Docker
Hermes Agent — Docker There are two distinct ways Docker intersects with Hermes Agent: 1. Running Hermes IN Docker — the agent itself runs inside a container (t
There are two distinct ways Docker intersects with Hermes Agent: 1. Running Hermes IN Docker — the agent itself runs inside a container (this page's primary focus) 2. …
What this page covers
- Quick start
- Running in gateway mode
- Running the dashboard
- Running interactively (CLI chat)
- Persistent volumes
- Multi-profile support
- Reaching more than one profile from outside the container
- Why one container with many profiles, not many containers
- When you DO want a separate container
- Where the logs go
- Environment variable forwarding
- Docker Compose example
- Optional: Linux desktop audio bridge
- Resource limits
- What the Dockerfile does
- docker exec automatically drops to the hermes user
- Per-profile gateway supervision
- Upgrading
- Skills and credential files
- Installing more tools in the container
- npm or Python tools — use npx or uvx
- Other tools (apt packages, binaries) — install and remember
- Durable installs — build a derived image
- Complex tools or multi-service stacks — run a sidecar container
- Broadly useful tools — open an issue or pull request
- Connecting to local inference servers (vLLM, Ollama, etc.)
- Docker Compose (recommended)
- Standalone Docker run (no Compose)
- Verifying connectivity
- Ollama
- Troubleshooting
- Container exits immediately
- "Permission denied" errors
- Browser tools not working
- Gateway not reconnecting after network issues
- Checking container health
Section outline mirrored from the official Hermes Agent documentation. Follow any heading to read the complete text on the source site.
More in Using Hermes
CLI Interface
Hermes Agent's CLI is a full terminal user interface (TUI) — not a web UI. It features multiline editing, slash command autocomplete, conversation history, inte
TUI
The TUI is the modern front end for Hermes — a terminal UI backed by the same Python runtime as the Classic CLI. Same agent, same sessions, same slash commands;
Configuration
All settings are stored in the directory for easy access. TIP — Easiest path to a working Run — one OAuth gets you a model provider and all four Tool Gateway to
Configuring Models
Configuring Models Hermes uses two kinds of model slots: Main model — what the agent thinks with. Every user message, every tool call loop, every streamed respo
Sessions
Hermes Agent automatically saves every conversation as a session. Sessions enable conversation resume, cross session search, and full conversation history manag
Profiles: Running Multiple Agents
Profiles: Running Multiple Agents Run multiple independent Hermes agents on the same machine — each with its own config, API keys, memory, sessions, skills, and