16786f3bb3
Desktop connected to a remote gateway can now attach images and PDFs and
display agent-written images. Previously the desktop passed a LOCAL file path
to image.attach; on a remote gateway that path doesn't exist, so the image was
silently dropped ("skipped unreadable path") and the vision model never saw it.
The reverse direction was also broken — images the agent wrote on the gateway
rendered as dead links in the remote client.
Gateway (tui_gateway/server.py):
- image.attach_bytes: base64 byte upload written into the gateway's own images
dir and queued via the existing native-image-attach pipeline. Magic-byte
extension sniffing, data-URL prefix + whitespace tolerance, 25 MB cap,
structured error codes. Accepts content_base64/filename (canonical) and
data/ext (older-desktop aliases).
- pdf.attach: renders each page to PNG via pdftoppm (poppler-utils) at 150 DPI
and queues the pages as images; 50 MB / 25-page caps. Accepts host path or
base64 upload.
- Shared helpers (_decode_attach_base64, _sniff_image_ext, _queue_attached_image)
so the two methods and the existing image.attach don't duplicate logic.
Gateway (hermes_cli/web_server.py):
- GET /api/media: returns a gateway-local image as a base64 data URL so remote
clients can display it. Auth-gated like every /api route, extension
allowlist + size cap, AND confined to the gateway's own media roots
(images/screenshots/cache, resolved symlink-safe) so an authed caller can't
read image-extension files anywhere on disk.
Desktop (apps/desktop):
- syncImageAttachmentsForSubmit uploads bytes via image.attach_bytes when the
connection mode is 'remote'; the local fast path is unchanged.
- media.ts gains isRemoteGateway() + gatewayMediaDataUrl(); directive-text and
markdown-text fetch images over /api/media in remote mode.
Consolidates the competing remote-media PRs (#38876, #40317, #21908, #39437)
into one coherent implementation, taking the strongest parts of each and adding
shared-helper cleanup plus the /api/media root-confinement hardening on top.
The per-profile gateway switching from #38876 is intentionally left out as a
separable feature. TUI file uploads (#40492) remain a separate surface.
Tested: 11 new tui_gateway tests + 5 /api/media endpoint tests + desktop
media.remote unit tests; full tui_gateway + web_server suites green (472
passed); tsc -b clean; E2E verified the full attach→disk→queue and
gateway-path→data-URL display round-trip plus the out-of-root security block.
Co-authored-by: Max Mitcham <maxmitcham@mac.home>
Co-authored-by: Justlrnal4 <Justlrnal4@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Chris Cook <ccook@nvms.com>
Co-authored-by: Thomas Paquette <thomas.paquette@gmail.com>
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| assets | ||
| electron | ||
| public | ||
| scripts | ||
| src | ||
| .prettierrc | ||
| components.json | ||
| DESIGN.md | ||
| eslint.config.mjs | ||
| index.html | ||
| package.json | ||
| preview-demo.html | ||
| README.md | ||
| tsconfig.json | ||
| vite.config.ts | ||
Hermes Desktop ☤
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 agent | Streaming responses, live tool activity, structured tool summaries, and the same conversation history as every other Hermes surface. |
| Side-by-side previews | Render web pages, files, and tool outputs in a right-hand pane while you keep chatting. |
| File browser | Explore and preview the working directory without leaving the app. |
| Voice | Talk to Hermes and hear it back. |
| Settings & onboarding | Manage providers, models, tools, and credentials from a real UI. First-run setup gets you to your first message in seconds. |
| Stays current | Built-in updates pull the latest agent and rebuild the app in place. |
Install
Install with Hermes (recommended)
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 theHERMES_HOMEenv var if you've relocated it.
Community
- 💬 Discord
- 📖 Documentation
- 🐛 Issues
License
MIT — see LICENSE.
Built by Nous Research.