Files
hermes-agent/README.md
Teknium 6c6d12033f fix: email send_typing metadata + ☤ Hermes staff symbol (#1431, #1420)
* fix: prevent infinite 400 failure loop on context overflow (#1630)

When a gateway session exceeds the model's context window, Anthropic may
return a generic 400 invalid_request_error with just 'Error' as the
message.  This bypassed the phrase-based context-length detection,
causing the agent to treat it as a non-retryable client error.  Worse,
the failed user message was still persisted to the transcript, making
the session even larger on each attempt — creating an infinite loop.

Three-layer fix:

1. run_agent.py — Fallback heuristic: when a 400 error has a very short
   generic message AND the session is large (>40% of context or >80
   messages), treat it as a probable context overflow and trigger
   compression instead of aborting.

2. run_agent.py + gateway/run.py — Don't persist failed messages:
   when the agent returns failed=True before generating any response,
   skip writing the user's message to the transcript/DB. This prevents
   the session from growing on each failure.

3. gateway/run.py — Smarter error messages: detect context-overflow
   failures and suggest /compact or /reset specifically, instead of a
   generic 'try again' that will fail identically.

* fix(skills): detect prompt injection patterns and block cache file reads

Adds two security layers to prevent prompt injection via skills hub
cache files (#1558):

1. read_file: blocks direct reads of ~/.hermes/skills/.hub/ directory
   (index-cache, catalog files). The 3.5MB clawhub_catalog_v1.json
   was the original injection vector — untrusted skill descriptions
   in the catalog contained adversarial text that the model executed.

2. skill_view: warns when skills are loaded from outside the trusted
   ~/.hermes/skills/ directory, and detects common injection patterns
   in skill content ("ignore previous instructions", "<system>", etc.).

Cherry-picked from PR #1562 by ygd58.

* fix(tools): chunk long messages in send_message_tool before dispatch (#1552)

Long messages sent via send_message tool or cron delivery silently
failed when exceeding platform limits. Gateway adapters handle this
via truncate_message(), but the standalone senders in send_message_tool
bypassed that entirely.

- Apply truncate_message() chunking in _send_to_platform() before
  dispatching to individual platform senders
- Remove naive message[i:i+2000] character split in _send_discord()
  in favor of centralized smart splitting
- Attach media files to last chunk only for Telegram
- Add regression tests for chunking and media placement

Cherry-picked from PR #1557 by llbn.

* fix(approval): show full command in dangerous command approval (#1553)

Previously the command was truncated to 80 chars in CLI (with a
[v]iew full option), 500 chars in Discord embeds, and missing entirely
in Telegram/Slack approval messages. Now the full command is always
displayed everywhere:

- CLI: removed 80-char truncation and [v]iew full menu option
- Gateway (TG/Slack): approval_required message includes full command
  in a code block
- Discord: embed shows full command up to 4096-char limit
- Windows: skip SIGALRM-based test timeout (Unix-only)
- Updated tests: replaced view-flow tests with direct approval tests

Cherry-picked from PR #1566 by crazywriter1.

* fix(cli): flush stdout during agent loop to prevent macOS display freeze (#1624)

The interrupt polling loop in chat() waited on the queue without
invalidating the prompt_toolkit renderer. On macOS, the StdoutProxy
buffer only flushed on input events, causing the CLI to appear frozen
during tool execution until the user typed a key.

Fix: call _invalidate() on each queue timeout (every ~100ms, throttled
to 150ms) to force the renderer to flush buffered agent output.

* fix(claw): warn when API keys are skipped during OpenClaw migration (#1580)

When --migrate-secrets is not passed (the default), API keys like
OPENROUTER_API_KEY are silently skipped with no warning. Users don't
realize their keys weren't migrated until the agent fails to connect.

Add a post-migration warning with actionable instructions: either
re-run with --migrate-secrets or add the key manually via
hermes config set.

Cherry-picked from PR #1593 by ygd58.

* fix(security): block sandbox backend creds from subprocess env (#1264)

Add Modal and Daytona sandbox credentials to the subprocess env
blocklist so they're not leaked to agent terminal sessions via
printenv/env.

Cherry-picked from PR #1571 by ygd58.

* fix(gateway): cap interrupt recursion depth to prevent resource exhaustion (#816)

When a user sends multiple messages while the agent keeps failing,
_run_agent() calls itself recursively with no depth limit. This can
exhaust stack/memory if the agent is in a failure loop.

Add _MAX_INTERRUPT_DEPTH = 3. When exceeded, the pending message is
logged and the current result is returned instead of recursing deeper.

The log handler duplication bug described in #816 was already fixed
separately (AIAgent.__init__ deduplicates handlers).

* fix(gateway): /model shows active fallback model instead of config default (#1615)

When the agent falls back to a different model (e.g. due to rate
limiting), /model still showed the config default. Now tracks the
effective model/provider after each agent run and displays it.

Cleared when the primary model succeeds again or the user explicitly
switches via /model.

Cherry-picked from PR #1616 by MaxKerkula. Added hasattr guard for
test compatibility.

* feat(gateway): inject reply-to message context for out-of-session replies (#1594)

When a user replies to a Telegram message, check if the quoted text
exists in the current session transcript. If missing (from cron jobs,
background tasks, or old sessions), prepend [Replying to: "..."] to
the message so the agent has context about what's being referenced.

- Add reply_to_text field to MessageEvent (base.py)
- Populate from Telegram's reply_to_message (text or caption)
- Inject context in _handle_message when not found in history

Based on PR #1596 by anpicasso (cherry-picked reply-to feature only,
excluded unrelated /server command and background delegation changes).

* fix: recognize Claude Code OAuth credentials in startup gate (#1455)

The _has_any_provider_configured() startup check didn't look for
Claude Code OAuth credentials (~/.claude/.credentials.json). Users
with only Claude Code auth got the setup wizard instead of starting.

Cherry-picked from PR #1455 by kshitijk4poor.

* perf: use ripgrep for file search (200x faster than find)

search_files(target='files') now uses rg --files -g instead of find.
Ripgrep respects .gitignore, excludes hidden dirs by default, and has
parallel directory traversal — ~200x faster on wide trees (0.14s vs 34s
benchmarked on 164-repo tree).

Falls back to find when rg is unavailable, preserving hidden-dir
exclusion and BSD find compatibility.

Salvaged from PR #1464 by @light-merlin-dark (Merlin) — adapted to
preserve hidden-dir exclusion added since the original PR.

* refactor(tts): replace NeuTTS optional skill with built-in provider + setup flow

Remove the optional skill (redundant now that NeuTTS is a built-in TTS
provider). Replace neutts_cli dependency with a standalone synthesis
helper (tools/neutts_synth.py) that calls the neutts Python API directly
in a subprocess.

Add TTS provider selection to hermes setup:
- 'hermes setup' now prompts for TTS provider after model selection
- 'hermes setup tts' available as standalone section
- Selecting NeuTTS checks for deps and offers to install:
  espeak-ng (system) + neutts[all] (pip)
- ElevenLabs/OpenAI selections prompt for API keys
- Tool status display shows NeuTTS install state

Changes:
- Remove optional-skills/mlops/models/neutts/ (skill + CLI scaffold)
- Add tools/neutts_synth.py (standalone synthesis subprocess helper)
- Move jo.wav/jo.txt to tools/neutts_samples/ (bundled default voice)
- Refactor _generate_neutts() — uses neutts API via subprocess, no
  neutts_cli dependency, config-driven ref_audio/ref_text/model/device
- Add TTS setup to hermes_cli/setup.py (SETUP_SECTIONS, tool status)
- Update config.py defaults (ref_audio, ref_text, model, device)

* fix(docker): add explicit env allowlist for container credentials (#1436)

Docker terminal sessions are secret-dark by default. This adds
terminal.docker_forward_env as an explicit allowlist for env vars
that may be forwarded into Docker containers.

Values resolve from the current shell first, then fall back to
~/.hermes/.env. Only variables the user explicitly lists are
forwarded — nothing is auto-exposed.

Cherry-picked from PR #1449 by @teknium1, conflict-resolved onto
current main.

Fixes #1436
Supersedes #1439

* fix: email send_typing metadata param + ☤ Hermes staff symbol

- email.py: add missing metadata parameter to send_typing() to match
  BasePlatformAdapter signature (PR #1431 by @ItsChoudhry)
- README.md: ⚕ → ☤ — the caduceus is Hermes's staff, not the
  medical Staff of Asclepius (PR #1420 by @rianczerwinski)

---------

Co-authored-by: buray <ygd58@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: lbn <llbn@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: crazywriter1 <53251494+crazywriter1@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Max K <MaxKerkula@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Angello Picasso <angello.picasso@devsu.com>
Co-authored-by: kshitij <kshitijk4poor@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-03-17 02:37:40 -07:00

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Markdown

<p align="center">
<img src="assets/banner.png" alt="Hermes Agent" width="100%">
</p>
# Hermes Agent ☤
<p align="center">
<a href="https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Docs-hermes--agent.nousresearch.com-FFD700?style=for-the-badge" alt="Documentation"></a>
<a href="https://discord.gg/NousResearch"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Discord-5865F2?style=for-the-badge&logo=discord&logoColor=white" alt="Discord"></a>
<a href="https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-green?style=for-the-badge" alt="License: MIT"></a>
<a href="https://nousresearch.com"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Built%20by-Nous%20Research-blueviolet?style=for-the-badge" alt="Built by Nous Research"></a>
</p>
**The self-improving AI agent built by [Nous Research](https://nousresearch.com).** It's the only agent with a built-in learning loop — it creates skills from experience, improves them during use, nudges itself to persist knowledge, searches its own past conversations, and builds a deepening model of who you are across sessions. Run it on a $5 VPS, a GPU cluster, or serverless infrastructure that costs nearly nothing when idle. It's not tied to your laptop — talk to it from Telegram while it works on a cloud VM.
Use any model you want — [Nous Portal](https://portal.nousresearch.com), [OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai) (200+ models), [z.ai/GLM](https://z.ai), [Kimi/Moonshot](https://platform.moonshot.ai), [MiniMax](https://www.minimax.io), OpenAI, or your own endpoint. Switch with `hermes model` — no code changes, no lock-in.
<table>
<tr><td><b>A real terminal interface</b></td><td>Full TUI with multiline editing, slash-command autocomplete, conversation history, interrupt-and-redirect, and streaming tool output.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Lives where you do</b></td><td>Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, and CLI — all from a single gateway process. Voice memo transcription, cross-platform conversation continuity.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>A closed learning loop</b></td><td>Agent-curated memory with periodic nudges. Autonomous skill creation after complex tasks. Skills self-improve during use. FTS5 session search with LLM summarization for cross-session recall. <a href="https://github.com/plastic-labs/honcho">Honcho</a> dialectic user modeling. Compatible with the <a href="https://agentskills.io">agentskills.io</a> open standard.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Scheduled automations</b></td><td>Built-in cron scheduler with delivery to any platform. Daily reports, nightly backups, weekly audits — all in natural language, running unattended.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Delegates and parallelizes</b></td><td>Spawn isolated subagents for parallel workstreams. Write Python scripts that call tools via RPC, collapsing multi-step pipelines into zero-context-cost turns.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Runs anywhere, not just your laptop</b></td><td>Six terminal backends — local, Docker, SSH, Daytona, Singularity, and Modal. Daytona and Modal offer serverless persistence — your agent's environment hibernates when idle and wakes on demand, costing nearly nothing between sessions. Run it on a $5 VPS or a GPU cluster.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Research-ready</b></td><td>Batch trajectory generation, Atropos RL environments, trajectory compression for training the next generation of tool-calling models.</td></tr>
</table>
---
## Quick Install
```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
```
Works on Linux, macOS, and WSL2. The installer handles everything — Python, Node.js, dependencies, and the `hermes` command. No prerequisites except git.
> **Windows:** Native Windows is not supported. Please install [WSL2](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) and run the command above.
After installation:
```bash
source ~/.bashrc # reload shell (or: source ~/.zshrc)
hermes # start chatting!
```
---
## Getting Started
```bash
hermes # Interactive CLI — start a conversation
hermes model # Choose your LLM provider and model
hermes tools # Configure which tools are enabled
hermes config set # Set individual config values
hermes gateway # Start the messaging gateway (Telegram, Discord, etc.)
hermes setup # Run the full setup wizard (configures everything at once)
hermes claw migrate # Migrate from OpenClaw (if coming from OpenClaw)
hermes update # Update to the latest version
hermes doctor # Diagnose any issues
```
📖 **[Full documentation →](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/)**
## CLI vs Messaging Quick Reference
Hermes has two entry points: start the terminal UI with `hermes`, or run the gateway and talk to it from Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, or Email. Once you're in a conversation, many slash commands are shared across both interfaces.
| Action | CLI | Messaging platforms |
|---------|-----|---------------------|
| Start chatting | `hermes` | Run `hermes gateway setup` + `hermes gateway start`, then send the bot a message |
| Start fresh conversation | `/new` or `/reset` | `/new` or `/reset` |
| Change model | `/model [provider:model]` | `/model [provider:model]` |
| Set a personality | `/personality [name]` | `/personality [name]` |
| Retry or undo the last turn | `/retry`, `/undo` | `/retry`, `/undo` |
| Compress context / check usage | `/compress`, `/usage`, `/insights [--days N]` | `/compress`, `/usage`, `/insights [days]` |
| Browse skills | `/skills` or `/<skill-name>` | `/skills` or `/<skill-name>` |
| Interrupt current work | `Ctrl+C` or send a new message | `/stop` or send a new message |
| Platform-specific status | `/platforms` | `/status`, `/sethome` |
For the full command lists, see the [CLI guide](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/cli) and the [Messaging Gateway guide](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/messaging).
---
## Documentation
All documentation lives at **[hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/)**:
| Section | What's Covered |
|---------|---------------|
| [Quickstart](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/getting-started/quickstart) | Install → setup → first conversation in 2 minutes |
| [CLI Usage](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/cli) | Commands, keybindings, personalities, sessions |
| [Configuration](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/configuration) | Config file, providers, models, all options |
| [Messaging Gateway](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/messaging) | Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Home Assistant |
| [Security](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/security) | Command approval, DM pairing, container isolation |
| [Tools & Toolsets](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/tools) | 40+ tools, toolset system, terminal backends |
| [Skills System](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/skills) | Procedural memory, Skills Hub, creating skills |
| [Memory](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/memory) | Persistent memory, user profiles, best practices |
| [MCP Integration](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/mcp) | Connect any MCP server for extended capabilities |
| [Cron Scheduling](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/cron) | Scheduled tasks with platform delivery |
| [Context Files](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/context-files) | Project context that shapes every conversation |
| [Architecture](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/developer-guide/architecture) | Project structure, agent loop, key classes |
| [Contributing](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/developer-guide/contributing) | Development setup, PR process, code style |
| [CLI Reference](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/reference/cli-commands) | All commands and flags |
| [Environment Variables](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/reference/environment-variables) | Complete env var reference |
---
## Migrating from OpenClaw
If you're coming from OpenClaw, Hermes can automatically import your settings, memories, skills, and API keys.
**During first-time setup:** The setup wizard (`hermes setup`) automatically detects `~/.openclaw` and offers to migrate before configuration begins.
**Anytime after install:**
```bash
hermes claw migrate # Interactive migration (full preset)
hermes claw migrate --dry-run # Preview what would be migrated
hermes claw migrate --preset user-data # Migrate without secrets
hermes claw migrate --overwrite # Overwrite existing conflicts
```
What gets imported:
- **SOUL.md** — persona file
- **Memories** — MEMORY.md and USER.md entries
- **Skills** — user-created skills → `~/.hermes/skills/openclaw-imports/`
- **Command allowlist** — approval patterns
- **Messaging settings** — platform configs, allowed users, working directory
- **API keys** — allowlisted secrets (Telegram, OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, ElevenLabs)
- **TTS assets** — workspace audio files
- **Workspace instructions** — AGENTS.md (with `--workspace-target`)
See `hermes claw migrate --help` for all options, or use the `openclaw-migration` skill for an interactive agent-guided migration with dry-run previews.
---
## Contributing
We welcome contributions! See the [Contributing Guide](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/developer-guide/contributing) for development setup, code style, and PR process.
Quick start for contributors:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.git
cd hermes-agent
git submodule update --init mini-swe-agent # required terminal backend
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
uv venv .venv --python 3.11
source .venv/bin/activate
uv pip install -e ".[all,dev]"
uv pip install -e "./mini-swe-agent"
python -m pytest tests/ -q
```
> **RL Training (optional):** To work on the RL/Tinker-Atropos integration, also run:
> ```bash
> git submodule update --init tinker-atropos
> uv pip install -e "./tinker-atropos"
> ```
---
## Community
- 💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/NousResearch)
- 📚 [Skills Hub](https://agentskills.io)
- 🐛 [Issues](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/issues)
- 💡 [Discussions](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/discussions)
---
## License
MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).
Built by [Nous Research](https://nousresearch.com).