
the same locations as tools/environments/local.py:_find_bash() so a
positive result here means the agent's terminal tool will work.
- ensureRuntime now throws a clear, actionable error on Windows when Git
Bash isn't found, matching the existing "Python 3.11+ is required"
error path.
- Catches users the NSIS page doesn't: .msi installer users (NSIS prereq
page doesn't run for MSI), `npm run dev` users, manual installers,
anyone who unchecked the install boxes on the NSIS prereq page.
- All gated on `IS_WINDOWS`; macOS / Linux unaffected.
NSIS build issue (resolved)
- electron-builder defaults to `-WX` (warnings as errors). NSIS optimizer
emits "warning 6010: function not referenced" for our page functions
because Page custom directives don't count as references in its
static-analysis pass. The functions ARE called at runtime when NSIS
invokes the page; the optimizer just can't see it statically.
- Set `build.nsis.warningsAsErrors=false` in package.json so this
spurious warning doesn't fail the build. (Documented option from
electron-builder's nsisOptions.)
Out of scope (filed for future work)
- MSI prereq detection: Windows Installer custom actions are a different
mechanism. Enterprise deploys typically handle prereqs via GP/Intune.
- Bundle PortableGit + python-build-standalone in extraResources for
zero-network installs. ~80MB increase.
- Mac / Linux GUI prereq flows (different installer formats; Xcode CLT
covers most macOS prereqs already; Linux is per-distro hard).
Files
- apps/desktop/installer/prereq-check.nsh (new, ~290 lines NSIS)
- apps/desktop/package.json (build.nsis.include +
warningsAsErrors)
- apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs (findGitBash + preflight)
- apps/desktop/README.md (Runtime prerequisites
section)
Cross-platform impact
- macOS / Linux builds (dist:mac, dist:mac:dmg, dist:mac:zip): nsis
config is ignored entirely; .nsh is dormant.
- npm run dev: .nsh dormant; main.cjs preflight gated on IS_WINDOWS.
- scripts/install.ps1, scripts/install.sh: no reference to any new
files; CLI install paths untouched.
- Hermes CLI / dashboard / gateway: no reference; runtime untouched.
- All checks: node --check on main.cjs and test-desktop.mjs pass;
npm run test:desktop:platforms 4/4 passing; node --test green.
Tested
- npm run dist:win produces signed .exe and .msi without errors.
- Fresh Win11 VM (Python pre-installed, no Git): prereq page renders,
Python check shows detected, Git checkbox pre-checked. Click Next →
Git installs via winget with UAC prompt in foreground.
- After install completes, Hermes launches and the agent's terminal
tool can run bash commands. Verified Git Bash is detected at
`C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe` by ensureRuntime's preflight.
Make the desktop app's runtime layout match what scripts/install.ps1 and
scripts/install.sh produce, so a desktop-only user and a CLI-only user end
up with the same files in the same places and can share one install.
Layout
- ACTIVE_HERMES_ROOT = HERMES_HOME/hermes-agent (was: process.resourcesPath/hermes-agent, read-only)
- VENV_ROOT = HERMES_HOME/hermes-agent/venv (was: userData/hermes-runtime)
- desktop.log = HERMES_HOME/logs/desktop.log (was: userData/desktop.log)
- HERMES_HOME default: %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes on Windows, ~/.hermes elsewhere
The packaged .app/.exe still ships a read-only payload at
process.resourcesPath/hermes-agent (FACTORY_HERMES_ROOT). On first launch
or after an installer-driven upgrade we sync factory -> active, then
provision the venv and run pip install -e . against the active root.
Key behaviors
- Pin HERMES_HOME in the spawned Python's env so get_hermes_home() resolves
to the same path resolveHermesHome() picked. Without this, Python falls
back to ~/.hermes on every platform - fine on mac/linux, a split-state
bug on Windows where our default is %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes.
- Detect developer installs by .git presence at ACTIVE; never overwrite
a user's checkout via factory sync.
- Marker at ACTIVE/.hermes-desktop-runtime.json (schema v4) tracks
pyproject hash + factory version + runtime schema version. depsFresh
fast-paths when nothing changed.
- Dev (npm run dev) prefers SOURCE_REPO_ROOT over ACTIVE so devs run
their local edits, not whatever's under HERMES_HOME.
- Better error messages distinguish "no payload" from "no Python".
- Preserve a legacy ~/.hermes on Windows when no %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes
exists, so users with prior pip/manual installs aren't orphaned.
pyproject.toml
- Promote fastapi, uvicorn[standard], ptyprocess (non-Windows), and
pywinpty (Windows) to main dependencies. The dashboard backend
(hermes dashboard) needs them at runtime; the previous lazy-import
fallback was a footgun for fresh installs.
- Empty the [pty] optional-extra; kept as a no-op back-compat alias for
any existing pip install hermes-agent[pty] invocations.
Drops the hardcoded BUNDLED_RUNTIME_REQUIREMENTS list in main.cjs - the
desktop now installs whatever pyproject.toml says, single source of truth.
Files
- apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs: runtime layout, HERMES_HOME pin,
factory->active sync, marker v4
- apps/desktop/scripts/test-desktop.mjs: track new venv location
- apps/desktop/README.md: new Setup, Runtime Bootstrap, and
Debugging sections
- pyproject.toml: fastapi/uvicorn/pty backends in main
dependencies; [pty] extra emptied
Tested locally on Windows: npm run dev boots cleanly, sessions land at
the new location, type-check + lint + test:desktop:platforms all pass.
Verified end-to-end on a fresh Win11 VM via dist:win installer.
Known gaps (filed as follow-ups, not in this PR):
- Skills not seeded on packaged installs (sync_skills only runs in
cmd_chat, not cmd_dashboard). Need to move to shared pre-dispatch.
- Git Bash not bundled or detected; agent's terminal tool errors out
with a useful message but desktop bootstrapper should pre-flight it.
- install.ps1 / install.sh should be decomposed into composable phase
libraries so the desktop bootstrapper can reuse them as a single
source of truth across all install surfaces.
The composer rendered {input} inside two different parent fragments
depending on `stacked`. When auto-expand flipped `stacked` (e.g. the
moment typed text wrapped past two lines), React reconciled the two
branches as different positions and unmounted/remounted the
contenteditable. The fresh mount started empty, so any in-flight
characters — most reliably reproduced by holding a key — were lost.
Replace the conditional with a single CSS Grid whose template-areas
swap on `stacked`. The three children (menu, input, controls) keep
stable identities across the toggle; only their grid placement
changes, which the browser handles without React tearing down the
editor.
- Add Messaging page to the desktop app with per-platform setup,
status, and inline guidance. Catalog derives from gateway.config
Platform enum + plugin registry, so every messaging adapter the CLI
supports (Telegram, Discord, Slack, Mattermost, Matrix, WhatsApp,
Signal, BlueBubbles, Home Assistant, Email, SMS, DingTalk, Feishu,
WeCom, Weixin, QQ, Yuanbao, API server, Webhooks, plugins) shows up
without per-platform code.
- New REST endpoints: GET /api/messaging/platforms, PUT and POST
/test on the same path. Secrets go through the existing .env
pipeline; enable/disable writes config.yaml.
- Replace gateway statusbar dropdown with a richer panel: status row,
icon-only restart + system-panel actions, recent activity (with
timestamps trimmed in display, full text on hover), platform list.
- Auto-poll the messaging page every 6s (paused when hidden) so
status updates without a manual check.
- Drop Settings / Command Center from the sidebar nav (still
reachable via shortcuts and the titlebar cog).
- Flatten top corners on Messaging/Skills/Artifacts/Chat panes.
- Share new StatusDot component across messaging + gateway menu.
- Fix gateway/config.py so an explicit platforms.<name>.enabled=false
in config.yaml is honored when env tokens are present.
- pb-9 on the chat content area for breathing room above the composer.
Make the desktop gateway connection configurable from settings so local remains the default while remote backends can be saved, tested, and applied without environment variables.
A fresh sidebar showed the Pinned and Recent chats headers with floating empty-state copy underneath. Drop both sections (and the now-orphan SidebarEmptySessionState) when there are no sessions yet — they reappear after the first chat. Skeletons during initial load are unchanged.
Onboarding overlay subsumes the boot card now that it mounts from frame 1 and renders boot progress inline. The standalone DesktopBootOverlay is unreachable in every flow (yields whenever onboarding has not confirmed configured, dismisses once it has).
The "Start a chat to build your history." empty state used a min-h-35 grid place-items-center container, which floated the text in a tall dead zone. Render it as a flat paragraph that sits right under the section header like the empty pinned state does.
Default onboarding.configured to null (unknown until the runtime check resolves) and have the onboarding overlay render whenever it's not yet confirmed true. The boot overlay now yields to it, so the very first paint is the Welcome card with a "While we get you set up..." progress strip instead of a flash of the chat shell between boot dismiss and onboarding mount.
The picker swaps in cleanly once the gateway opens and the runtime check confirms the user is not configured. Already-configured users see the same prep card briefly while their existing runtime warms up, then the overlay dismisses without touching the chat shell.
Drop the dead isOnboardingBusy/BUSY set, factor the catch-fallback dance into safeReq, and share a single reloadAndConnect helper between PKCE submit, device-code success, external recheck, and api-key save.
In the overlay, extract Step / CodeBlock / FlowFooter / CancelBtn / DocsLink atoms so the four sign-in panels share the same chrome instead of repeating it inline. Net effect: fewer literal divs, one place to touch the spacing, and the code-block + footer rows are reusable across future flows.
Replace the Sign in / API key tab pair with an "I have an API key" footer link under the OAuth provider list, with a "Back to sign in" affordance inside the API key form. Group the device-code "Waiting for you to authorize..." status next to the Cancel button so the alignment matches the action.
External-CLI providers (Claude Code, Qwen Code) now open an in-overlay panel with the CLI command, copy button, and an "I've signed in" recheck instead of firing an invisible toast. Center the Sign in / API key tab control so it sits under the heading instead of hugging the left edge.
Move the OAuth state machine, runtime check, copy-to-clipboard, and api-key save into store/onboarding.ts (matching the boot.ts pattern), leaving the overlay as a presentation layer that subscribes via useStore. Tabs are now table-driven, child panels read flow from the store instead of prop-drilling, and the polling/PKCE/error/success branches share a small Status atom.
Reorder OAuth providers so Nous Portal is first, give the segmented Sign in / API key control equal column widths, and replace the engineer-flavored backend names like "Anthropic (Claude API)" / "MiniMax (OAuth)" with friendlier in-app titles. External-CLI providers now show a softer subtitle and an external-link icon instead of a chevron.
Replace the engineer-flavored API key form with a Sign-in-first onboarding overlay that uses the dashboard's existing /api/providers/oauth catalog and PKCE/device-code endpoints (Anthropic, Nous, OpenAI Codex, etc.). API key entry is now a fallback tab with friendly provider names instead of env var prefixes, and the loud raw resolver error is gone in favor of a one-line welcome message.
setup.status returned True whenever any provider auth state was discoverable, including indirect fallbacks like a gh-CLI Copilot token. That made desktop think the user was set up while the agent's actual resolve_runtime_provider call still raised AuthError, leaving the user with a useless toast and no onboarding.
Add a setup.runtime_check gateway method that runs the same resolver the agent uses on session creation, and switch the desktop onboarding overlay and prompt precheck to use it.
The "No inference provider configured" auth error reaches the renderer through gateway error events, not the prompt.submit promise; the previous patch only caught the latter, so the error toast still surfaced and onboarding never opened.
Also strip credential-shaped env vars from the test:desktop:fresh sandbox so the packaged backend can't see provider keys leaking from the launching shell.
Propagate credential warnings through session runtime info and open desktop onboarding whenever a session reports no usable provider, so unconfigured installs cannot fall through to prompt errors.
Show the desktop provider onboarding flow before prompt submission when no inference provider is configured, preventing fresh installs from falling through to backend credential errors.
Solid foreground-on-background send/voice-conversation circle (black-on-white
in light, white-on-black in dark) anchors the right edge as the primary CTA
instead of the orange theme primary. Bumps the primary control to 2.125rem so
it visually outranks the ghost mic/plus controls. Opens up the surface padding
(0.625rem x / 0.5rem y) so the input row breathes around its controls, and
nudges the corner radius from 20 to 24px for a slightly pill-ier silhouette.
LiquidGlass distortion is preserved.
Promote closeRightRailTab/closeActiveRightRailTab as the single
public entry point. Drops the activeTabRef + handleCloseDocument
indirection in ChatPreviewRail, the unused $rightRailHasContent
atom, and the legacy dismissFilePreviewTarget alias. -70 LOC.
Add HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL and HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_TOKEN env
vars that, when set, short-circuit the local-child spawn in
startHermes() and connect the Electron renderer to an already-
running 'hermes dashboard' server reachable over the network.
Motivating use case: WSL2 users who want to run the Hermes core
(agent loop, tools, filesystem access) inside their WSL
distribution while rendering the Electron GUI on native Windows.
Before this change, the desktop app always spawned a local Python
child on the same host as the renderer, which doesn't cross the
WSL/Windows boundary.
The remote path reuses waitForHermes() as a liveness probe
(/api/status is in the backend's public endpoint allowlist), so
the connection is only returned once the backend is actually
ready. WebSocket URL derivation picks ws:// or wss:// based on
the input scheme. URL validation rejects non-http(s) schemes and
requires both env vars together to avoid a half-configured
connection that would silently fall through to the spawn path.
No behaviour change when the env vars are unset — the default
local-spawn flow is untouched.
Typical usage:
# in WSL2
hermes dashboard --tui --no-open --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9119 --insecure
# on Windows
set HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL=http://localhost:9119
set HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_TOKEN=<session token>
set HERMES_DESKTOP_IGNORE_EXISTING=1
(launch Hermes desktop)
The sync-assets prebuild step shelled out to 'cp -r
node_modules/@nous-research/ui/dist/fonts ...' with a path relative
to apps/dashboard/. That works only when the dep is installed
locally in the dashboard workspace, but 'npm install' at the repo
root (the documented setup — see apps/desktop/README.md) hoists
shared deps to the root node_modules under npm workspaces. The
relative cp then fails with 'No such file or directory', sync-assets
exits 1, the Vite build aborts, and 'hermes dashboard' surfaces a
generic 'Web UI build failed' message.
Replace the shell one-liner with scripts/sync-assets.cjs, which
walks up from the dashboard directory looking for node_modules/
@nous-research/ui — working in both the hoisted (workspaces) and
co-located (standalone) layouts. Also guards against a missing
dist/fonts or dist/assets with a clearer error pointing at a
rebuild of the UI package rather than silently copying nothing.
