How to Set Up Hermes Agent on an Ubuntu Server

Many people ask about hermes vs openclaw. Both are great tools for building assistants. Openclaw is very fast to start and has a large community. However, Hermes learns better over time. It builds a permanent memory of your projects. If you want a visual app on your personal computer later, you can also use hermes desktop.

OpenClaw and Hermes Agent offer two different approaches to task automation. OpenClaw works as a fast, highly connected tool with a massive library of instant plugins. It lets you set things up quickly and keep tight control over every choice, though it forgets past chats and needs frequent updates to avoid crashing. On the other hand, Hermes Agent acts like an independent worker that learns from its mistakes, writing its own new skills and remembering your context well. While Hermes takes longer to install and connects to fewer apps, it provides better daily stability and safe spaces for running complex code.

Open your Ubuntu server terminal. You need to download and run the install script. Copy and paste this exact code:

curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash

This simple script does all the hard work for you. It safely installs Python, Node.js, and other tools you need. You do not have to install them one by one.

Once the install finishes, you must set up your agent. Type this code into your terminal:

hermes setup

This will start a short wizard. It will ask you a few simple questions to get your agent ready for daily use. Here is what the wizard covers:

1. System and Setup — You need a computer running Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL2. Make sure you have Python and Node installed. Your computer should have at least four gigabytes of RAM. If you want to run models at home, you will need a strong graphics card.

2. AI Model Details — You must pick an AI provider, like OpenAI or Anthropic. Then, paste in your secret API key. Finally, choose a specific model. The model needs a large memory window so it can handle long tasks without forgetting.

3. Setting Files — Hermes uses a few files to keep things neat. You put your secret keys in a hidden file. A config file holds your main settings. Two text files, named Soul and Memory, tell the agent how to act and what facts to keep in mind.

4. Running Commands — Hermes can run terminal commands for you. You must tell it where to run them. It can run right on your machine, safely inside a Docker container, or on a remote server. Docker is the safest choice to protect your system.

5. Chat Apps and Plugins — You can connect your agent to chat apps like Discord or Telegram. To do this, you need a bot token from those platforms. You can also add special plugins. These give your agent extra tools, like the ability to read your private code.

Your new agent needs a brain to think. You can connect it to different services.

• If you want to use models on your own machine for total privacy, you can link it to ollama.

• If you want to use powerful cloud models, you can easily connect it to openrouter.

To pick your model, run this exact code:

hermes model

Just select the option you like best from the menu that appears.

Finally, you need to turn the agent on so it can listen to you. Run this exact code:

hermes gateway

Your AI assistant is now alive on your Ubuntu server! You can start chatting with it and let it help you work faster.