Hermes Agent Quick Start | Windows + WSL2

<img src="/images/dock_head_s.png" alt="鴨編" width="24" style="vertical-align: middle;"> Quick summary: Hermes requires WSL2 on Windows, but the process is straightforward:

Install WSL2 → Install Ollama inside WSL → ollama launch hermes → pick a cloud model → start chatting

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Why WSL2?

Hermes’s install script is designed for Linux/macOS environments and does not run in native Windows PowerShell or CMD. WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux 2) gives you a full Linux environment on Windows and solves this entirely.

Already have WSL2 and Ollama set up? Jump straight to Step 3: Launch Hermes.

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Step 1: Install WSL2

Open PowerShell as Administrator (search “PowerShell” in the Start menu → right-click → Run as administrator) and run:

wsl --install

After installation completes, reboot your computer. On first boot, WSL2 finishes setup and asks you to create a Linux username and password.

🚨 wsl --install does nothing? Check that your Windows version is 21H2 or later (Start → Settings → Windows Update). Older Windows 10 builds require manually enabling the WSL feature.

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Step 2: Install Ollama Inside WSL

After rebooting, search for “Ubuntu” or “WSL” in the Start menu to open the Linux terminal. Install Ollama:

curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

Verify the installation:

ollama --version

To update an existing Ollama installation, re-run the same install script.

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Step 3: Launch Hermes

Inside the WSL terminal, run:

ollama launch hermes

On the first run, Ollama asks whether to install Hermes — press Enter to confirm. Ollama then handles four steps automatically:

1. Install — installs Hermes Agent via npm
2. Model — opens the model selector
3. Onboarding — configures Ollama as the provider at http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1
4. Launch — starts the Hermes chat interface

🚨 Error: unknown integration: hermes: Your Ollama version is too old. Re-run the install script inside WSL to update, then try again.

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Step 4: Choose a Model

After installation, Hermes shows a model selector.

<img src="/images/dock_head_s.png" alt="鴨編" width="24" style="vertical-align: middle;"> Recommended cloud models (uses Ollama’s free quota — no download, no GPU needed):

Model	Strengths
minimax-m2.7:cloud	🥇 Fast and efficient, great for everyday tasks
kimi-k2.5:cloud	Strong reasoning, supports subagents
glm-5.1:cloud	Reasoning and code generation
qwen3.5:cloud	Tool use + vision, great for agentic tasks

Local models (require an NVIDIA GPU):

Model	Requirement
gemma4	~16 GB VRAM
qwen3.6	~24 GB VRAM

For most Windows laptops, cloud models are the practical choice.

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Step 5: Your First Conversation

Once Hermes is running, type:

Hi! Please introduce yourself — who is Hermes, and what can you do?

Hermes saves a memory summary after each session, so next time you launch it, it picks up where you left off.

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Step 6 (Optional): Connect a Messaging Platform

Inside the WSL terminal:

hermes gateway setup

Supported platforms: Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Email. Once configured, message Hermes from your app without opening a terminal.

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Troubleshooting

🚨 Can’t find Ubuntu after rebooting

Search for “Ubuntu” or “WSL” in the Start menu. You can also pin it to the taskbar for easy access.

🚨 Ollama won’t start inside WSL

Verify you are on WSL2 (not WSL1):

wsl --list --verbose

The VERSION column should show 2. To upgrade:

wsl --set-version Ubuntu 2

🚨 Node.js install fails

Hermes requires Node.js 18+. Inside WSL:

node --version

If missing:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

🚨 Want to reconfigure Hermes

hermes setup

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Appendix: Manual Installation

To install without ollama launch:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

To connect to Ollama during the setup wizard:

1. Select More providers…
2. Select Custom endpoint (enter URL manually)
3. Enter http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1 as the API base URL
4. Leave the API key blank
5. Confirm the auto-detected model

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What’s Next

• 🍎 Hermes on macOS
• 🦀 Meet OpenClaw: another AI Agent framework
• 📱 Connect OpenClaw to Telegram

Questions? Join the discussion at the homepage!