Windows (WSL2) Guide
Hermes Agent now supports both native Windows and WSL2. This page covers the WSL2 path; for the native PowerShell install see the dedicated Windows (Native) Gui
Hermes Agent now supports both native Windows and WSL2. This page covers the WSL2 path; for the native PowerShell install see the dedicated Windows (Native) Guide. In WSL2 there are effectively two computers in play: your Windows host, and a Linux VM managed by WSL. Most confusion comes from not being sure which one you're on at any moment. …
What this page covers
- Why WSL2 (vs. native Windows)
- Install WSL2
- Distro choice
- Enable systemd (recommended)
- Install Hermes inside WSL
- Filesystem: crossing the Windows ↔ WSL2 boundary
- The two directions
- Where to put Hermes and your projects
- Getting files back and forth
- Line endings, BOMs, and git
- "Clone inside WSL or on /mnt/c?"
- Networking: WSL ↔ Windows
- Case 1 — Hermes in WSL talks to a service on Windows
- Case 2 — Something on Windows (or your LAN) talks to Hermes in WSL
- Running Hermes services long-term on Windows
- Desktop shortcut for opening Hermes quickly
- Inside WSL with systemd (recommended)
- Making WSL itself start on Windows login
- GPU passthrough (local models)
- Common pitfalls
- Where to go next
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