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

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.

:::warning Windows Native Windows is not supported. Please install WSL2 and run Hermes Agent from there. The install command above works inside WSL2. :::

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

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)

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. :::

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.

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.