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Choose the environment by how you will run Hermes
The practical choice is not simply Windows versus Linux. It is whether Hermes is an interactive tool you start when you sit down, or a service that must remain available while you are away.
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| Option | Best fit | Always-on behavior | Main friction | Skill availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native Windows | Interactive use on a Windows PC | Only while the PC is awake, connected and Hermes is running | Windows-specific edge cases and possible beta limitations | Some third-party guides report that certain skills were disabled in the native Windows beta; the newer project README describes native support as full |
| WSL2 on Windows | Windows users who want the Linux installation path | Depends on the Windows host staying on; WSL can stop when the host sleeps or shuts down | Linux and Windows filesystems, services and permissions must be kept separate | Generally follows the Linux path, subject to the tools and distribution you install |
| Linux VPS | Scheduled jobs, messaging channels and remote access | Designed for continuous operation in a data center | Recurring hosting cost, SSH administration and security maintenance | Uses the standard Linux installer and avoids native-Windows beta constraints |
A VPS is the sensible default if a missed run matters. Third-party documentation consistently treats scheduled tasks and messaging integrations as requiring an always-on computer, VPS, Docker host or managed cloud instance. A Windows desktop can qualify only if you prevent sleep, keep networking stable and accept interruptions during updates or reboots.
Native Windows installation
What is supported
The official Windows instructions support Windows 10 and Windows 11 through a PowerShell installer. The native route does not require WSL, Cygwin or Docker, and it does not require administrator rights. Files are installed under %LOCALAPPDATA%hermes, keeping the installation within your user profile.
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Documentation is not completely consistent about maturity. The current project README calls native Windows support full, while some third-party pages still describe it as early beta. Treat the newer README and the installer itself as the current baseline, but verify the specific skills you need: some third-party guides report that a subset of skills was unavailable in the native beta.
When native Windows is the right choice
- You use Hermes manually from the same PC and do not need it to answer while the computer is off.
- Your organization requires Windows-only management, endpoint controls or local files.
- You want the shortest setup and do not want to maintain a Linux environment.
When it is the wrong choice
- A scheduled task must run overnight or while you travel.
- A messaging channel must remain reachable during desktop sleep, logouts or reboots.
- Your workflow depends on a skill that has not yet been confirmed on native Windows.
Install path
Open PowerShell and run the native installer command from the current official Windows guide:
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WSL2: a Linux userland on your Windows PC
Prerequisites
The documented WSL2 route applies to Windows 10 version 22H2 or later and Windows 11. Enabling WSL requires an administrator PowerShell window. The command installs WSL and a default Linux distribution:
wsl --installRestart if Windows requests it, open the installed Ubuntu distribution, create its Linux username and password, and run the Linux installer from that shell.
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Install Hermes inside Ubuntu
- Open Ubuntu from the Start menu, not a Windows command prompt.
- Run the Linux installer:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash- Reload your shell configuration:
source ~/.bashrc- Start the agent:
hermesThe guide recommends enabling systemd in WSL when you need Linux services. Keep Hermes, its configuration and any Git repositories on the WSL Linux filesystem, such as your home directory, rather than under /mnt/c. Linux-side files avoid the permission, metadata and performance friction that can occur when Linux tools operate directly on a mounted Windows drive.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWSL2 limitations
WSL2 is not an independent server. Windows sleep, shutdown, updates and network changes can stop the environment or interrupt jobs. You also have two permission models: Windows ACLs for Windows files and Linux ownership for files inside WSL. If a command behaves differently in WSL than on a VPS, check which filesystem and shell you are actually using before changing permissions.
Why move Hermes to a Linux VPS?
Continuous availability
A VPS runs in a data center and is intended to stay online. That makes it suitable for cron-like schedules, inbound messaging and workflows that must continue while your personal computer is off. It also gives you a stable SSH endpoint instead of exposing a home machine or relying on a changing residential connection.
Fewer host-side conflicts
The VPS uses the Linux installer directly. There is no Windows path translation, no WSL lifecycle to manage and no desktop sleep policy to defeat. Linux permissions, package paths and service management are consistent across most mainstream virtual servers.
What you pay for
A VPS adds a recurring hosting bill and administration work. The amount depends on provider, region, storage and whether you use a managed service; no universal price applies. You are responsible for updates, SSH access, firewall rules, credentials and monitoring unless those functions are included in your plan.
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Recommended operating system
One 2026 VPS guide recommends Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. It is a practical choice because it has a long support window and extensive documentation, but the installer command itself is the Linux path rather than an Ubuntu-only feature.
Install Hermes Agent on a Linux VPS
1. Provision and secure the server
- Choose a current Ubuntu 24.04 LTS image if you want to follow the commonly documented setup.
- Create a non-root administrator account and use SSH keys where your provider supports them.
- Apply available operating-system updates before installing application software.
- Allow SSH through the provider or host firewall and restrict it to trusted networks when practical.
2. Confirm the basic tools
The Linux guide reports that Git is the only prerequisite you need to provide up front. Install it with your distribution’s package manager if it is missing, then verify that curl is available because the installer uses it:
git --version
curl --version3. Run the official installer
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bashThe command downloads and executes the project’s installer. Review scripts before piping them to a shell if your security policy requires inspection; alternatively, download the script first, read it, and execute the reviewed local copy.
4. Reload the shell and launch Hermes
source ~/.bashrc
hermesThe installation is placed under ~/.hermes. The installer summary reported by one guide says it provisions Python 3.11 through uv, Node.js 22, ripgrep and ffmpeg. Those component versions are guide-level reporting rather than an independently confirmed official specification, so check the installer output on your date of installation.
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5. Configure credentials without exposing them
Complete Hermes’ provider and channel prompts in the interactive session. Keep API keys out of shell history, screenshots, Git repositories and world-readable files. If you later run Hermes as a service, provide secrets through the service’s protected environment or credential mechanism rather than embedding them in a command line.
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Keep a VPS process running after logout
Starting hermes in an ordinary SSH shell ties it to that session. Closing the terminal can end the process, so use one of these operating patterns:
Interactive maintenance with tmux
tmux new -s hermes
hermesDetach with Ctrl-b followed by d. Reconnect later with:
tmux attach -t hermesThis is convenient for observing logs, but it is still a manually maintained session.
Automatic restart with a service manager
For production-like operation, create a system service that starts Hermes at boot, runs it as the dedicated user who owns ~/.hermes, and restarts it after a failure. The exact unit file depends on the installed command path and how your credentials are supplied; copy those values from your server rather than assuming a system-wide path. Test a manual stop, a reboot and a deliberate restart before relying on scheduled work.
Scheduling and messaging checks
- Trigger a harmless test job and confirm its output arrives at the intended channel.
- Check the server clock and time zone if schedules appear early or late.
- Inspect logs after a reboot, network interruption and credential rotation.
- Set a disk-use alert so logs or downloaded artifacts cannot fill the VPS.
Hardware and storage planning
No official Hermes documentation page confirmed a single RAM minimum. Third-party guides give conflicting figures, so use them as planning ranges rather than guarantees.
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| RAM for cloud-API use | 2 GB is the most consistent figure | A reasonable starting point for a lightweight VPS, not an official specification |
| Lower third-party estimate | 1 GB | Appears in a provider guide; leave little headroom for updates, tools or concurrent jobs |
| Higher third-party estimate | 4 GB | Appears in other guides and reviews; safer for heavier workflows but still not official |
| Local-model use | 8 GB is commonly suggested in Ollama-oriented guides | Local inference needs substantially more memory than sending requests to a cloud API |
| Disk | About 1–2 GB reported for the software | Plan for at least 5 GB on a VPS after allowing room for logs, caches, updates and artifacts |
| Context window | One guide suggests 64,000 tokens for multi-step tool calling | The source and exact requirement were not identified; treat this as a workload consideration, not a confirmed minimum |
Start with 2 GB RAM and 5 GB or more of disk for cloud-API workflows, then watch memory and storage during your actual jobs. Choose a larger instance before enabling local models or parallel tasks.
Troubleshoot the common failure points
Installer command fails immediately
- Confirm you are using a Linux shell for
install.shand PowerShell for the native Windows installer. - Check outbound HTTPS access and verify that
curlandgitare installed. - Run the command again after updating the operating system, then read the first error rather than only the final exit message.
Hermes works manually but stops overnight
The process is probably attached to a closed SSH session, a sleeping Windows host or a stopped WSL instance. Move the workload to a VPS, use tmux for temporary persistence, or configure a tested service that starts at boot.
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Move the repository and Hermes data into the Linux home directory instead of /mnt/c. Check ownership with ls -l and correct only the affected files; broad permission changes can create new security problems.
A skill is missing on native Windows
Check the current project documentation and test that skill in WSL2 or a Linux VPS. Reports of disabled skills came from the native Windows beta period, so do not assume that a Windows limitation applies to the Linux installer.
The VPS runs out of memory
Inspect memory while a job is active, reduce concurrent work and remove unnecessary background services. Move from a 1 GB or 2 GB instance to a larger plan if the workload includes local models, media processing or multiple simultaneous sessions.
Security checklist for a remote Hermes host
- Use a dedicated non-root account for Hermes.
- Prefer SSH keys and disable password login when you can verify key-based access.
- Keep the operating system, Hermes installation and supporting runtimes updated.
- Restrict inbound ports to those you actually need; do not expose an administrative dashboard by default.
- Store provider and messaging credentials in protected files or service secrets, with ownership limited to the Hermes user.
- Review logs for unexpected commands, repeated authentication failures and unusual network activity.
- Back up configuration and schedules without backing up live secrets in plain text.
Bottom line: Windows, WSL2 or VPS?
Use native Windows when Hermes is an on-demand desktop tool and you value the simplest Windows-native setup. Choose WSL2 when you need Linux tooling but still want to work on a Windows PC, keeping all active projects inside the Linux filesystem. Choose a Linux VPS when schedules, messaging or remote availability matter: it removes desktop sleep from the equation and gives Hermes a persistent Linux host, at the cost of monthly hosting and server maintenance.
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