Choose a Supported Platform for Hermes Agent

The best Hermes platform is the environment whose support tier, filesystem model, service manager, and UI boundaries match the work you expect the agent to perform.

Operating checklist

• Prefer Apple Silicon macOS or native Windows for the desktop path.
• Choose WSL2 for Linux development semantics on Windows.
• Choose Docker for a replaceable service image.
• Accept Tier 2 limitations for Android Termux or Nix.
• Verify the service manager for an always-on gateway.
• Record the supported update method.

How the workflow works

Hermes treats Apple Silicon macOS, Windows 10/11, current Linux and WSL2, and Docker on common architectures as Tier 1 paths. Android through Termux and Nix are best-effort Tier 2 paths. Intel macOS and distribution through PyPI, Homebrew, or AUR are unsupported. A supported OS installed through an unsupported package path is still an unsupported installation. Docker images are replaced rather than updated in place with hermes update.

Common pitfalls

• Choosing WSL2 without planning filesystem and network boundaries.
• Using an unsupported package manager because the command is convenient.
• Expecting a mutable git-install update flow inside Docker.
• Ignoring feature-specific limits within an otherwise supported platform.

Verification steps

1. Confirm OS and architecture against the current matrix.
2. Install through the documented method.
3. Run hermes doctor.
4. Verify one chat, one required tool, and the needed gateway or desktop surface.
5. Document how this installation will be updated and recovered.

Use the official Hermes documentation for the current source of truth.