01What Hermes AI Agent Is and How It Works

Hermes AI Agent is a free, open-source system that builds and automates tasks by following commands in your terminal. It works by reading your instructions, using tools like code generation or web research, and completing complex jobs such as building a website or managing content. Created by Noose Research, it has over 106,000 GitHub stars and is designed to be more reliable than alternatives like OpenCore.

You interact with Hermes through a simple chat interface inside your terminal. It can run locally or connect to cloud models, giving you flexibility. The agent learns from context you provide, such as notes in Obsidian, to tailor its outputs to your specific needs.

02Main Features and What's New

Hermes is on version 0.9, not even the full 1.0 release yet, but already packed with features. Key highlights include:

  • Memory options: Connect to Obsidian or use Hermes Memory to store personal context, making every output more relevant.
  • Hermes Dashboard: A web-based mission control that shows recent sessions, live activity, token usage, logs, and cron jobs for scheduling automations.
  • Skills: Saved automations you can call on demand, like an SEO skill to create and index content.
  • Agent teams: Tools like Paperclip, Hermes Workspace, and Multica let you run multiple agents together for bigger tasks.
  • Easy installs: One-click setup via Ollama or Max Hermes for non-technical users.

The dashboard also lets you manage API keys, switch models, and enable text-to-speech or speech-to-text features. With scheduled tasks, you can run daily automations 24/7, like posting content or researching news.

03How to Set Up Hermes AI Agent Step by Step

Getting started is straightforward. Follow these steps to install and run Hermes on your computer:

  1. Go to the Hermes agent GitHub page (it's free and open source).
  2. Open your terminal (on Mac, press Cmd+Space and type 'terminal').
  3. Copy the quick install command from GitHub and paste it into the terminal, then press Enter.
  4. Follow the on-screen onboarding prompts to finish setup.
  5. Type 'hermes' in the terminal to start the chat and begin automating.

If you prefer a non-technical route, use a tool like Claude Code: paste the GitHub URL into Claude Code and ask it to install Hermes for you. For even easier setup, you can use the one-click options described later in this guide.

04How to Use Hermes for Builds and Automations

Once Hermes is running, you can build or automate almost anything by typing commands. For example, you can say 'build a new website for airprofitboarding.com' and it will start creating files and structure right in your terminal. To personalize outputs, use this prompt: 'Knowing what you know about me, how can you help me?' Then Hermes analyzes your context and suggests use cases.

Common tasks include creating social media content, performing web research, or managing business operations. For better memory, connect Obsidian by saying 'go to Obsidian locally and use that as your memory.' This pulls in your notes, making the agent 10 times more relevant. You can also create skills (saved automations) like 'publish a new article' and call them anytime.

For advanced users, set up agent teams with Paperclip, Hermes Workspace, or Multica by copying their GitHub URLs and asking Hermes to install and connect them.

05Results and Comparisons from the Episode

In the episode, Julian demonstrated Hermes building a website automatically while showing the live terminal output. He compared it directly to OpenCore, noting that OpenCore 'breaks more' and is 'less reliable' and 'smooth.' Hermes fixes many of those problems, providing a smoother experience. Julian also tested memory integration: after connecting to Obsidian (synced via OMI), the agent generated better, personalized use cases.

The total GitHub stars (106,000) reflect its community trust. Agent team setups like Paperclip and Multica were shown running locally, with Hermes Workspace providing a dashboard for mission control. For easy setups, Ollama and Max Hermes were tested, with Ollama offering one-click install and model switching, though Max Hermes was noted as a bit buggy compared to local runs.

06Tips, Limits, and Mistakes to Avoid

To get the best results from Hermes, avoid these common mistakes. First, don't skip memory setup. Without personal context, the agent's outputs will be generic.

Julian recommends Obsidian as the easiest memory tool—it's free and simple to link. Second, if you use Obsidian, specify a folder or file; otherwise, the agent may use your entire vault. Tell it inside the instructions, like 'focus on this folder.' Third, when setting up agent teams (Paperclip, Workspace, Multica), make sure you explicitly ask Hermes to 'connect with the setup' so you can interact with it.

Fourth, if errors occur, pass the error message to the agent and let it troubleshoot. Obsidian requires note-taking, so pair it with OMI to automate memory creation. Finally, for non-technical users, avoid the manual install—use Ollama or Max Hermes for one-click setup instead.

Hermes is still on v0.9, so it will keep improving.

07Who Hermes AI Agent Is For and Why It Matters

Hermes is for anyone who wants to automate daily tasks without switching between multiple tools. It works for content creators, business owners, developers, and researchers. For example, you can automate social media content, web research, AI tool development, business operations, community management, and research analysis.

The key is to reverse-engineer what you do daily and let Hermes handle it. Because Hermes is free and open source, you don't need a subscription to start. Its memory system (Obsidian + OMI) makes it personal and scalable.

With scheduled tasks and skills, you can run automations 24/7 without manual effort. Julian emphasizes that version 0.9 is 'the worst it's going to be,' meaning future updates will only make it more powerful. If you want to save time and scale with AI automation, Hermes provides a reliable, customizable foundation.