How to Deploy Hermes Agent – Open-Source Self-Hosted AI Agent

Hermes Agent is an open-source, self-hosted AI agent developed by Nous Research. It features persistent memory, autonomous skill creation, and multi-platform messaging integrations including Telegram, Discord, Slack, and WhatsApp. Unlike chatbot wrappers or IDE-bound copilots, Hermes Agent runs continuously on your server, learns from interactions, and improves its capabilities over time.

This article explains how to deploy Hermes Agent on a Linux server using Docker Compose with Traefik for automatic HTTPS. It covers directory setup, environment configuration, LLM provider setup (including free access via Nous Portal and optional integration with Vultr Serverless Inference), and demonstrates the application by creating a task and verifying persistent memory.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need to:

• Have access to a Linux-based server as a non-root user with sudo privileges.
• Install Docker and Docker Compose.
• Create a DNS A record pointing to your server's IP address (for example, hermes.example.com).
• (Optional) Have an API key for a model provider such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or OpenRouter. You can use Nous Portal for free access via OAuth, or configure Vultr Serverless Inference as shown later in this article.

Set Up the Directory Structure, Configuration, and Environment Variables

Hermes Agent stores all user data including configuration, API keys, sessions, skills, and memories in a persistent data directory. The Docker container mounts this directory to preserve state across restarts and upgrades.

1. Create the project directory with subdirectories for persistent data.

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   $ mkdir -p ~/hermes/data

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   • data/: Persists Hermes Agent configuration, sessions, skills, and memory files.

2. Navigate to the project directory.

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   $ cd ~/hermes

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3. Create the environment file.

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   $ nano .env

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4. Add the following configuration. Replace hermes.example.com with your domain name and admin@example.com with your email address.

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   DOMAIN=hermes.example.com
   LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL=admin@example.com

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   Save and close the file.

Deploy with Docker Compose

Docker Compose orchestrates the Hermes Agent gateway, dashboard, and Traefik reverse proxy. The gateway handles messaging integrations and agent execution, while the dashboard provides a web interface for monitoring and configuration. This setup extends the official Docker deployment guide with Traefik for automatic HTTPS and basic authentication.

1. Generate a hashed password file for Traefik basic authentication. Replace DASHBOARD_USERNAME with your preferred username and STRONG_DASHBOARD_PASSWORD with a secure password.

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   $ docker run --rm httpd:2.4-alpine htpasswd -nbB DASHBOARD_USERNAME 'STRONG_DASHBOARD_PASSWORD' > .htpasswd

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2. Create the Docker Compose file.

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   $ nano docker-compose.yml

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3. Add the following configuration.

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   services:
     traefik:
       image: traefik:v3.6.15
       container_name: traefik
       command:
         - "--providers.docker=true"
         - "--providers.docker.exposedbydefault=false"
         - "--entrypoints.web.address=:80"
         - "--entrypoints.websecure.address=:443"
         - "--entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entrypoint.to=websecure"
         - "--entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entrypoint.scheme=https"
         - "--certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.httpchallenge=true"
         - "--certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.httpchallenge.entrypoint=web"
         - "--certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.email=${LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL}"
         - "--certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json"
       ports:
         - "80:80"
         - "443:443"
       volumes:
         - "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro"
         - "letsencrypt:/letsencrypt"
         - "./.htpasswd:/etc/traefik/.htpasswd:ro"
       restart: unless-stopped
   
     hermes:
       image: nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.4.30
       container_name: hermes
       command: gateway run
       volumes:
         - ./data:/opt/data
       expose:
         - "8642"
       restart: unless-stopped
   
     dashboard:
       image: nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.4.30
       container_name: hermes-dashboard
       command: dashboard --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9119 --no-open --insecure
       environment:
         - GATEWAY_HEALTH_URL=http://hermes:8642
       volumes:
         - ./data:/opt/data
       depends_on:
         - hermes
       deploy:
         resources:
           limits:
             memory: 512M
             cpus: "0.5"
       labels:
         - "traefik.enable=true"
         - "traefik.http.routers.hermes.rule=Host(`${DOMAIN}`)"
         - "traefik.http.routers.hermes.entrypoints=websecure"
         - "traefik.http.routers.hermes.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt"
         - "traefik.http.services.hermes.loadbalancer.server.port=9119"
         - "traefik.http.middlewares.hermes-auth.basicauth.usersfile=/etc/traefik/.htpasswd"
         - "traefik.http.routers.hermes.middlewares=hermes-auth"
       restart: unless-stopped
   
   volumes:
     letsencrypt:

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   Save and close the file.

   In the above manifest:

   • traefik: Serves as the reverse proxy and TLS termination point with automatic Let's Encrypt certificate provisioning. Mounts the .htpasswd file for basic authentication.
   • hermes: Runs the Hermes Agent gateway that handles messaging integrations and agent execution.
   • dashboard: Provides a web interface for monitoring agent activity, viewing sessions, and managing configuration. The --insecure flag allows binding to 0.0.0.0, which is safe because Traefik handles HTTPS. The basicauth.usersfile label configures basic authentication for dashboard access.
   • volumes: The ./data mount persists all Hermes Agent state including OAuth tokens from Nous Portal. The letsencrypt volume stores TLS certificates.

4. Build and start all services in detached mode.

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   $ docker compose up -d

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5. Verify all services are running.

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   $ docker compose ps -a

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   Output:

   NAME               IMAGE                                  COMMAND                  SERVICE     CREATED         STATUS         PORTS
   hermes             nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.4.30   "/usr/bin/tini -g --…"   hermes      9 seconds ago   Up 8 seconds   8642/tcp
   hermes-dashboard   nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.4.30   "/usr/bin/tini -g --…"   dashboard   8 seconds ago   Up 8 seconds   
   traefik            traefik:v3.6.15                        "/entrypoint.sh --pr…"   traefik     9 seconds ago   Up 8 seconds   0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp, [::]:80->80/tcp, 0.0.0.0:443->443/tcp, [::]:443->443/tcp

6. View the logs for the services.

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   $ docker compose logs

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   For more information on managing a Docker Compose stack, see the How To Use Docker Compose article.

Access and Configure Hermes Agent

After deployment, configure your LLM provider and access the dashboard.

1. Configure your LLM provider using the hermes model command.

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   $ docker run -it --rm \
       -v ~/hermes/data:/opt/data \
       nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.4.30 model

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   Select your preferred provider. For free access, choose Nous Portal and complete the OAuth authentication flow. You can also select OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, or other providers and enter API keys when prompted. For Vultr Serverless Inference, see the optional configuration section later in this article. The configuration is saved to the data directory and persists across container restarts.

2. Open a web browser and navigate to https://hermes.example.com. Replace hermes.example.com with your configured domain.

3. Enter the basic authentication credentials when prompted (the DASHBOARD_USERNAME and STRONG_DASHBOARD_PASSWORD you used when generating the .htpasswd file).

4. Verify the dashboard displays the agent status and active sessions.

5. Navigate to the Config section in the dashboard to review model settings, memory preferences, and messaging integrations.

Verify the Hermes Agent Application

Testing core agent functionality confirms that memory persistence, skill execution, and the LLM integration work correctly.

1. Open a terminal session with the agent.

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   $ docker run -it --rm \
       -v ~/hermes/data:/opt/data \
       nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.4.30

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   This opens an interactive chat session with the Hermes Agent.

2. Send a test message to verify the LLM connection.

   What is your name and what can you do?

   The agent responds with its capabilities and confirms the configured LLM provider (Nous Portal, OpenAI, Anthropic, or OpenRouter) is working.

3. Test persistent memory by asking the agent to remember information.

   Remember that my favorite programming language is Python.

4. Exit the chat session by typing /exit or Ctrl+C, then start a new session.

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   $ docker run -it --rm \
       -v ~/hermes/data:/opt/data \
       nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.4.30

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5. Verify memory persistence by asking about the stored information.

   What is my favorite programming language?

   The agent recalls the previously stored information, confirming persistent memory is working.

6. Test a built-in tool by asking the agent to perform a task.

   What is the current date and time?

   The agent uses its tools to retrieve and display the current timestamp.

Use Vultr Serverless Inference (Optional)

Hermes Agent supports custom model providers through OpenAI-compatible endpoints. Configure Vultr Serverless Inference as a model provider to access additional AI models.

1. Enable Vultr Serverless Inference in the Vultr Console and copy your API key.

2. Add your Vultr API key to the environment file. Replace YOUR-VULTR-API-KEY with your Vultr API key.

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   $ nano ~/hermes/.env

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   Add the following line:

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   VULTR_API_KEY=YOUR-VULTR-API-KEY

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   Save and close the file.

3. Edit the Hermes configuration file.

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   $ sudo nano ~/hermes/data/config.yaml

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   Find the providers: {} line and replace it with the Vultr configuration:

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   providers:
     vultr:
       base_url: https://api.vultrinference.com/v1
       key_env: VULTR_API_KEY

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   Save and close the file.

4. Restart the Hermes services to apply the new configuration.

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   $ docker compose restart hermes dashboard

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5. Start an interactive chat session. Pass the environment file so the Vultr provider is available in the model picker.

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   $ docker run -it --rm \
       -v ~/hermes/data:/opt/data \
       --env-file ~/hermes/.env \
       nousresearch/hermes-agent:v2026.4.30

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6. Switch to a Vultr model using the model picker. Type /model to open the interactive picker.

   /model

   Select vultr from the provider list, then choose a model such as moonshotai/Kimi-K2.6 or deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4-Pro.

7. Verify the model responds correctly by sending a test message.

   What model is currently being used?

   Output:

   The current model is moonshotai/Kimi-K2.6 (served via Vultr).

   The agent responds with its model name and confirms it is served via Vultr, indicating the integration works correctly.

Conclusion

You have deployed Hermes Agent on a Linux server using Docker Compose with Traefik for automatic HTTPS and basic authentication for dashboard access. The setup provides a self-hosted AI agent with persistent memory, autonomous skill creation, and support for multiple LLM providers including Nous Portal (free MiMo v2 Pro access), OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, and Vultr Serverless Inference. For messaging platform integrations, scheduled automations, and advanced configuration, refer to the official Hermes Agent documentation.