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Hermes Agent OS GitHub Quick Start: Install Herald OS And Fit It Into Your Agent OS

By Julian Goldie · 7 October 2026 · agentos.guide

The Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo is github.com/iamlukethedev/Herald-OS, and it holds Herald OS, a free, open-source operating system that uses Hermes Agent as its interface.

I asked Claude to install it on my Mac, and it was done in about two minutes.

This quick start gives you the repo facts, every install route, how it fits an Agent OS you already run, and how to keep it updated.

What the Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo actually is

Herald OS is an operating system built around an AI agent, and its whole codebase is public on GitHub.

You talk or type to Hermes, and it works across the whole machine, opening apps, organising files, remembering what matters and running routines on a schedule.

Every action that changes something goes through a permission system you control.

Here are the facts I checked in the repo and the GitHub API myself.

The name is easy to mix up, so here is the short version.

Nous Research codenamed Hermes Agent v0.20 the Herald Release, and I covered that in my Hermes v0.20 guide.

Herald OS is a different thing, made by an independent developer, and it runs on top of Hermes.

Hermes Agent OS GitHub quick start

This is the shortest route from nothing to a working Herald OS on a Mac.

• First, install Hermes Agent with curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash, then run source ~/.zshrc.
• Second, run hermes setup and pick a model provider, such as a Nous Portal account or an API key for OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic or a local model.
• Third, run hermes doctor to check Hermes works on its own.
• Fourth, download the DMG from the Herald OS releases page and drag it into Applications.
• Fifth, run the quarantine command, because this alpha build is not notarized by Apple yet.
• Sixth, open Herald OS from Applications and ask Hermes something on the Hermes page.

Herald OS takes over the whole screen, so Cmd+Ctrl+F toggles fullscreen and Cmd+Q quits.

On its first start it adds its system tools to Hermes, and macOS asks for Screen Recording, Accessibility or Microphone access when a feature first needs it.

Here is my honest shortcut, though.

I asked Claude to set it up for me, and it was done in about two minutes.

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Every install route on the Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo

The Mac app is the quickest way in, but there are six routes in total.

The ISO comes in two parts because GitHub only takes files up to 2 GB, and the README gives a copy /b command for joining them on Windows.

The Linux installer lets you erase the disk or install next to Windows, encrypt the disk, and keep Secure Boot on.

The first start sets up Hermes Agent, then asks for your name, a password and Wi-Fi.

The repo's own known limits say the ISO has been tested in a virtual machine but not yet on real PC hardware.

The Omarchy route is tested against Omarchy 4's configuration and scripts, but not yet on an Omarchy machine.

How Herald OS fits an Agent OS workflow

Here is how I think about it.

Hermes is the worker, and the interface is just the room you talk to it in.

I already run Hermes through Hermes Desktop and through my own Agent OS, and Herald OS became a third room on the same worker.

The proof was the Automations page.

My automations synced straight across, because the same Hermes sits underneath all three.

That included a daily 6am to-do recap, a daily Japanese lesson and morning inbox triage.

So you do not have to choose one interface and throw away your setup.

There are three things I would do when adding Herald OS to an existing Agent OS.

• Set up Spaces first, because Ideas, Work and Personal, plus a space per client, answer the "separate companies and clients" question I get all the time.
• Keep auto-approve off until you trust it, so Hermes asks before sending messages.
• Check the Memory page before any screen-share, because my Telegram details were sitting right there.

The repo also adds a proper permission system.

Read and act tools run straight away and are logged, mutate tools ask first, and destructive tools ask every time.

Places like your SSH keys, keychains and Hermes's own credentials are always refused.

🔥 Want the exact Herald OS setup I run inside my Agent OS?

Inside the AI Profit Boardroom you get the installable Agent OS, step-by-step video tutorials, four coaching calls a week and 3,400+ members building real automations.

→ Get access here

What you see once Herald OS is running

• The dashboard says "Good morning, Julian. Your day already in motion", with voice input, today's schedule from your scheduled tasks, and a list of what needs attention.
• "Pick up where you left off" looks at the names of recent documents, projects, chats and calendar events, then suggests where to continue, and you can toggle it.
• Recent screenshots from your desktop appear on the dashboard.
• The chat is normal Hermes chat with Preview and Sources, where Sources are files Hermes can read, plus a new conversation button.
• Spaces split work into Ideas, Work and Personal, and you can add more and set a default.
• Missions let you give Hermes an active goal, such as building out a new website, and it plans it step by step.
• Memory shows everything Hermes remembers.
• Files covers recent, favourites, projects, downloads, shared and deleted.
• Automations can be managed and switched on or off.
• The sidebar is resizable, although the interface was cut off slightly at the top on my screen.
• Connections, for tools, apps and external connections, did not work or sync for me.

The settings go deep.

• You choose your preferred model, and mine showed GPT-6 Astra, which I had plugged in through a CLI.
• You choose where agents run tasks, including Docker, and how many background agents run.
• You can switch remember preferences, auto-approve and activity history on or off.
• General settings cover launching fullscreen, default space, default projects folder, do not disturb for the bell sound, stay awake, screen saver, dictation and quitting the session.
• You get colours and themes, plus software access for coding agents and local models such as Claude Code, Codex and LM Studio.
• Plugins install when you paste a GitHub link, and there is a Hermes Agent section.
• Usage shows tokens used, your plan and your token balance.
• Voice lets you switch engine, speed, local or live voice, test it, and see the voice commands, which feels a bit like Jarvis.
• Privacy, notifications, networks, storage and accessibility round it out.

Updating and rolling back Herald OS

The shell is compiled against a pinned Hermes version, so updating Hermes does not change Herald's own code.

The traps worth knowing

The first trap is the unnotarized Mac build, which macOS calls damaged until you run the quarantine command.

The second trap is Connections, which did not sync for me, so do not build a workflow around it yet.

The third trap is the alpha status, and the README says to keep backups of anything you let an agent touch.

If Hermes uses shell commands instead of its system tools, run hermes plugins enable herald-os-bridge and restart Herald OS.

If the boot screen never finishes, run hermes doctor first.

Contributing and reporting issues

Bugs go in the repo's Issues tab, and the bug template asks for what happened, steps, platform, versions and logs.

Problems with models, providers or the hermes command belong on the Nous Research hermes-agent repo instead.

Security problems go privately through the repo's Security tab, never in a public issue.

Code contributions need npm run typecheck, npm test, npm run test:bridge and bash scripts/check-secrets.sh to pass first.

My honest take on Herald OS

Herald OS is super clean, and it synced with my existing setup quickly.

I think it looks nicer than Hermes Desktop, and it is a great pick for people who want a nice interface but do not like Hermes Desktop.

Back in March and April, running Hermes in a terminal was messy, and this is the opposite of that.

It is alpha, so treat it as a beautiful new room for your agent, not the only room.

FAQ

Where is the Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo?

Herald OS is at github.com/iamlukethedev/Herald-OS, and every installer is on its releases page. Hermes Agent itself is a separate Nous Research repo at github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.

Is Herald OS made by Nous Research?

No. Herald OS is an independent project by Luke The Dev and is not affiliated with Nous Research. It runs on a standard Hermes Agent install and adds a plugin called herald-os-bridge.

Is Herald OS free?

Yes. It is released under the MIT License. Hermes still needs a model provider such as Nous Portal or an API key, and that usage can cost money unless you use free models.

Will my Hermes automations work in Herald OS?

Yes. Julian's automations synced across Herald OS, Hermes Desktop and his Agent OS because the same Hermes runs underneath all three.

How do I update Herald OS?

On Herald OS Linux run herald-os update, and herald-os rollback goes back. On a Mac, replace the app with the new DMG. On Arch, run git pull and makepkg -si again. From source, run git pull and npm run bootstrap.

Final word on Hermes Agent OS GitHub

Install Hermes, pick your route, keep approvals on, and let your existing automations sync across.

That is the fastest way to get real value from the Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo.

Related guides on agentos.guide

→ Hermes Agent v0.20, The Herald Release

→ The Hermes Command Desk

→ The AI Agent OS Guide

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