The Tool Desk
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The reliable order is installation, provider setup, dashboard launch, one ordinary chat, and only then optional gateways, skills, cron, voice, routing, or MCP integrations. The web UI is a management surface for the agent runtime; it does not replace a working provider or a functioning Hermes installation.
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Hermes Agent supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and WSL2 installation paths. You need a shell in which the hermes command can be installed and reloaded, plus credentials for at least one supported model provider. A browser is needed for the web interface. Remote use adds an authentication requirement; a publicly reachable bind without an authentication provider is not a supported setup.
Choose a scope before you install
| Use case | Bind and access | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Only this computer | 127.0.0.1 and the default port 9119 |
Nothing beyond Hermes and a provider. This is the safest default because the service stays on the local machine. |
| A trusted network or another device | A non-loopback host, such as 0.0.0.0 |
Select an authentication provider and configure its environment variables before exposing the service. |
| Hermes Desktop using a separate backend | A backend URL such as http://host:9119 |
Set HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL; sign in through the Gateway settings panel. |
The dashboard is machine-level rather than a single-project page. It can operate with multiple profiles, but profile-specific gateway processes, session databases, and cron schedulers remain separately managed.
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Install Hermes Agent
Linux, macOS, and WSL2
Run the official installer from a POSIX shell:
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bashThe installer places the source tree at ~/.hermes/hermes-agent/ on POSIX systems. Reload the shell so the command becomes available:
source ~/.bashrcIf you use Zsh, reload that file instead:
source ~/.zshrcCheck the installation by invoking Hermes, or go directly into setup:
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hermeshermes setupIf the shell still reports that hermes cannot be found, open a new terminal after reloading the profile and check that the installer directory is on your PATH. Do not proceed to dashboard troubleshooting until the base command runs.
Native Windows PowerShell
In PowerShell, run:
iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)The Windows source layout documented for the installation is %LOCALAPPDATA%hermeshermes-agent. Open a new PowerShell window after installation, then run hermes or hermes setup to confirm that the command is available.
Other installation forms
The project documentation also identifies a desktop bundle, source or CLI installation, Docker, and a Termux path for aarch64 Android. Those are alternative deployment forms, not extra steps required for the local dashboard command. Whichever form you choose, finish the provider configuration and verify a normal chat before adding integrations.
Configure a model provider before launching the UI
A dashboard can open without a usable model, but its Chat tab cannot complete a conversation until a provider and model are configured. Hermes offers two principal setup routes and a minimal Blank Slate route.
Interactive provider and model selection
Run:
hermes modelFollow the interactive prompts to select a provider and model, then save the resulting configuration. This route is useful when you already know which provider credentials you want to use and want to choose the model explicitly.
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Nous Portal quick setup
The fastest official path is:
hermes setup --portalThis signs you in to Nous Portal, sets the provider, and enables the Tool Gateway. It is intended for a guided setup rather than manual key entry.
Quick Setup, Full Setup, and Blank Slate
The setup wizard presents three modes:
| Mode | What it is for | Starting configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Setup | Getting a working installation with guided defaults | Wizard-selected provider and standard settings. |
| Full Setup | Choosing more of the available configuration during installation | More prompts for provider, model, and tool behavior. |
| Blank Slate | Starting with only the essentials | Minimum provider/model plus file operations and terminal toolsets. |
Blank Slate is a good diagnostic baseline: it limits the number of moving parts while you prove that the model can answer through Hermes. You can enable gateways, skills, voice, routing, MCP, and other features later.
Install dashboard dependencies when Hermes requests them
The web interface uses FastAPI and Uvicorn for its HTTP stack. Hermes reports what to install if those components are missing; the documented web extra supplies them. Follow the command Hermes prints rather than guessing a package version, because the required dependency set belongs to the installed Hermes release.
The first launch can also build the frontend automatically when npm is available and the frontend has not yet been built. Leave the terminal running during that first build. If automatic building cannot run, install a working Node.js/npm environment, rerun the dashboard command, and use the exact diagnostic output Hermes provides.
Start the Hermes Web UI
From the same environment where the hermes command works, run:
hermes dashboardWith no extra flags, Hermes starts a local server and opens:
http://127.0.0.1:9119If the browser does not open automatically, copy that address into a browser on the same machine. The dashboard process must remain running while you use the UI.
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Useful launch options
| Option | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Change the port | hermes dashboard --port 8080 |
Listens on port 8080 instead of the documented default 9119. |
| Choose a host interface | hermes dashboard --host 0.0.0.0 |
Binds beyond loopback so another machine can reach the server; this requires an authentication provider. |
| Do not launch a browser | hermes dashboard --no-open |
Starts the server without opening a browser window. |
The --insecure flag is deprecated and has no effect. It does not disable authentication requirements. A non-loopback bind still needs a configured authentication provider.
Understand the dashboard’s sections
Status and session monitoring
The status page reports the agent version and release date, gateway status, active sessions from the last five minutes, and the 20 most recent sessions. Recent-session entries include the model, message count, token usage, and a conversation preview. The status page refreshes automatically every five seconds, so it is useful for watching a gateway or chat process without manually reloading.
Configuration and API Keys
Configuration controls expose Hermes settings through the browser. The API Keys area is for managing provider credentials. Treat the dashboard like a local administration console: anyone who can use an authenticated dashboard account may be able to alter settings or invoke the agent according to the enabled tools.
Models, Skills, and MCP
Models, Skills, and MCP are separate dashboard areas for the selected profile. Keep them disabled or minimally configured until a basic chat works. This makes a provider problem distinguishable from a tool, skill, routing, or protocol problem.
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Chat
Every dashboard launch includes a Chat tab. It runs the Hermes terminal interface through a PTY/WebSocket connection, giving you an in-browser conversation while retaining the agent’s normal runtime path. Use it for the first functional test rather than adding a gateway or automation first.
Profiles: one dashboard, separate configurations
The dashboard can manage multiple Hermes profiles from one machine. Configuration, API Keys, Skills, MCP, Models, and Chat follow whichever profile is selected. A profile can also be selected in the URL:
http://127.0.0.1:9119/?profile=<name>Replace <name> with the profile name. Keep the profile identifier URL-encoded if it contains characters that have a special meaning in a URL.
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Profiles do not merge every runtime resource. Gateway processes, session databases, and cron schedulers are managed separately for each profile. If a gateway appears in one profile but not another, first confirm the selected profile before changing credentials or restarting a process.
Verify one ordinary chat before enabling features
- Open the Chat tab in the dashboard.
- Send a normal, low-risk prompt that does not require a gateway, skill, voice function, routing rule, or MCP server.
- Wait for a complete response and confirm that the conversation remains visible in the session history.
- If the response fails, fix the provider, model, credentials, or base installation before enabling anything else.
The official quickstart rule is straightforward: if Hermes cannot complete a normal chat, do not add more features yet. Once the ordinary chat succeeds, add optional components one at a time so a later failure has a clear cause.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Expose the dashboard remotely without leaking keys
Keep loopback for local-only use
For a dashboard used on the same computer, keep the host at 127.0.0.1. The official documentation describes this mode as running entirely on your machine, with no data leaving localhost. It also avoids making an administration endpoint reachable from another device.
Choose an authentication provider before changing the host
A bind such as --host 0.0.0.0 makes the HTTP service reachable beyond loopback. Before doing that, configure one of the documented authentication choices:
| Provider | Relevant configuration | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Nous OAuth | HERMES_DASHBOARD_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID |
Use the Nous sign-in flow when your deployment is set up for it. |
| Bundled basic authentication | Use the dashboard’s documented basic-auth environment variables. | Suitable only for a network you trust and administer; protect the credentials and limit network exposure. |
| Self-hosted OIDC | Use the documented self-hosted OIDC environment variables. | Useful when an organization already operates an OpenID Connect identity provider. |
Do not treat the deprecated --insecure switch as an access-control mechanism. It is a no-op, and it does not make a public bind safe.
Set the public URL consistently
Set HERMES_DASHBOARD_PUBLIC_URL to the URL users will actually reach. Hermes uses this value for OAuth callbacks and host/WebSocket checks. A mismatch between the externally reachable address and this variable can produce failed sign-ins or a Chat tab that cannot establish its WebSocket connection.
Connect Hermes Desktop to a remote backend
If Hermes Desktop should use a backend dashboard, set:
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HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL=http://host:9119The environment reference documents this variable for pointing Desktop at a backend. Users still sign in through the Gateway settings panel; setting the URL alone does not bypass authentication.
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- Confirm that a local chat works before changing the host.
- Choose OAuth, bundled basic authentication, or self-hosted OIDC.
- Set the provider’s required environment variables before launching the dashboard.
- Set
HERMES_DASHBOARD_PUBLIC_URLto the real external address. - Start with the narrowest network exposure that meets your need.
- Test sign-in and the Chat tab from the remote client before enabling optional tools.
Common setup failures and the shortest fix
hermes is not found after installation
Reload the shell profile or open a new terminal. On POSIX systems, check that you ran the appropriate source ~/.bashrc or source ~/.zshrc command. On Windows, start a new PowerShell session. Then run hermes again before attempting hermes dashboard.
The dashboard reports missing FastAPI or Uvicorn
Install the documented web extra using the command Hermes prints, then rerun hermes dashboard. Avoid installing unrelated versions manually when the application has already identified the required extra.
The first launch stalls while building the frontend
Ensure npm is installed and available on PATH. Hermes can build an unbuilt frontend automatically when npm is available. If the build fails, read the terminal error, correct the Node/npm installation, and launch the dashboard again.
The browser opens but Chat cannot answer
Return to provider setup. Run hermes model to select a valid provider and model, or use hermes setup --portal for the guided Nous Portal path. Check the selected profile, because credentials and model settings follow that profile. Do not add gateways or MCP until a plain Chat prompt succeeds.
Another service already uses port 9119
Choose an unused port, for example:
hermes dashboard --port 8080Open the corresponding URL with the new port. If you use OAuth or a remote desktop client, update the public or remote URL settings to match the port users actually reach.
Remote users receive an authentication or WebSocket error
Confirm that an authentication provider is configured, that the host is intentionally non-loopback, and that HERMES_DASHBOARD_PUBLIC_URL matches the browser’s external URL. For profile-related confusion, add the intended ?profile=<name> selector and verify that the expected gateway and session data belong to that profile.
When to add gateways, skills, cron, voice, routing, or MCP
Add optional features only after the dashboard can complete and display a normal conversation. Enable one category at a time, perform a small test, and observe the status and recent-session panels. This sequence gives you a known-good baseline and prevents a gateway process, skill, routing rule, voice component, or MCP server from obscuring a provider or installation error.
For multi-profile machines, decide which profile owns each optional service before enabling it. The dashboard can switch the visible configuration, but profile-specific gateway processes, session databases, and cron schedulers remain independent.
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A repeatable setup recipe
- Install Hermes with the POSIX installer or the native Windows PowerShell installer.
- Reload the shell and verify that
hermesruns. - Configure a provider with
hermes model, or usehermes setup --portal. - Choose Quick Setup, Full Setup, or Blank Slate according to how much configuration you want up front.
- Install the documented
webextra if Hermes reports missing FastAPI or Uvicorn. - Run
hermes dashboardand openhttp://127.0.0.1:9119. - Use the selected profile’s Chat tab to complete one ordinary prompt.
- Only after that succeeds, enable gateways, skills, cron, voice, routing, or MCP.
- If remote access is required, configure authentication and
HERMES_DASHBOARD_PUBLIC_URLbefore using a non-loopback host.
This order keeps the dashboard simple to diagnose: first establish that Hermes is installed, then prove provider connectivity, then verify the browser interface, and only afterward expand the runtime.
Quick Recap
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