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Hermes Agent Brew: The Homebrew Command, And The Install I Would Use Instead
The Hermes Agent brew command is brew install hermes-agent, and it is a real formula in Homebrew core.
Nous Research lists Homebrew as an unsupported install method, so the official route is curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash.
Here is the short answer, a five-minute quick-start, the full brew route and how the install fits an Agent OS.
I checked every fact on 12 October 2026 against Homebrew's listing, the formula file and the official Hermes docs.
The short answer on Hermes Agent brew
These are the four commands people are really searching for.
| What you want | The command | Does Nous Research support it? |
|---|---|---|
| The CLI from Homebrew | brew install hermes-agent | No, brew installs are on the unsupported list. |
| The desktop app from Homebrew | brew install --cask hermes-desktop | It is a Homebrew package, not a Nous install path. |
| The CLI, the official way | curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash | Yes, it is Tier 1 on Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and WSL2. |
| The desktop app, the official way | Download it from the Hermes website. | Yes, on Apple Silicon Macs. |
The Homebrew formula is real, and I confirmed it with brew info hermes-agent, which only reads information.
It was at version 0.21.6 when I checked, and the desktop cask was at 0.21.2.
The catch sits in the official platform support page, which lists "installs via brew" as unsupported.
Nous Research says unsupported methods may break and that fixes for them will not be accepted.
So the formula is a Homebrew package, and the script is the route the makers stand behind.
What Hermes Agent is
Hermes Agent is a free, open-source AI agent from Nous Research.
It can run commands, use tools, remember things between sessions and work through chat apps.
It does not ship with one fixed model, so you choose the brain after you install it.
The code is MIT licensed and lives at github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.
The five-minute quick-start I would follow
This is the supported route, and it is the one my own Mac runs.
| Step | What you run | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | xcode-select --install | Git is on your Mac, which the official script needs. |
| 2 | curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash | Hermes Agent is installed in your home folder. |
| 3 | source ~/.zshrc | Your terminal can find the hermes command. |
| 4 | hermes setup | The wizard connects a model and your other choices. |
| 5 | hermes doctor | You get a health check that names anything missing. |
| 6 | hermes | You are chatting with your agent. |
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
source ~/.zshrc
hermes setup
hermes doctorWhen I run hermes --version on my machine, it reports "Install method: git", which is what the official script sets up.
The docs say the code lands in ~/.hermes/hermes-agent/ and the command is a wrapper at ~/.local/bin/hermes.
Your data lives in ~/.hermes/.
The script also installs the browser tools and the computer-use driver by default.
You can leave those out by adding --skip-browser and --skip-computer-use to the script.
If a step fails, the full output is saved to logs/install.log inside your Hermes data folder.
The Hermes Agent brew route, step by step
If you still want Homebrew, here is the route.
I have not installed the Homebrew build on my own machine, because my install is the official one.
What follows comes from the formula file and from brew info, so treat it as documented behaviour.
brew update
brew install hermes-agent
hermes --version
hermes setupThe formula depends on Python 3.14, Node, ripgrep, libheif and a few Python libraries, and Homebrew installs those for you.
It installs three commands, which are hermes, hermes-agent and hermes-acp.
It also generates shell completions for you.
The formula's own note says voice and text-to-speech conversion optionally uses FFmpeg, which is brew install ffmpeg.
The desktop app is a separate cask.
brew install --cask hermes-desktopThe cask places Hermes.app in your Applications folder.
Homebrew's analytics showed roughly 2,400 installs of the formula in the previous 30 days, so plenty of people use it.
Popular does not mean supported, and that is the trade you are making.
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Do not mix up the Hermes names
Typing brew install hermes does not install Hermes Agent.
On my Mac it returns "No available formula with the name hermes" and suggests hermit.
Hermit is a project-tool manager from Cash App, and it has nothing to do with Nous Research.
Meta also has a JavaScript engine called Hermes, which is a completely different project.
The two names you want are hermes-agent for the CLI and hermes-desktop for the app.
You can check them safely with brew search hermes, which only reads the catalogue.
What you need on a Mac first
The official script needs Git, curl, tar and a SHA-256 tool, and a Mac only lacks Git until you install Apple's command line tools.
You do not need to install Python, Node or uv yourself.
The docs say the installer downloads its own pinned uv, and that Hermes's package manager provides pinned Python, Node.js, npm, ripgrep and FFmpeg.
The script even ignores a uv that is already on your PATH.
Here is what Homebrew can add around the edges.
| Tool | Can brew install it? | Do you need to install it yourself? |
|---|---|---|
| Git | Yes, with brew install git. | Only if Apple's command line tools are missing. |
| Python 3.14 | Yes, as python@3.14. | No, both routes bring their own. |
| Node.js | Yes, as node. | No, both routes bring their own. |
| uv | Yes, as uv. | No, the official script downloads its own pinned copy. |
| ripgrep | Yes, as ripgrep. | No, both routes bring it. |
| FFmpeg | Yes, as ffmpeg. | Only on the brew route, for voice features. |
| Ollama | Yes, as ollama. | Only if you want a local model. |
Homebrew itself comes from brew.sh.
Run hermes setup
The install gives you the program, and the wizard gives it a brain.
Both routes use the same command, which is hermes setup.
The wizard has sections for the model, text-to-speech, the terminal backend, the gateway, the tools, telemetry and the agent.
You can run one section alone, such as hermes setup model or hermes setup gateway.
The docs call hermes setup --portal the fastest path, because it logs you in to Nous Portal and picks a model in one go.
On an existing install, hermes setup --quick only asks about items that are still missing.
You can change the brain later with hermes model.
My best Hermes Agent setup ranking shows six stacks to build from here.
How the install fits an Agent OS workflow
An install is the first brick, not the building.
In my 3-Layer Hermes OS guide, the system has a brain, a cockpit and a memory.
| Agent OS layer | What the install gives you | What you add next |
|---|---|---|
| The brain | The hermes command and its tools | A model, with hermes setup or hermes model |
| The cockpit | The built-in dashboard and desktop commands | hermes dashboard, plus one profile per job |
| The memory | A data folder at ~/.hermes | A notes vault the agent reads and writes |
The install route matters to an Agent OS for one practical reason.
An Agent OS calls the hermes command from other tools, such as a dashboard, a scheduler or a chat bridge.
If two copies of Hermes are installed, those tools can call a different copy from the one you chat with.
That is why I keep exactly one install per machine.
Run which -a hermes to see every copy your shell can find.
Background services have their own PATH as well, so a tool launched at login may not see the same folders your terminal does.
Once the single install is solid, add profiles with hermes profile create, so each job gets its own model and memory.
My Hermes Command Desk guide shows what that looks like with one agent behind many tabs.
If you want to choose where the agent runs its commands, my Hermes Agent backend explainer covers the options.
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Updating and uninstalling
The right command depends on the route you chose.
| Install route | Update | Uninstall |
|---|---|---|
| Official script | hermes update | hermes uninstall, after hermes uninstall --dry-run |
| Homebrew formula | brew upgrade hermes-agent | brew uninstall hermes-agent |
| Homebrew cask | brew upgrade --cask hermes-desktop | brew uninstall --cask hermes-desktop |
| Desktop download | The Update control inside the app | Quit Hermes and move the app to the Bin. |
The docs say hermes update is for a managed source checkout and does not rewrite files a package manager owns.
That is why a brew build should be updated with brew.
On the official route, hermes update --check shows whether a new release exists without installing it.
The official install follows the stable release channel by default.
On the brew route, a new version arrives when Homebrew updates the formula.
Back up before you remove anything, with hermes backup.
The official uninstaller can keep your configuration and data by default, and hermes uninstall --full removes those too.
After a brew uninstall, your data is still in ~/.hermes.
That means you can remove the brew build, run the official script and keep your agent's memory.
My Hermes Agent backup guide explains what the backup zip contains and how to restore it.
Apple Silicon versus Intel
The official support table lists macOS on Apple Silicon as Tier 1, and Intel Macs are not in that tier.
The docs say the macOS desktop installer is Apple Silicon only.
The platform page adds that an Intel Mac can install the command-line version and run hermes desktop from there.
The Homebrew formula lists pre-built bottles for Apple Silicon on three recent macOS versions and for Linux.
It lists no Intel Mac bottle.
Homebrew lives at /opt/homebrew on Apple Silicon and at /usr/local on Intel.
On an Intel Mac I would use the official script and expect more friction.
Common errors and fixes
| What you see | The fix |
|---|---|
hermes: command not found after the official script | Run source ~/.zshrc, or add ~/.local/bin to your PATH. |
hermes: command not found after brew | Run eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)" so Homebrew is on your PATH. |
| No available formula with the name hermes | Use the full name, which is hermes-agent. |
| The wrong version runs | Run which -a hermes and remove the copy you do not want. |
| API key not set | Run hermes model and choose a provider. |
| Settings look wrong after an update | Run hermes config check, then hermes config migrate. |
The PATH fix for the official route is one line in your ~/.zshrc file.
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"When in doubt, run hermes doctor, because the docs say it tells you what is missing and how to fix it.
Linux, WSL and Windows
Homebrew also runs on Linux, and the formula ships Linux bottles for ARM and x86 machines.
The official script is Tier 1 on Linux and WSL2, so I would use that on a server.
Windows has its own official PowerShell command, which is iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1).
My best Hermes Agent VPS ranking covers where to host an always-on agent.
Which route I would pick
I would use the official script on any machine I depend on.
I would use the desktop download for anyone who does not want a terminal.
I would keep the Homebrew formula for a test machine where an unsupported build is an acceptable risk.
Also On Our Network
FAQ
Can I install Hermes Agent with Homebrew?
Yes. The command is brew install hermes-agent and the formula is in Homebrew core. Nous Research lists installs via brew as unsupported, so the supported routes on a Mac are the official install script and the Hermes Desktop download.
What is the official one-line installer for Hermes Agent?
It is curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash on macOS, Linux and WSL2. Afterwards you run source ~/.zshrc and then hermes setup.
Does brew install hermes install Hermes Agent?
No. There is no Homebrew formula with the exact name hermes, and on my Mac the command fails and suggests hermit, which is unrelated. The formula is hermes-agent and the cask is hermes-desktop.
Do I need Python, Node or uv before installing Hermes Agent?
No. The official docs say the installer downloads its own pinned uv and that Hermes provides pinned Python, Node.js, ripgrep and FFmpeg. The Homebrew formula pulls in its own Python and Node as dependencies.
How do I update Hermes Agent?
Run hermes update if you used the official script, and brew upgrade hermes-agent if you used Homebrew. The docs say hermes update does not rewrite files a package manager owns.
Does Hermes Agent run on an Intel Mac?
The official Tier 1 table lists Apple Silicon Macs only, and the Homebrew formula lists no Intel Mac bottle. The docs say an Intel Mac can install the command-line version, so expect more friction there.
Final word on Hermes Agent brew
Use the supported script on the machine you rely on, and keep one install per machine.
Get the formula name right, run the setup wizard, and you are done with Hermes Agent brew.
About Julian
I'm Julian Goldie, an AI entrepreneur, SEO expert and the founder of the AI Profit Boardroom, which has 3,400+ members.
I help business owners scale with AI agents, automation and SEO.
My YouTube channel has 400,000+ subscribers, and I run Goldie Agency, a seven-figure SEO agency.
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