hermes-agent/apps/desktop
Brooklyn Nicholson 9d31577590 Tighten conversation rhythm, flatten the tool list, and smooth streaming text
Conversation rhythm:
- Single `--paragraph-gap` knob drives paragraph spacing both inside a
  markdown block and between consecutive prose parts, out-specifying Tailwind
  Typography's prose margins. Code cards carry the same gap themselves so it
  holds at any Streamdown nesting depth.
- Two-tier vertical rhythm: `--turn-block-gap` separates scaffolding (tools /
  thinking) from the reply; `--tool-row-gap` keeps a tool run tight.
- Drop the prose indent so prose, tools, todos, and thinking share one left
  edge. `---` renders as quiet spacing, not a heavy rule.

Flat tool list:
- Tools always render as a standalone-row stack, never a "Tool actions · N
  steps" group. assistant-ui slices the tool range unstably (interleaved live
  vs. reconstructed-consecutive when settled), so grouping reshuffled the whole
  turn the instant it settled. Flat rows are pixel-identical either way.
- Inline approvals can no longer be buried in a collapsed group body.
- Remove the now-dead grouping helpers from tool-fallback-model.

Empty thinking:
- Suppress reasoning disclosures with no visible text (encrypted / spinner-
  coerced reasoning) instead of leaving an empty "Thinking" header.
- Tail stall indicator returns "thinking" when a running turn goes quiet.

Streaming cadence:
- Smooth character-reveal decouples visible cadence from bursty arrival.
- Flush queued text deltas before applying tool events so a tool row can't
  jump ahead of its preceding text.
- Disable Nagle on the GUI WebSocket so per-token frames aren't coalesced.

Polish: clarify/patch/vision_analyze tool meta, queue-panel + diff-lines
spacing, sticky human bubble expands on focus (not hover).
2026-06-06 10:45:31 -05:00
..
assets Add Hermes desktop app (#20059) 2026-05-31 17:46:56 -05:00
electron fix(desktop): About panel shows live Hermes version, not stale package.json 2026-06-05 23:32:16 -07:00
public Add Hermes desktop app (#20059) 2026-05-31 17:46:56 -05:00
scripts fix(desktop): recover from corrupt cached Electron download on build 2026-06-04 07:17:33 -07:00
src Tighten conversation rhythm, flatten the tool list, and smooth streaming text 2026-06-06 10:45:31 -05:00
.prettierrc Add Hermes desktop app (#20059) 2026-05-31 17:46:56 -05:00
components.json Add Hermes desktop app (#20059) 2026-05-31 17:46:56 -05:00
eslint.config.mjs Add Hermes desktop app (#20059) 2026-05-31 17:46:56 -05:00
index.html fix(desktop): triage batch of GUI quality-of-life fixes (#37536) 2026-06-02 16:33:22 -04:00
package.json fix(desktop): avoid restricted oauth request header 2026-06-05 18:04:45 -07:00
preview-demo.html Add Hermes desktop app (#20059) 2026-05-31 17:46:56 -05:00
README.md docs: remove --include-desktop install instructions (#39762) 2026-06-05 06:53:58 -07:00
tsconfig.json Add Hermes desktop app (#20059) 2026-05-31 17:46:56 -05:00
vite.config.ts chore(desktop): silence Vite chunk-size warning for intentional single bundle (#38888) 2026-06-04 02:28:57 -07:00

Hermes Desktop ☤

Download Documentation Discord License: MIT

The native desktop app for Hermes Agent — the self-improving AI agent from Nous Research. Same agent, same skills, same memory as the CLI and gateway, in a polished native window — chat with streaming tool output, side-by-side previews, a file browser, voice, and settings, no terminal required. Available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Chat with the full agentStreaming responses, live tool activity, structured tool summaries, and the same conversation history as every other Hermes surface.
Side-by-side previewsRender web pages, files, and tool outputs in a right-hand pane while you keep chatting.
File browserExplore and preview the working directory without leaving the app.
VoiceTalk to Hermes and hear it back.
Settings & onboardingManage providers, models, tools, and credentials from a real UI. First-run setup gets you to your first message in seconds.
Stays currentBuilt-in updates pull the latest agent and rebuild the app in place.

Install

Already have the Hermes CLI? Just run:

hermes desktop

It builds and launches the GUI against your existing install — same config, keys, sessions, and skills. On first launch Hermes walks you through picking a provider and model; nothing else to configure.

Prebuilt installers

Prebuilt installers are built and distributed via the Hermes Desktop website..


Updating

The app checks for updates in the background and offers a one-click update when one is ready. You can also update any time from the CLI:

hermes update

Requirements

The installer handles everything for you (Python 3.11+, a portable Git, ripgrep).


Development

Want to hack on the app itself? Install workspace deps from the repo root once, then run the dev server from this directory:

npm install          # from repo root — links apps/desktop, web, apps/shared
cd apps/desktop
npm run dev          # Vite renderer + Electron, which boots the Python backend

Point the app at a specific source checkout, or sandbox it away from your real config:

HERMES_DESKTOP_HERMES_ROOT=/path/to/clone npm run dev
HERMES_HOME=/tmp/throwaway npm run dev
npm run dev:fake-boot   # exercise the startup overlay with deterministic delays

Building installers

npm run dist:mac     # DMG + zip
npm run dist:win     # NSIS + MSI
npm run dist:linux   # AppImage + deb + rpm
npm run pack         # unpacked app under release/ (no installer)

Installers are built and uploaded to GitHub Releases manually. macOS/Windows signing & notarization happen automatically when the relevant credentials are present in the environment (CSC_LINK / CSC_KEY_PASSWORD / APPLE_* for macOS, WIN_CSC_* for Windows).

How it works

The packaged app ships only the Electron shell. On first launch it installs the Hermes Agent runtime into HERMES_HOME (~/.hermes, or %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes on Windows) — the same layout a CLI install uses, so the two are interchangeable. The renderer (React, in src/) talks to a hermes dashboard backend over the standard gateway APIs and reuses the embedded TUI rather than reimplementing chat. The install, backend-resolution, and self-update logic all live in electron/main.cjs.

Verification

Run before opening a PR (lint may surface pre-existing warnings but must exit cleanly):

npm run fix
npm run type-check
npm run lint
npm run test:desktop:all

Troubleshooting

Boot logs land in HERMES_HOME/logs/desktop.log (includes backend output and recent Python tracebacks) — check it first if the app reports a boot failure.

macOS / Linux:

# Force a clean first-launch setup
rm "$HOME/.hermes/hermes-agent/.hermes-bootstrap-complete"
# Rebuild a broken Python venv
rm -rf "$HOME/.hermes/hermes-agent/venv"
# Reset a stuck macOS microphone prompt (macOS only)
tccutil reset Microphone com.nousresearch.hermes

Windows (PowerShell):

# Force a clean first-launch setup
Remove-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\hermes\hermes-agent\.hermes-bootstrap-complete"
# Rebuild a broken Python venv
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\hermes\hermes-agent\venv"

The default Hermes home on Windows is %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes. Set the HERMES_HOME env var if you've relocated it.


Community


License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Built by Nous Research.