Zak B. Elep
5f5f8d5b62
`hermes update` was pruning root-level Node dependencies (agent-browser) because npm ci always wipes and reifies node_modules according to its active filter -- no root-first/workspace-first ordering or flag combination (--workspaces=false, --include-workspace-root, etc.) can reliably keep a root-only package.json dependency from being pruned by a subsequent workspace-scoped npm ci. Confirmed empirically and via npm/cli source (isArboristCmd hardcodes includeWorkspaceRoot=false for ci/install), so no amount of install-order juggling fixes this for good. Instead of chasing install order, remove the root-only dependencies that made the npm step fragile in the first place: - agent-browser is no longer a root package.json dependency. It resolves lazily via `npx agent-browser` (tools/browser_tool.py already had this as a fallback; it's now the primary path). warm_agent_browser_npx_cache() is called fire-and-forget from both `hermes update` and `hermes doctor --fix` to keep npx's cache warm, preserving the "available before any session starts" property agent-browser had as an eager dependency without re-entangling it with the npm workspace graph. - @streamdown/math moves to apps/desktop/package.json, where it's actually imported (markdown-text.tsx, katex-memo.ts) -- it was never used anywhere else and was subject to the same pruning risk. - _update_node_dependencies() collapses to a single `npm ci --workspace ui-tui --workspace web` call now that root has no dependencies of its own to protect, and keeps its original spot ahead of `_build_web_ui()` at both call sites in update_cmd.py -- with no root-only dependencies left to protect, there's no reason for the Node refresh and the web build to run in any particular order relative to each other. - hermes_cli/tools_config.py's post-setup Chromium-install path and hermes_cli/doctor.py's agent-browser check both now resolve through the same PATH -> Homebrew/Hermes-managed-node -> npx cascade (_find_agent_browser / _resolve_npx_bin) instead of hand-rolling their own node_modules/.bin lookups, so they can't diverge from what browser tools actually invoke at runtime. - tests-js/package-json-lazy-deps.test.ts gets a lockfile-level check mirroring the existing camofox one, so a future regression that reintroduces agent-browser into package-lock.json fails this test directly instead of relying on manual review to catch it. Fixes #43564.
Hermes Desktop ☤
The native desktop app for Hermes Agent — the self-improving AI agent from Nous Research. Same agent, same skills, same memory as the CLI and gateway, in a polished native window — chat with streaming tool output, side-by-side previews, a file browser, voice, and settings, no terminal required. Available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
| Chat with the full agent | Streaming responses, live tool activity, structured tool summaries, and the same conversation history as every other Hermes surface. |
| Side-by-side previews | Render web pages, files, and tool outputs in a right-hand pane while you keep chatting. |
| File browser | Explore and preview the working directory without leaving the app. |
| Voice | Talk to Hermes and hear it back. |
| Settings & onboarding | Manage providers, models, tools, and credentials from a real UI. First-run setup gets you to your first message in seconds. |
| Stays current | Built-in updates pull the latest agent and rebuild the app in place. |
Install
Install with Hermes (recommended)
Already have the Hermes CLI? Just run:
hermes desktop
It builds and launches the GUI against your existing install — same config, keys, sessions, and skills. If Desktop cannot find a usable runtime or saved remote connection, first launch lets you connect to an existing Hermes gateway or install Hermes locally. Local onboarding then walks you through choosing a provider and model.
Prebuilt installers
Prebuilt installers are built and distributed via the Hermes Desktop website..
Updating
The app checks for updates in the background and offers a one-click update when one is ready. You can also update any time from the CLI:
hermes update
Requirements
The installer handles everything for you (Python 3.11+, a portable Git, ripgrep).
Development
Want to hack on the app itself? Install workspace deps from the repo root once, then run the dev server from this directory:
npm install # from repo root — links apps/desktop, web, apps/shared
cd apps/desktop
npm run dev # Vite renderer + Electron, which boots the Python backend
Point the app at a specific source checkout, or sandbox it away from your real config:
# throwaway HERMES_HOME, separate Electron userData, distinct app name to avoid the single-instance lock
../scripts/dev-sandbox.sh npm run dev
HERMES_DESKTOP_HERMES_ROOT=/path/to/clone npm run dev
HERMES_HOME=/tmp/throwaway npm run dev
npm run dev:fake-boot # exercise the startup overlay with deterministic delays
Building installers
npm run dist:mac # DMG + zip
npm run dist:win # NSIS + MSI
npm run dist:linux # AppImage + deb + rpm
npm run pack # unpacked app under release/ (no installer)
Installers are built and uploaded to GitHub Releases manually. macOS/Windows signing & notarization happen automatically when the relevant credentials are present in the environment (CSC_LINK / CSC_KEY_PASSWORD / APPLE_* for macOS, WIN_CSC_* for Windows).
How it works
The packaged app ships the Electron shell and a native React chat surface. On
first launch it can install the Hermes Agent runtime into HERMES_HOME
(~/.hermes, or %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes on Windows), using the same layout as a
CLI install.
The app has three boundaries:
- Electron resolves and validates a runnable backend, owns native filesystem/git/window capabilities, and exposes a narrow preload bridge.
- React owns the Desktop routes, panes, interaction state, and
@assistant-ui/reacttranscript. - Hermes Agent runs as a headless
hermes serveprocess and exposes thetui_gatewayJSON-RPC/WebSocket API. The renderer connects throughapps/shared, which is also used by the browser dashboard.
Backend resolution is an ordered ladder:
HERMES_DESKTOP_HERMES_ROOT- the current source checkout during development
- a completed managed install
HERMES_DESKTOP_HERMES, orhermesonPATH- a system Python that can import the Hermes runtime
- the first-launch bootstrap installer
Candidates are probed before use; an existing shim or interpreter is not enough.
A runtime that predates serve falls back to headless
dashboard --no-open. This is compatibility for the backend command only and
does not launch or embed the dashboard UI.
The Electron orchestration entry point is electron/main.ts; pure resolution,
probe, hardening, and platform policies live in focused modules beside it. The
renderer is under src/, with shared atoms in src/store and transport/native
adapters in src/lib.
Before changing the app, read:
AGENTS.md: architecture, state ownership, resolver/fallback, transport, performance, and testing rules.DESIGN.md: visual system, information architecture, motion, direct manipulation, and keyboard behavior.
Connections, projects, and switching
Desktop supports a managed local backend, explicit remote gateways, and Hermes Cloud connections. Remote and cloud modes use the same remote-capability path; authentication and discovery differ, not the renderer feature model.
When no usable local runtime or saved remote connection exists, the first-run screen offers Connect to existing Hermes before starting the local installer. Desktop probes the gateway to discover token or OAuth authentication, requires a successful HTTP and WebSocket connection test, and saves the connection using the same encrypted Desktop configuration used by Settings. A saved remote connection bypasses this choice on later launches. The regular Desktop build still includes the local-install option; this is a remote operating mode, not a separate client-only application.
In remote mode the gateway host is the execution boundary: agent tools, terminal commands, and file operations run against the remote Hermes host, not the computer displaying the Desktop UI.
Projects are the workspace abstraction. A project may own multiple folders, repositories, worktrees, and sessions; a bare new chat remains detached unless the user enters a project or configures a default project directory. Use the Projects UI rather than adding a second per-session folder-picker workflow.
Changing profiles or connection modes is a soft workspace switch, not another cold boot. The shell and current management overlay remain mounted while gateway-bound nanostores are wiped, query-backed data is invalidated, and the new connection repopulates skeletons. This prevents rows or transcripts from the previous gateway bleeding into the next one.
Verification
Run before opening a PR (lint may surface pre-existing warnings but must exit cleanly):
npm run fix
npm run typecheck
npm run lint
npm run test:ui
npm run test:desktop:platforms
Run npm run test:desktop:all for install, boot, update, packaging, or other
release-path changes.
Troubleshooting
Boot logs land in HERMES_HOME/logs/desktop.log (includes backend output and recent Python tracebacks) — check it first if the app reports a boot failure.
macOS / Linux:
# Force a clean first-launch setup
rm "$HOME/.hermes/hermes-agent/.hermes-bootstrap-complete"
# Rebuild a broken Python venv
rm -rf "$HOME/.hermes/hermes-agent/venv"
# Reset a stuck macOS microphone prompt (macOS only)
tccutil reset Microphone com.nousresearch.hermes
Windows (PowerShell):
# Force a clean first-launch setup
Remove-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\hermes\hermes-agent\.hermes-bootstrap-complete"
# Rebuild a broken Python venv
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\hermes\hermes-agent\venv"
The default Hermes home on Windows is
%LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes. Set theHERMES_HOMEenv var if you've relocated it.
Community
- 💬 Discord
- 📖 Documentation
- 🐛 Issues
License
MIT — see LICENSE.
Built by Nous Research.