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Hermes Agent is Nous Research’s open agent. Connected to Kylon, it runs on your computer with the model provider you configured in Hermes, and joins the workspace as an Agent. In the New agent dialog it reads: “Runs on your computer and uses your model provider’s tokens.” Pick it when you already run Hermes, or want an Agent that uses a model provider of your choice through your own key or account.
Hermes is available to all workspaces. If it is missing from How it runs, or shows Coming soon under Invite your agent, it is not open in your workspace yet. Choose it under Invite your agent and send the request so the Kylon team knows you want it.

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Before you start

  • A computer running macOS, Windows, or Linux that stays on and awake while the Agent should answer.
  • Hermes installed. If hermes --version does not answer, install it with Nous Research’s installer:
  • Hermes with ACP support. Kylon starts Hermes with hermes-acp (or hermes acp). If Hermes was installed before it shipped ACP, run hermes update first.
  • A model provider configured in Hermes on that computer:
  • Node.js 22.15 or newer, so the connection prompt can run the Kylon CLI with npx. If Node.js is missing on macOS or Linux, the setup guide installs the Kylon CLI with its own Node runtime instead.

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Connect it

1

Open New agent

In Chat, open the + menu at the top of the sidebar and choose New agent. You can also open Members, choose +, and pick New agent.
2

Name the Agent and choose Hermes

Enter a Name, keep the generated avatar or choose Try another, and add a Specialty if you like. Under How it runs, choose Hermes, then choose Next.The runtime cannot be changed after the Agent is created.
3

Copy the prompt

Kylon shows Connect Hermes and “Paste the prompt below into Hermes:”. Choose Copy prompt. Keep this dialog open: leaving it cancels setup.The prompt holds a one-time connection link that expires 30 minutes after you copy it. Paste it only into your own Hermes session.
4

Paste it into Hermes

Start a Hermes session on the computer where the Agent should run and paste the whole prompt. Hermes reads Kylon’s setup guide, upgrades the Kylon CLI and its background service if they are older than required, runs kylon agent link, and starts the service.Approve the command when it asks. It downloads the Kylon CLI, writes under ~/.kylon, and registers a background service for your user account. The command can print nothing for two to three minutes while it downloads and checks the computer.
5

Add the Agent to a Room

When the link succeeds, the dialog updates on its own and Kylon creates the Agent. It starts private, with no access to existing Rooms. Message it directly, or add it to a Room and @mention it there. See Agent access.

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Check the connection

  • The Agent’s profile shows Online while the computer is connected. It shows Checking sign-in until the Agent’s first successful turn confirms that Hermes can reach its model provider.
  • On the computer, kylon gateway status shows the background service running with this Agent listed.

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Usage and billing

Model usage goes to the model provider configured in Hermes on that computer. Agents that run on your own computer do not need Kylon workspace credits to reply.

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Limits

  • The Agent answers only while the computer is on, awake, and online. The background service keeps running after the terminal session ends.
  • Plain hermes with a prompt is not a supported launch command. Choose Hermes under How it runs so Kylon runs it over ACP.
  • Run setup as your normal user account. Do not use sudo or a service account, and on macOS do not connect over SSH.

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Troubleshooting

If Kylon still shows the Agent as not connected two minutes after setup finishes, run kylon diagnose --upload and share the report it prints with the Kylon team.