What is Hermes Agent?

Developed by Nous Research, Hermes Agent is an open-source AI agent designed to execute complex tasks, retain learning outcomes, and evolve over time. Rather than simply generating responses, it leverages tools such as terminals, browsers, file systems, web search, and code execution to accomplish real work.

What is an AI agent?

An AI agent extends beyond basic text generation. When provided with a specific goal, it autonomously determines the necessary actions, utilizes available tools, observes the outcomes, and iteratively works toward achieving the objective.

While many AI agents can now utilize tools and complete multi-step processes, the key distinction lies in post-task behavior. Many systems treat every task as a standalone problem. In contrast, Hermes is engineered to preserve valuable knowledge and procedures, enabling it to grow more capable over time. Explore Agentic AI to see how this approach applies to running agents on DaDesktop.

What makes Hermes different?

Hermes features an integrated learning loop. It develops skills from experience, refines them during use, retains useful data, and retrieves information from prior sessions when needed.

Why use Hermes Agent?

Hermes excels at tasks requiring multiple steps, tools, or applications. Instead of manually switching between AI chats, terminals, browsers, and files, you can assign the overall objective to Hermes and let it coordinate the workflow.

• Work on complete tasks: Assign an objective to Hermes rather than requesting individual instructions.
• Keep context over time: Maintain useful information across separate sessions.
• Build reusable workflows: Save successful approaches as skills to avoid re-solving identical problems from scratch.
• Automate recurring work: Schedule tasks to execute automatically in the background.
• Delegate work: Utilize separate subagents for different components of a larger task.
• Choose your model: Connect Hermes to local models or supported cloud model providers.

What Hermes can do

• Software development: Analyze code, debug issues, implement changes, run tests, and manage repositories.
• Research: Perform web searches, review sources, gather data, and organize findings.
• Automation: Execute scripts and schedule recurring activities such as reporting, monitoring, and other routines.
• System administration: Utilize the terminal, install software, configure systems, and troubleshoot issues.
• Browser tasks: Navigate websites, interact with pages, and collect data.
• File work: Read, create, edit, search, and organize files.
• Tool integrations: Connect additional services and tools via MCP.

How Hermes improves with use

Consider a complex task requiring several steps. As Hermes solves it, it may identify an effective workflow. Instead of losing this insight when the task concludes, Hermes saves it as a skill.

When a similar task arises later, Hermes can leverage that skill as a foundation. If the workflow requires refinement, the skill can be updated. Additionally, its memory retains key facts and lessons from previous work.

Memory and skills serve distinct roles. Memory holds information and context, while skills store procedural steps. Together, they enable Hermes to accumulate knowledge about both what it knows and how to perform recurring tasks.

Automate work in the background

Hermes includes a built-in scheduler for recurring tasks. You can describe a schedule using natural language, allowing Hermes to perform work without requiring you to initiate a session.

This capability is ideal for reports, monitoring, backups, research, and other routines. Scheduled tasks can also maintain continuity between runs, building upon previous work.

Run local or cloud models

Hermes is not limited to a single LLM. You can connect it to local models or supported cloud providers and switch models without altering the agent's tools, memory, or workflows.

Using a local model provides greater control over the model, hardware, and data processing location. It also allows Hermes to work with your files and local resources without transmitting them to an external provider.

How to install Hermes

Hermes is compatible with Linux, macOS, Windows, and WSL2. You can install the desktop application or utilize the command-line version independently.

On Linux, macOS, or WSL2, open a terminal and execute:

curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash

On Windows, run the installer via PowerShell:

irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1 | iex

Following installation, launch the setup wizard to configure your model provider and other settings:

hermes setup

Refer to the Hermes documentation for details on installation options and configuration.

Run Hermes on DaDesktop

Hermes requires an environment where it can execute tools and store data. DaDesktop offers a cloud desktop equipped with the CPU, RAM, storage, and GPU resources necessary to run Hermes alongside a local LLM.

This is particularly useful when the desired model requires more VRAM than your local machine provides. Select a GPU with sufficient VRAM, launch a DaDesktop instance, install Hermes, and run the model locally alongside the agent.

You can also keep the desktop active for scheduled tasks and long-running workflows, eliminating the need to keep your personal computer running.

Learn more about running local LLMs on DaDesktop.