hermes-agent/website/docs/getting-started/installation.md

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2	Installation	Install Hermes Agent on Linux, macOS, WSL2, native Windows, 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

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

Windows (native, PowerShell)

Open PowerShell and run:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

The native Windows installer provisions uv, Python 3.11, Node.js 22, ripgrep, and ffmpeg, 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.

Prerequisite: Install Git for Windows first. Hermes uses the bundled Git Bash to execute terminal commands — the same approach Claude Code and other coding agents take on Windows. If you install Git to a non-default location, set HERMES_GIT_BASH_PATH in your environment to point at bash.exe.

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:

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.

:::note Windows Feature Parity

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:

source ~/.bashrc   # or: source ~/.zshrc
hermes             # Start chatting!

To reconfigure individual settings later, use the dedicated commands:

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

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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 guide. :::

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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 section in the Contributing guide.

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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.