b6461903ff
* feat: nix flake, uv2nix build, dev shell and home manager * fixed nix run, updated docs for setup * feat(nix): NixOS module with persistent container mode, managed guards, checks - Replace homeModules.nix with nixosModules.nix (two deployment modes) - Mode A (native): hardened systemd service with ProtectSystem=strict - Mode B (container): persistent Ubuntu container with /nix/store bind-mount, identity-hash-based recreation, GC root protection, symlink-based updates - Add HERMES_MANAGED guards blocking CLI config mutation (config set, setup, gateway install/uninstall) when running under NixOS module - Add nix/checks.nix with build-time verification (binary, CLI, managed guard) - Remove container.nix (no Nix-built OCI image; pulls ubuntu:24.04 at runtime) - Simplify packages.nix (drop fetchFromGitHub submodules, PYTHONPATH wrappers) - Rewrite docs/nixos-setup.md with full options reference, container architecture, secrets management, and troubleshooting guide Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com> * Update config.py * feat(nix): add CI workflow and enhanced build checks - GitHub Actions workflow for nix flake check + build on linux/macOS - Entry point sync check to catch pyproject.toml drift - Expanded managed-guard check to cover config edit - Wrap hermes-acp binary in Nix package - Fix Path type mismatch in is_managed() * Update MCP server package name; bundled skills support * fix reading .env. instead have container user a common mounted .env file * feat(nix): container entrypoint with privilege drop and sudo provisioning Container was running as non-root via --user, which broke apt/pip installs and caused crashes when $HOME didn't exist. Replace --user with a Nix-built entrypoint script that provisions the hermes user, sudo (NOPASSWD), and /home/hermes inside the container on first boot, then drops privileges via setpriv. Writable layer persists so setup only runs once. Also expands MCP server options to support HTTP transport and sampling. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com> * fix group and user creation in container mode * feat(nix): persistent /home/hermes and MESSAGING_CWD in container mode Container mode now bind-mounts ${stateDir}/home to /home/hermes so the agent's home directory survives container recreation. Previously it lived in the writable layer and was lost on image/volume/options changes. Also passes MESSAGING_CWD to the container so the agent finds its workspace and documents, matching native mode behavior. Other changes: - Extract containerDataDir/containerHomeDir bindings (no more magic strings) - Fix entrypoint chown to run unconditionally (volume mounts always exist) - Add schema field to container identity hash for auto-recreation - Add idempotency test (Scenario G) to config-roundtrip check * docs: add Nix & NixOS setup guide to docs site Add comprehensive Nix documentation to the Docusaurus site at website/docs/getting-started/nix-setup.md, covering nix run/profile install, NixOS module (native + container modes), declarative settings, secrets management, MCP servers, managed mode, container architecture, dev shell, flake checks, and full options reference. - Register nix-setup in sidebar after installation page - Add Nix callout tip to installation.md linking to new guide - Add canonical version pointer in docs/nixos-setup.md * docs: remove docs/nixos-setup.md, consolidate into website docs Backfill missing details (restart/restartSec in full example, gateway.pid, 0750 permissions, docker inspect commands) into the canonical website/docs/getting-started/nix-setup.md and delete the old standalone file. * fix(nix): add compression.protect_last_n and target_ratio to config-keys.json New keys were added to DEFAULT_CONFIG on main, causing the config-drift check to fail in CI. * fix(nix): skip checks on aarch64-darwin (onnxruntime wheel missing) The full Python venv includes onnxruntime (via faster-whisper/STT) which lacks a compatible uv2nix wheel on aarch64-darwin. Gate all checks behind stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux. The package and devShell still evaluate on macOS. * fix(nix): skip flake check and build on macOS CI onnxruntime (transitive dep via faster-whisper) lacks a compatible uv2nix wheel on aarch64-darwin. Run full checks and build on Linux only; macOS CI verifies the flake evaluates without building. * fix(nix): preserve container writable layer across nixos-rebuild The container identity hash included the entrypoint's Nix store path, which changes on every nixpkgs update (due to runtimeShell/stdenv input-addressing). This caused false-positive identity mismatches, triggering container recreation and losing the persistent writable layer. - Use stable symlink (current-entrypoint) like current-package already does - Remove entrypoint from identity hash (only image/volumes/options matter) - Add GC root for entrypoint so nix-collect-garbage doesn't break it - Remove global HERMES_HOME env var from addToSystemPackages (conflicted with interactive CLI use, service already sets its own) --------- Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Hermes Agent ☤
The self-improving AI agent built by Nous Research. 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, OpenRouter (200+ models), z.ai/GLM, Kimi/Moonshot, MiniMax, OpenAI, or your own endpoint. Switch with hermes model — no code changes, no lock-in.
| A real terminal interface | Full TUI with multiline editing, slash-command autocomplete, conversation history, interrupt-and-redirect, and streaming tool output. |
| Lives where you do | Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, and CLI — all from a single gateway process. Voice memo transcription, cross-platform conversation continuity. |
| A closed learning loop | 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. Honcho dialectic user modeling. Compatible with the agentskills.io open standard. |
| Scheduled automations | Built-in cron scheduler with delivery to any platform. Daily reports, nightly backups, weekly audits — all in natural language, running unattended. |
| Delegates and parallelizes | Spawn isolated subagents for parallel workstreams. Write Python scripts that call tools via RPC, collapsing multi-step pipelines into zero-context-cost turns. |
| Runs anywhere, not just your laptop | 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. |
| Research-ready | Batch trajectory generation, Atropos RL environments, trajectory compression for training the next generation of tool-calling models. |
Quick Install
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 and run the command above.
After installation:
source ~/.bashrc # reload shell (or: source ~/.zshrc)
hermes # start chatting!
Getting Started
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
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 and the Messaging Gateway guide.
Documentation
All documentation lives at hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs:
| Section | What's Covered |
|---|---|
| Quickstart | Install → setup → first conversation in 2 minutes |
| CLI Usage | Commands, keybindings, personalities, sessions |
| Configuration | Config file, providers, models, all options |
| Messaging Gateway | Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Home Assistant |
| Security | Command approval, DM pairing, container isolation |
| Tools & Toolsets | 40+ tools, toolset system, terminal backends |
| Skills System | Procedural memory, Skills Hub, creating skills |
| Memory | Persistent memory, user profiles, best practices |
| MCP Integration | Connect any MCP server for extended capabilities |
| Cron Scheduling | Scheduled tasks with platform delivery |
| Context Files | Project context that shapes every conversation |
| Architecture | Project structure, agent loop, key classes |
| Contributing | Development setup, PR process, code style |
| CLI Reference | All commands and flags |
| 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:
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 for development setup, code style, and PR process.
Quick start for contributors:
git clone https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.git
cd hermes-agent
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]"
python -m pytest tests/ -q
RL Training (optional): To work on the RL/Tinker-Atropos integration:
git submodule update --init tinker-atropos uv pip install -e "./tinker-atropos"
Community
- 💬 Discord
- 📚 Skills Hub
- 🐛 Issues
- 💡 Discussions
License
MIT — see LICENSE.
Built by Nous Research.