docs(termux): document community pkg distribution

hermes_cli/observability/shared_metrics_contract.py

@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ CLIENT_ARCHITECTURES: frozenset[str] = frozenset({
     "x86_64",
 })
 CLIENT_INSTALL_METHODS: frozenset[str] = frozenset({
+    "apt",
     "docker",
     "git",
     "homebrew",

hermes_cli/web_server.py

@@ -4701,7 +4701,9 @@ async def update_hermes():
             "ok": False,
             "pid": None,
             "name": "hermes-update",
-            "error": "nix_update_unsupported",
+            "error": (
+                "apt_update_required" if install_method == "apt" else "nix_update_unsupported"
+            ),
             "message": message,
             "update_command": message,
         }
@@ -4800,7 +4802,7 @@ async def check_hermes_update(force: bool = False):
     ``POST /api/hermes/update`` actually runs ``hermes update``.
 
     Returns:
-        install_method: 'git' | 'docker' | 'nix' | 'nixos' | 'unknown'
+        install_method: 'apt' | 'git' | 'docker' | 'nix' | 'nixos' | 'unknown'
         current_version: installed Hermes version string
         behind: commits behind upstream (>=1), 0 if up to date,
                 -1 if behind by an unknown count, or null if the

tests/hermes_cli/test_cmd_update_apt.py

@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@ def test_cmd_update_check_apt_prints_pkg_guidance_without_git(
 
     assert excinfo.value.code == 1
     assert "pkg upgrade hermes-agent" in capsys.readouterr().out
-    assert mock_run.call_args_list == []
+    assert mock_run.call_args_list == []

tests/hermes_cli/test_doctor.py

@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ class TestDoctorPlatformHints:
 
         assert "run `hermes update`" in hint
 
+    def test_sqlite_upgrade_hint_uses_pkg_for_apt_managed_install(self):
+        hint = doctor._sqlite_upgrade_hint("apt")
+
+        assert "run `pkg upgrade hermes-agent`" in hint
+        assert "hermes update" not in hint
+
 
 class TestProviderEnvDetection:
     def test_detects_openai_api_key(self):

tests/hermes_cli/test_relay_shared_metrics.py

@@ -522,6 +522,7 @@ def test_client_resource_classification_is_bounded():
     assert client_architecture("armv7l") == "arm"
     assert client_install_method("Homebrew") == "homebrew"
     assert client_install_method("nix") == "nixos"
+    assert client_install_method("apt") == "apt"
 
     assert client_resource(
         "",

tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server.py

@@ -1172,6 +1172,40 @@ class TestWebServerEndpoints:
         assert status_data["pid"] is None
         assert any("docker pull nousresearch/hermes-agent:latest" in line for line in status_data["lines"])
 
+    def test_update_hermes_returns_apt_guidance_without_spawning(self, monkeypatch):
+        import hermes_cli.web_server as web_server
+
+        spawned = False
+
+        def fail_spawn(*_args, **_kwargs):
+            nonlocal spawned
+            spawned = True
+            raise AssertionError("APT-managed update guard should not spawn hermes update")
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(web_server, "_dashboard_local_update_managed_externally", lambda: False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(web_server, "detect_install_method", lambda _root: "apt")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(web_server, "_spawn_hermes_action", fail_spawn)
+        web_server._ACTION_PROCS.pop("hermes-update", None)
+        web_server._ACTION_RESULTS.pop("hermes-update", None)
+
+        resp = self.client.post("/api/hermes/update")
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        data = resp.json()
+        assert data["ok"] is False
+        assert data["pid"] is None
+        assert data["error"] == "apt_update_required"
+        assert data["update_command"] == "pkg upgrade hermes-agent"
+        assert spawned is False
+
+        check = self.client.get("/api/hermes/update/check")
+        assert check.status_code == 200
+        check_data = check.json()
+        assert check_data["install_method"] == "apt"
+        assert check_data["can_apply"] is False
+        assert check_data["update_command"] == "pkg upgrade hermes-agent"
+        assert "Termux APT" in check_data["message"]
+
     def test_update_hermes_spawns_with_action_id(self, monkeypatch):
         import hermes_cli.web_server as web_server
 

website/docs/getting-started/termux.md

@@ -46,6 +46,38 @@ That does not stop Hermes from working well as a phone-native CLI agent — it j
 
 ---
 
+## Community-maintained native `pkg` option
+
+:::caution Contributor-operated distribution
+This APT repository is **community-maintained by `@adybag14-cyber` and is not an official NousResearch distribution**. NousResearch does not build, sign, host, or audit these packages. Enabling the repository means trusting the contributor-operated repository and its signing key. Termux itself remains a Tier 2 / best-effort platform.
+:::
+
+For users who prefer a native package-manager install rather than building Python/Rust dependencies on the phone, a community-maintained APT repository is available. The repository bootstrap and packaging sources are published in [`adybag14-cyber/termux-python`](https://github.com/adybag14-cyber/termux-python), with the Hermes package build in [`adybag14-cyber/termux-hermes`](https://github.com/adybag14-cyber/termux-hermes).
+
+Install the repository key/source and Hermes with:
+
+```bash
+curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/adybag14-cyber/termux-python/main/scripts/setup_apt_repo.sh | bash
+pkg install hermes-agent
+```
+
+The repository signing-key fingerprint currently documented by the community distribution is:
+
+```text
+EAD24A2124EFA7393A78B7B14699F966313F7A6B
+```
+
+APT-managed Hermes installs are marked with install method `apt`. Hermes therefore does not run its Git self-updater against package-owned files; use the package manager instead:
+
+```bash
+pkg update
+pkg upgrade hermes-agent
+```
+
+Packaging/repository/signing problems for this option should be reported to the community packaging repositories above. Hermes runtime bugs can still be reported here, keeping in mind that Android/Termux support is best-effort.
+
+---
+
 ## Option 1: One-line installer
 
 Hermes now ships a Termux-aware installer path: