mirror of
https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.git
synced 2026-05-10 03:22:05 +00:00
7a4d5c123a
Adds early-beta framing to every user-facing surface where native Windows is introduced — landing page install block, Installation page, Windows (Native) guide, contributor notes, and README. Sets expectations that the path installs and runs but hasn't been road-tested as broadly as POSIX, and points users who want maximum stability at WSL2 instead. Follow-up to #21561 (native Windows support) and #22089 (Windows docs).
143 lines
7.3 KiB
Markdown
143 lines
7.3 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
sidebar_position: 2
|
|
title: "Installation"
|
|
description: "Install Hermes Agent on Linux, macOS, WSL2, native Windows (early beta), or Android via Termux"
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Installation
|
|
|
|
Get Hermes Agent up and running in under two minutes with the one-line installer.
|
|
|
|
## Quick Install
|
|
|
|
### Linux / macOS / WSL2
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Windows (native, PowerShell) — Early Beta
|
|
|
|
:::warning Early BETA
|
|
Native Windows support is **early beta**. It installs and works for the common paths, but hasn't been road-tested as broadly as our POSIX installers. Please [file issues](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/issues) when you hit rough edges. For the most battle-tested setup on Windows today, use the Linux/macOS one-liner above inside **WSL2** instead.
|
|
:::
|
|
|
|
Open PowerShell and run:
|
|
|
|
```powershell
|
|
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
The installer handles **everything**: `uv`, Python 3.11, Node.js 22, `ripgrep`, `ffmpeg`, **and a portable Git Bash** (MinGit — a slim, self-contained Git for Windows distribution that Hermes uses for shell commands). It clones the repo under `%LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes\hermes-agent`, creates a virtualenv, and adds `hermes` to your **User PATH**. Restart your terminal (or open a new PowerShell window) after the install so PATH picks up.
|
|
|
|
**How Git is handled:**
|
|
1. If `git` is already on your PATH, the installer uses your existing install.
|
|
2. Otherwise it downloads portable **MinGit** (~45MB, from the official `git-for-windows` GitHub release) and unpacks it to `%LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes\git`. No admin rights required. Completely isolated — it won't interfere with any system Git install, broken or otherwise.
|
|
|
|
**Why not use winget?** Earlier designs auto-installed Git via `winget install Git.Git`, but winget fails badly when a system Git install is in a partial or broken state (exactly when users need the installer to just work). The portable MinGit approach sidesteps winget, the Windows installer registry, and any existing system Git entirely. If the Hermes Git install itself ever breaks, `Remove-Item %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes\git` and re-run the installer — no system impact, no uninstall drama.
|
|
|
|
The installer also sets `HERMES_GIT_BASH_PATH` to the located `bash.exe` so Hermes resolves it deterministically in fresh shells.
|
|
|
|
If you prefer WSL2, the Linux installer above works inside it; both native and WSL installs can coexist without conflict (native data lives under `%LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes`, WSL data lives under `~/.hermes`).
|
|
|
|
### Android / Termux
|
|
|
|
Hermes now ships a Termux-aware installer path too:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
The installer detects Termux automatically and switches to a tested Android flow:
|
|
- uses Termux `pkg` for system dependencies (`git`, `python`, `nodejs`, `ripgrep`, `ffmpeg`, build tools)
|
|
- creates the virtualenv with `python -m venv`
|
|
- exports `ANDROID_API_LEVEL` automatically for Android wheel builds
|
|
- installs a curated `.[termux]` extra with `pip`
|
|
- skips the untested browser / WhatsApp bootstrap by default
|
|
|
|
If you want the fully explicit path, follow the dedicated [Termux guide](./termux.md).
|
|
|
|
:::note Windows Feature Parity (Early Beta)
|
|
|
|
Native Windows is in **early beta**. Everything except the browser-based dashboard chat terminal runs natively on Windows:
|
|
- **CLI (`hermes chat`, `hermes setup`, `hermes gateway`, …)** — native, uses your default terminal
|
|
- **Gateway (Telegram, Discord, Slack, …)** — native, runs as a background PowerShell process
|
|
- **Cron scheduler** — native
|
|
- **Browser tool** — native (Chromium via Node.js)
|
|
- **MCP servers** — native (stdio and HTTP transports both supported)
|
|
- **Dashboard `/chat` terminal pane** — **WSL2 only** (uses a POSIX PTY; native Windows has no equivalent). The rest of the dashboard (sessions, jobs, metrics) works natively — only the embedded PTY terminal tab is gated.
|
|
|
|
Set `HERMES_DISABLE_WINDOWS_UTF8=1` in your environment if you hit an encoding-related bug and want to fall back to the legacy cp1252 stdio path (useful for bisecting).
|
|
:::
|
|
|
|
### What the Installer Does
|
|
|
|
The installer handles everything automatically — all dependencies (Python, Node.js, ripgrep, ffmpeg), the repo clone, virtual environment, global `hermes` command setup, and LLM provider configuration. By the end, you're ready to chat.
|
|
|
|
#### Install Layout
|
|
|
|
Where the installer puts things depends on whether you're installing as a normal user or as root:
|
|
|
|
| Installer | Code lives at | `hermes` binary | Data directory |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
| Per-user (normal) | `~/.hermes/hermes-agent/` | `~/.local/bin/hermes` (symlink) | `~/.hermes/` |
|
|
| Root-mode (`sudo curl … \| sudo bash`) | `/usr/local/lib/hermes-agent/` | `/usr/local/bin/hermes` | `/root/.hermes/` (or `$HERMES_HOME`) |
|
|
|
|
The root-mode **FHS layout** (`/usr/local/lib/…`, `/usr/local/bin/hermes`) matches where other system-wide developer tools land on Linux. It's useful for shared-machine deployments where one system install should serve every user. Per-user config (auth, skills, sessions) still lives under each user's `~/.hermes/` or explicit `HERMES_HOME`.
|
|
|
|
### After Installation
|
|
|
|
Reload your shell and start chatting:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
source ~/.bashrc # or: source ~/.zshrc
|
|
hermes # Start chatting!
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
To reconfigure individual settings later, use the dedicated commands:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
hermes model # Choose your LLM provider and model
|
|
hermes tools # Configure which tools are enabled
|
|
hermes gateway setup # Set up messaging platforms
|
|
hermes config set # Set individual config values
|
|
hermes setup # Or run the full setup wizard to configure everything at once
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Prerequisites
|
|
|
|
The only prerequisite is **Git**. The installer automatically handles everything else:
|
|
|
|
- **uv** (fast Python package manager)
|
|
- **Python 3.11** (via uv, no sudo needed)
|
|
- **Node.js v22** (for browser automation and WhatsApp bridge)
|
|
- **ripgrep** (fast file search)
|
|
- **ffmpeg** (audio format conversion for TTS)
|
|
|
|
:::info
|
|
You do **not** need to install Python, Node.js, ripgrep, or ffmpeg manually. The installer detects what's missing and installs it for you. Just make sure `git` is available (`git --version`).
|
|
:::
|
|
|
|
:::tip Nix users
|
|
If you use Nix (on NixOS, macOS, or Linux), there's a dedicated setup path with a Nix flake, declarative NixOS module, and optional container mode. See the **[Nix & NixOS Setup](./nix-setup.md)** guide.
|
|
:::
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Manual / Developer Installation
|
|
|
|
If you want to clone the repo and install from source — for contributing, running from a specific branch, or having full control over the virtual environment — see the [Development Setup](../developer-guide/contributing.md#development-setup) section in the Contributing guide.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Troubleshooting
|
|
|
|
| Problem | Solution |
|
|
|---------|----------|
|
|
| `hermes: command not found` | Reload your shell (`source ~/.bashrc`) or check PATH |
|
|
| `API key not set` | Run `hermes model` to configure your provider, or `hermes config set OPENROUTER_API_KEY your_key` |
|
|
| Missing config after update | Run `hermes config check` then `hermes config migrate` |
|
|
|
|
For more diagnostics, run `hermes doctor` — it will tell you exactly what's missing and how to fix it.
|