Get up and running in under 2 minutes. One command, zero prerequisites (except Git). Works on Linux, macOS, WSL2, and Windows.
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bashWorks on macOS 12+. The installer handles all dependencies automatically.
Open your terminal and paste the one-liner below. The installer detects your OS and handles everything automatically.
# macOS / Linux / WSL2
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash# Windows (PowerShell)
iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)After installation, pick your LLM provider. Nous Portal (OAuth), OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or any custom endpoint.
# Choose your LLM provider interactively
hermes model# Or use Nous Portal (OAuth, no API key needed)
hermes setup --portalSet up the messaging gateway to reach your agent from Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, or Signal — all from one unified process.
# Interactive gateway setup wizard
hermes gateway setup# Start the messaging gateway
hermes gatewayType hermes in your terminal and start your first conversation. The agent begins learning immediately — building memory and creating skills.
# Reload your shell first, then:
source ~/.bashrc # or: source ~/.zshrchermesOn non-Windows platforms, the only prerequisite is Git. On Linux, also make sure curl and xz-utils are available. The installer automatically handles everything else.
Auto-installed dependencies:
uv (Python package manager), Python 3.11, Node.js v22, ripgrep (fast file search), ffmpeg (audio conversion)
Where things live after installation:
| Installer | Code Location | Binary | Data Directory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-user (git) | ~/.hermes/hermes-agent/ | ~/.local/bin/hermes | ~/.hermes/ |
| Root (sudo) | /usr/local/lib/hermes-agent/ | /usr/local/bin/hermes | /root/.hermes/ |
One subscription covers 300+ models plus the Tool Gateway (web search, image generation, TTS, cloud browser). Run hermes setup --portal for one-command OAuth login + provider setup + Tool Gateway activation.
hermes setup --portalReload your shell and start chatting
source ~/.bashrc # or: source ~/.zshrchermes # Start chatting!| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| hermes: command not found | Reload your shell (source ~/.bashrc or source ~/.zshrc) or check your PATH. |
| API key not set | Run hermes model to configure your provider, or hermes config set PROVIDER_API_KEY your_key. |
| Missing config after update | Run hermes config check then hermes config migrate. |
Run hermes doctor anytime to diagnose your installation. It tells you exactly what's missing and how to fix it.