hermes-agent/website/docs/user-guide/profiles.md
Teknium 1345dda0cf
feat(kanban): orchestrator-driven auto-decomposition on triage (#27572)
* feat(kanban): orchestrator-driven auto-decomposition on triage

Closes the core gap in the kanban system: dropping a one-liner into Triage
now decomposes it into a graph of child tasks routed to specialist
profiles by description, matching teknium's original vision ("main
orchestrator splits/creates actual tasks, doles them out to each agent").

The build
---------
- hermes_cli/profiles.py: new `description` + `description_auto` fields
  on ProfileInfo, persisted in <profile_dir>/profile.yaml. Helpers
  read_profile_meta / write_profile_meta. `create_profile` accepts
  optional description.
- hermes_cli/profile_describer.py: new module — auto-generate a 1-2
  sentence description from a profile's skills + model + name via the
  auxiliary LLM (`auxiliary.profile_describer`).
- hermes_cli/main.py: new `hermes profile create --description ...`
  flag; new `hermes profile describe [name] [--text ... | --auto |
  --all --auto]` subcommand.
- hermes_cli/kanban_db.py: new `decompose_triage_task` atomic helper —
  creates N child tasks, links the root as a child of every leaf
  (root waits for the whole graph), flips root `triage -> todo` with
  orchestrator assignee, records an audit comment + `decomposed` event
  in a single write_txn.
- hermes_cli/kanban_decompose.py: new module — calls the auxiliary LLM
  (`auxiliary.kanban_decomposer`) with the profile roster + descriptions
  to produce a JSON task graph, then invokes the DB helper. Rewrites
  unknown assignees to the configured `kanban.default_assignee` (or
  the active default profile) so a task NEVER lands with assignee=None.
  Falls back to specify-style single-task promotion when the LLM
  returns `fanout: false`.
- hermes_cli/kanban.py: new `hermes kanban decompose [task_id | --all]`
  CLI verb.
- hermes_cli/config.py: new DEFAULT_CONFIG keys —
  kanban.orchestrator_profile, kanban.default_assignee,
  kanban.auto_decompose (default True), kanban.auto_decompose_per_tick
  (default 3), auxiliary.kanban_decomposer, auxiliary.profile_describer.
- gateway/run.py: kanban dispatcher watcher now runs auto-decompose
  before each `_tick_once`, capped by `auto_decompose_per_tick` so a
  bulk-load of triage tasks doesn't burst-spend the aux LLM.
- plugins/kanban/dashboard/plugin_api.py: new endpoints —
  GET /profiles (list roster + descriptions),
  PATCH /profiles/<name> (set description, user-authored),
  POST /profiles/<name>/describe-auto (LLM-generate),
  POST /tasks/<id>/decompose (run decomposer),
  GET/PUT /orchestration (orchestrator/default-assignee/auto-decompose
  pickers, with resolved fallbacks echoed back).
- plugins/kanban/dashboard/dist/index.js: new OrchestrationPanel
  collapsible — dropdowns for orchestrator profile and default
  assignee, auto-decompose toggle, per-profile description editor with
  Save and Auto-generate buttons. New ⚗ Decompose button next to
   Specify on triage-column task drawers.

Behavior
--------
- A task in Triage gets fanned out into a small DAG of child tasks.
  Children with no internal parents flip to `ready` immediately
  (parallel dispatch). Children with sibling parents wait. The root
  stays alive as a parent of every child — when the whole graph
  finishes, it promotes to `ready` and the orchestrator profile wakes
  back up to judge completion (the "adds more tasks until done" part
  of the original vision).
- `kanban.orchestrator_profile` unset -> falls back to the default
  profile (whichever `hermes` launches with no -p flag).
- `kanban.default_assignee` unset -> same fallback. Tasks NEVER end
  up unassigned.
- `kanban.auto_decompose=true` (default) runs the decomposer
  automatically on dispatcher ticks; manual `hermes kanban decompose`
  is always available.

Tests
-----
- tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_decompose_db.py — 7 tests for the
  atomic DB helper (status transitions, dep graph, audit trail,
  validation errors).
- tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_decompose.py — 6 tests for the
  decomposer module (fanout, no-fanout fallback, unknown-assignee
  rewrite, malformed-JSON resilience, no-aux-client path).
- tests/hermes_cli/test_profile_describer.py — 10 tests for
  profile.yaml r/w + the LLM auto-describer (yaml corrupt tolerance,
  user-vs-auto description protection, --overwrite, fallback parsing).

E2E
---
- CLI end-to-end: created profiles with descriptions, dropped a triage
  task, mocked the aux LLM with a 3-task graph -> verified all three
  children were created with the right assignees, the dependency
  edges matched the LLM's graph, root flipped to todo gated by every
  child, audit comment + `decomposed` event recorded.
- Dashboard end-to-end: started the dashboard against an isolated
  HERMES_HOME, verified all four new endpoints via curl (profile
  listing, PATCH for description, PUT for orchestration settings,
  POST for decompose). Opened the UI in the browser, confirmed the
  OrchestrationPanel renders with all three pickers + the per-profile
  description editor, typed a description, clicked Save, verified
  ~/.hermes/profile.yaml was written. Clicked Decompose on the triage
  card and confirmed the inline error message surfaced as designed
  ("no auxiliary client configured").

* feat(kanban): surface decompose mode (Auto/Manual) as a one-click pill

The auto/manual toggle already existed as kanban.auto_decompose (default
true), but it was buried inside the collapsed Orchestration settings
panel — users couldn't tell at a glance which mode they were in. This
hoists it to a pill at the top of the kanban page so the state is always
visible and one click flips it.

UX
- New "⚗ Decompose: AUTO|MANUAL" pill in the kanban header. Emerald
  styling when Auto is on (the default), muted/gray when Manual.
- Pill is visible both in the collapsed AND expanded Orchestration
  settings views so context is preserved when the user opens the panel.
- Tooltip explains both states + what clicking does.
- Renamed the in-panel "Auto-decompose on triage / Enabled" checkbox
  to "Decompose mode / Auto (default) | Manual" for language parity
  with the pill.

Behavior preserved
- Default remains Auto (kanban.auto_decompose=true).
- Manual mode restores pre-PR behavior: triage tasks stay in triage
  until the user clicks ⚗ Decompose on each card (or runs
  `hermes kanban decompose <id>`).

Implementation
- plugins/kanban/dashboard/dist/index.js: load /orchestration on mount
  (not just on expand) so the collapsed pill reflects real state.
  Render mode pill in both collapsed and expanded headers. Reuses the
  existing PUT /api/plugins/kanban/orchestration endpoint — no new
  backend, no new tests required.

E2E verified
- Pill renders as "⚗ Decompose: AUTO" on page load (default).
- One click flips to "⚗ Decompose: MANUAL" with muted styling.
- config.yaml on disk shows auto_decompose: false after the flip.
- Second click round-trips back to Auto; config.yaml flips to true.

* feat(kanban): rename mode pill to "Orchestration: Auto/Manual"

Per Teknium feedback — "Decompose" was too implementation-specific.
"Orchestration" is the user-facing concept (the whole pitch is the
orchestrator profile routing work), and the pill is the front door to it.

- Pill text: "Orchestration: Auto" / "Orchestration: Manual" (title case,
  no ⚗ prefix, no SHOUTY-CAPS for the mode value)
- In-panel checkbox label: "Orchestration mode" (was "Decompose mode")
- Tooltips updated to match
- No behavior change

* docs(kanban): document decompose, profile descriptions, orchestration mode

Brings the docs site up to parity with the PR. English build verified
locally (npx docusaurus build --locale en) — clean, no new broken links
or anchors. Pre-existing broken-link warnings (rl-training, llms.txt,
step-by-step-checklist, fallback-model) untouched.

- website/docs/reference/cli-commands.md
    + `hermes kanban decompose` action row in the action table, with
      pointer to the Auto vs Manual orchestration section.

- website/docs/reference/profile-commands.md
    + `--description "<text>"` flag on `hermes profile create`.
    + Full `hermes profile describe` section: read, --text, --auto,
      --overwrite, --all flags with examples.

- website/docs/user-guide/features/kanban.md (the big one)
    + Triage column intro rewritten around the Auto-decompose default
      behavior, with pointer to the new Auto vs Manual section.
    + Status action row updated to mention both ⚗ Decompose and
       Specify on triage cards.
    + New "Auto vs Manual orchestration" section explaining the two
      modes, how to flip them (pill, config), how routing-by-description
      works, the no-None-assignee guarantee, plus a config knob table
      (auto_decompose, auto_decompose_per_tick, orchestrator_profile,
      default_assignee) and the two new auxiliary slots
      (kanban_decomposer, profile_describer).
    + REST surface table gains 6 new endpoint rows: /tasks/:id/decompose,
      /profiles (GET), /profiles/:name (PATCH), /profiles/:name/describe-auto,
      /orchestration (GET + PUT).

- website/docs/user-guide/features/kanban-tutorial.md
    + Triage column blurb updated for Auto by default + Manual via the
      pill, with cross-link to the Auto vs Manual orchestration section.

- website/docs/user-guide/profiles.md
    + Blank-profile flow now mentions --description and points to the
      kanban routing model for context.

- website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md
    + `kanban_decomposer` and `profile_describer` added to the
      `hermes model -> Configure auxiliary models` menu listing.
2026-05-17 13:54:12 -07:00

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---
sidebar_position: 2
---
# Profiles: Running Multiple Agents
Run multiple independent Hermes agents on the same machine — each with its own config, API keys, memory, sessions, skills, and gateway state.
## What are profiles?
A profile is a separate Hermes home directory. Each profile gets its own directory containing its own `config.yaml`, `.env`, `SOUL.md`, memories, sessions, skills, cron jobs, and state database. Profiles let you run separate agents for different purposes — a coding assistant, a personal bot, a research agent — without mixing up Hermes state.
When you create a profile, it automatically becomes its own command. Create a profile called `coder` and you immediately have `coder chat`, `coder setup`, `coder gateway start`, etc.
## Quick start
```bash
hermes profile create coder # creates profile + "coder" command alias
coder setup # configure API keys and model
coder chat # start chatting
```
That's it. `coder` is now its own Hermes profile with its own config, memory, and state.
## Creating a profile
### Blank profile
```bash
hermes profile create mybot
```
Creates a fresh profile with bundled skills seeded. Run `mybot setup` to configure API keys, model, and gateway tokens.
If you plan to use this profile as a kanban worker (or want the kanban orchestrator to route work to it), pass `--description "<role>"` at create time so the orchestrator knows what it's good at:
```bash
hermes profile create researcher --description "Reads source code and external docs, writes findings."
```
You can also set or auto-generate the description later with `hermes profile describe` — see the [Kanban guide](./features/kanban#auto-vs-manual-orchestration) for the full routing model.
### Clone config only (`--clone`)
```bash
hermes profile create work --clone
```
Copies your current profile's `config.yaml`, `.env`, and `SOUL.md` into the new profile. Same API keys and model, but fresh sessions and memory. Edit `~/.hermes/profiles/work/.env` for different API keys, or `~/.hermes/profiles/work/SOUL.md` for a different personality.
### Clone everything (`--clone-all`)
```bash
hermes profile create backup --clone-all
```
Copies **everything** — config, API keys, personality, all memories, full session history, skills, cron jobs, plugins. A complete snapshot. Useful for backups or forking an agent that already has context.
### Clone from a specific profile
```bash
hermes profile create work --clone --clone-from coder
```
:::tip Honcho memory + profiles
When Honcho is enabled, `--clone` automatically creates a dedicated AI peer for the new profile while sharing the same user workspace. Each profile builds its own observations and identity. See [Honcho -- Multi-agent / Profiles](./features/memory-providers.md#honcho) for details.
:::
## Using profiles
### Command aliases
Every profile automatically gets a command alias at `~/.local/bin/<name>`:
```bash
coder chat # chat with the coder agent
coder setup # configure coder's settings
coder gateway start # start coder's gateway
coder doctor # check coder's health
coder skills list # list coder's skills
coder config set model.default anthropic/claude-sonnet-4
```
The alias works with every hermes subcommand — it's just `hermes -p <name>` under the hood.
### The `-p` flag
You can also target a profile explicitly with any command:
```bash
hermes -p coder chat
hermes --profile=coder doctor
hermes chat -p coder -q "hello" # works in any position
```
### Sticky default (`hermes profile use`)
```bash
hermes profile use coder
hermes chat # now targets coder
hermes tools # configures coder's tools
hermes profile use default # switch back
```
Sets a default so plain `hermes` commands target that profile. Like `kubectl config use-context`.
### Knowing where you are
The CLI always shows which profile is active:
- **Prompt**: `coder ` instead of ``
- **Banner**: Shows `Profile: coder` on startup
- **`hermes profile`**: Shows current profile name, path, model, gateway status
## Profiles vs workspaces vs sandboxing
Profiles are often confused with workspaces or sandboxes, but they are different things:
- A **profile** gives Hermes its own state directory: `config.yaml`, `.env`, `SOUL.md`, sessions, memory, logs, cron jobs, and gateway state.
- A **workspace** or **working directory** is where terminal commands start. That is controlled separately by `terminal.cwd`.
- A **sandbox** is what limits filesystem access. Profiles do **not** sandbox the agent.
On the default `local` terminal backend, the agent still has the same filesystem access as your user account. A profile does not stop it from accessing folders outside the profile directory.
If you want a profile to start in a specific project folder, set an explicit absolute `terminal.cwd` in that profile's `config.yaml`:
```yaml
terminal:
backend: local
cwd: /absolute/path/to/project
```
Using `cwd: "."` on the local backend means "the directory Hermes was launched from", not "the profile directory".
Also note:
- `SOUL.md` can guide the model, but it does not enforce a workspace boundary.
- Changes to `SOUL.md` take effect cleanly on a new session. Existing sessions may still be using the old prompt state.
- Asking the model "what directory are you in?" is not a reliable isolation test. If you need a predictable starting directory for tools, set `terminal.cwd` explicitly.
## Running gateways
Each profile runs its own gateway as a separate process with its own bot token:
```bash
coder gateway start # starts coder's gateway
assistant gateway start # starts assistant's gateway (separate process)
```
### Different bot tokens
Each profile has its own `.env` file. Configure a different Telegram/Discord/Slack bot token in each:
```bash
# Edit coder's tokens
nano ~/.hermes/profiles/coder/.env
# Edit assistant's tokens
nano ~/.hermes/profiles/assistant/.env
```
### Safety: token locks
If two profiles accidentally use the same bot token, the second gateway will be blocked with a clear error naming the conflicting profile. Supported for Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, and Signal.
### Persistent services
```bash
coder gateway install # creates hermes-gateway-coder systemd/launchd service
assistant gateway install # creates hermes-gateway-assistant service
```
Each profile gets its own service name. They run independently.
## Configuring profiles
Each profile has its own:
- **`config.yaml`** — model, provider, toolsets, all settings
- **`.env`** — API keys, bot tokens
- **`SOUL.md`** — personality and instructions
```bash
coder config set model.default anthropic/claude-sonnet-4
echo "You are a focused coding assistant." > ~/.hermes/profiles/coder/SOUL.md
```
If you want this profile to work in a specific project by default, also set its own `terminal.cwd`:
```bash
coder config set terminal.cwd /absolute/path/to/project
```
## Updating
`hermes update` pulls code once (shared) and syncs new bundled skills to **all** profiles automatically:
```bash
hermes update
# → Code updated (12 commits)
# → Skills synced: default (up to date), coder (+2 new), assistant (+2 new)
```
User-modified skills are never overwritten.
## Managing profiles
```bash
hermes profile list # show all profiles with status
hermes profile show coder # detailed info for one profile
hermes profile rename coder dev-bot # rename (updates alias + service)
hermes profile export coder # export to coder.tar.gz
hermes profile import coder.tar.gz # import from archive
```
## Deleting a profile
```bash
hermes profile delete coder
```
This stops the gateway, removes the systemd/launchd service, removes the command alias, and deletes all profile data. You'll be asked to type the profile name to confirm.
Use `--yes` to skip confirmation: `hermes profile delete coder --yes`
:::note
You cannot delete the default profile (`~/.hermes`). To remove everything, use `hermes uninstall`.
:::
## Tab completion
```bash
# Bash
eval "$(hermes completion bash)"
# Zsh
eval "$(hermes completion zsh)"
```
Add the line to your `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc` for persistent completion. Completes profile names after `-p`, profile subcommands, and top-level commands.
## How it works
Profiles use the `HERMES_HOME` environment variable. When you run `coder chat`, the wrapper script sets `HERMES_HOME=~/.hermes/profiles/coder` before launching hermes. Since 119+ files in the codebase resolve paths via `get_hermes_home()`, Hermes state automatically scopes to the profile's directory — config, sessions, memory, skills, state database, gateway PID, logs, and cron jobs.
This is separate from terminal working directory. Tool execution starts from `terminal.cwd` (or the launch directory when `cwd: "."` on the local backend), not automatically from `HERMES_HOME`.
The default profile is simply `~/.hermes` itself. No migration needed — existing installs work identically.
## Sharing profiles as distributions
A profile you built on one machine can be packaged as a **git repository** and installed with one command on another machine — your own workstation, a teammate's laptop, or a community user's environment. The shared package includes the SOUL, config, skills, cron jobs, and MCP connections. Credentials, memories, and sessions stay per-machine.
```bash
# Install a whole agent from a git repo
hermes profile install github.com/you/research-bot --alias
# Update later when the author ships a new version (keeps your memories + .env)
hermes profile update research-bot
```
See **[Profile Distributions: Share a Whole Agent](./profile-distributions.md)** for the full guide — authoring, publishing, update semantics, security model, and use cases.