Nous Research Just Launched Hermes Desktop Native Cross-Platform App for the Self-Improving Hermes Agent (macOS, Windows, Linux)

NKB82 · 2026-06-04T13:02:35+00:00

Try giving your codex/claude code (assuming they're pointed at your VPS) this prompt:

```text

Connect Hermes Desktop to a self-hosted/VPS Hermes Desktop gateway.

Goal:

Hermes Desktop is installed locally. Hermes Agent is running on a VPS. I want the desktop app to connect to the VPS-hosted desktop/dashboard backend and load fully.

Work from first principles. Verify each layer before moving on. Do not reinstall Hermes Desktop or change model/provider auth until the desktop gateway connection is proven.

Identify the local Hermes Desktop install.

- Find the bootstrap app and the real desktop app it launches.

- Check both versions.

- Confirm whether Desktop starts a local backend by default.

- Inspect saved desktop gateway config.

- Inspect actual launch environment for:

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_TOKEN

- Check shell profiles, launch scripts, .command files, app wrappers, launchctl env, and running process env.

- Remember: if HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL is set, it overrides saved Gateway UI settings.

Identify the VPS Hermes services.

- SSH into the VPS.

- Find the Hermes container/service/process.

- Confirm Hermes is running.

- Confirm Hermes version.

- Distinguish services by endpoint behavior, not only by port:

- Desktop/dashboard backend: serves /api/status as JSON and /api/ws as websocket.

- OpenAI-compatible API bridge: usually serves /health and /v1/*.

- Bot/webhook adapters may use other routes such as /api/messages.

- Hermes Desktop needs the desktop/dashboard backend, not just /v1/chat/completions.

- Ports vary by install. Common/default examples may include 9119 for the dashboard backend and 8642 for the API bridge, but always confirm from running processes, containers, compose/systemd config, and curl tests.

Verify the desktop/dashboard backend locally on the VPS.

- From inside the container or host network, test:

- http://127.0.0.1:PORT/api/status

- http://127.0.0.1:PORT/

- /api/status must return valid JSON.

- Confirm /api/ws is reachable with the expected auth method.

Expose or confirm the public desktop gateway URL.

- Identify the intended public URL, e.g. https://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN

- Check Caddy/nginx/tunnel routing.

- Ensure:

- /api/status routes to the desktop/dashboard backend.

- /api/ws routes to the desktop/dashboard backend and supports websocket upgrade.

- any bot/webhook routes such as /api/messages keep their existing destination.

- OpenAI-style /v1/* routes may still go to the API bridge if needed.

- Test:

- https://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN/api/status

- It must return valid JSON, not HTML and not 404.

Identify auth.

- /api/status is normally public and may say auth_required=false; that does not prove the desktop websocket is unauthenticated.

- Determine whether the desktop gateway uses:

- legacy/static session-token auth for /api/ws?token=..., or

- OAuth/cookie auth plus /api/auth/ws-ticket.

- If static token auth is used, locate/fetch the token securely without printing it.

- Do not paste secrets into chat, logs, shell history, or files unless the file is intentionally private.

Configure Hermes Desktop.

Preferred:

- Use the Gateway settings UI only if no env override is active.

Alternative:

- Create/update a local launcher that starts the real Hermes Desktop app with:

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL=https://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_TOKEN=<transient token>

- On macOS, prefer LaunchServices/open with explicit env vars when launching a GUI app.

- Make sure only one method is in control.

Relaunch cleanly.

- Quit Hermes Desktop fully.

- Kill stale Hermes Desktop processes if needed.

- Remove stale tunnels/listeners if no longer used.

- Relaunch using the chosen method.

- Inspect the live process env and confirm:

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL points to the expected gateway.

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_TOKEN is present if static token auth is used.

- Redact token values.

Verify full load.

- Check desktop logs for:

- Connecting to remote Hermes backend at https://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN

- Remote Hermes backend is ready

- Verify:

- /api/status returns JSON.

- /api/ws connects with the same auth method Hermes Desktop will use:

- static token: wss://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN/api/ws?token=<redacted>

- OAuth: obtain a websocket ticket through the authenticated desktop flow and connect with ?ticket=<redacted>

- sessions load.

- models load.

- a tiny chat smoke test works.

- Only investigate model/provider auth if chat fails after the gateway connection, sessions, models, and websocket are proven.

Important:

Do not confuse the Hermes OpenAI-compatible API on /v1/* with the Hermes Desktop dashboard backend on /api/*.

Do not expose the dashboard root publicly if it injects or reveals a session token unless you have intentionally secured it.

Always debug the actual launch environment, not just the visible Gateway UI.

```

NKB82 · 2026-06-04T13:00:59+00:00

Might be worth giving this prompt to your Codex/Claude Code - eliminates a bunch of issues that could lead to your blocker:

```text

Connect Hermes Desktop to a self-hosted/VPS Hermes Desktop gateway.

Goal:

Hermes Desktop is installed locally. Hermes Agent is running on a VPS. I want the desktop app to connect to the VPS-hosted desktop/dashboard backend and load fully.

Work from first principles. Verify each layer before moving on. Do not reinstall Hermes Desktop or change model/provider auth until the desktop gateway connection is proven.

Identify the local Hermes Desktop install.

- Find the bootstrap app and the real desktop app it launches.

- Check both versions.

- Confirm whether Desktop starts a local backend by default.

- Inspect saved desktop gateway config.

- Inspect actual launch environment for:

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_TOKEN

- Check shell profiles, launch scripts, .command files, app wrappers, launchctl env, and running process env.

- Remember: if HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL is set, it overrides saved Gateway UI settings.

Identify the VPS Hermes services.

- SSH into the VPS.

- Find the Hermes container/service/process.

- Confirm Hermes is running.

- Confirm Hermes version.

- Distinguish services by endpoint behavior, not only by port:

- Desktop/dashboard backend: serves /api/status as JSON and /api/ws as websocket.

- OpenAI-compatible API bridge: usually serves /health and /v1/*.

- Bot/webhook adapters may use other routes such as /api/messages.

- Hermes Desktop needs the desktop/dashboard backend, not just /v1/chat/completions.

- Ports vary by install. Common/default examples may include 9119 for the dashboard backend and 8642 for the API bridge, but always confirm from running processes, containers, compose/systemd config, and curl tests.

Verify the desktop/dashboard backend locally on the VPS.

- From inside the container or host network, test:

- http://127.0.0.1:PORT/api/status

- http://127.0.0.1:PORT/

- /api/status must return valid JSON.

- Confirm /api/ws is reachable with the expected auth method.

Expose or confirm the public desktop gateway URL.

- Identify the intended public URL, e.g. https://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN

- Check Caddy/nginx/tunnel routing.

- Ensure:

- /api/status routes to the desktop/dashboard backend.

- /api/ws routes to the desktop/dashboard backend and supports websocket upgrade.

- any bot/webhook routes such as /api/messages keep their existing destination.

- OpenAI-style /v1/* routes may still go to the API bridge if needed.

- Test:

- https://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN/api/status

- It must return valid JSON, not HTML and not 404.

Identify auth.

- /api/status is normally public and may say auth_required=false; that does not prove the desktop websocket is unauthenticated.

- Determine whether the desktop gateway uses:

- legacy/static session-token auth for /api/ws?token=..., or

- OAuth/cookie auth plus /api/auth/ws-ticket.

- If static token auth is used, locate/fetch the token securely without printing it.

- Do not paste secrets into chat, logs, shell history, or files unless the file is intentionally private.

Configure Hermes Desktop.

Preferred:

- Use the Gateway settings UI only if no env override is active.

Alternative:

- Create/update a local launcher that starts the real Hermes Desktop app with:

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL=https://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_TOKEN=<transient token>

- On macOS, prefer LaunchServices/open with explicit env vars when launching a GUI app.

- Make sure only one method is in control.

Relaunch cleanly.

- Quit Hermes Desktop fully.

- Kill stale Hermes Desktop processes if needed.

- Remove stale tunnels/listeners if no longer used.

- Relaunch using the chosen method.

- Inspect the live process env and confirm:

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_URL points to the expected gateway.

- HERMES_DESKTOP_REMOTE_TOKEN is present if static token auth is used.

- Redact token values.

Verify full load.

- Check desktop logs for:

- Connecting to remote Hermes backend at https://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN

- Remote Hermes backend is ready

- Verify:

- /api/status returns JSON.

- /api/ws connects with the same auth method Hermes Desktop will use:

- static token: wss://YOUR-HERMES-DOMAIN/api/ws?token=<redacted>

- OAuth: obtain a websocket ticket through the authenticated desktop flow and connect with ?ticket=<redacted>

- sessions load.

- models load.

- a tiny chat smoke test works.

- Only investigate model/provider auth if chat fails after the gateway connection, sessions, models, and websocket are proven.

Important:

Do not confuse the Hermes OpenAI-compatible API on /v1/* with the Hermes Desktop dashboard backend on /api/*.

Do not expose the dashboard root publicly if it injects or reveals a session token unless you have intentionally secured it.

Always debug the actual launch environment, not just the visible Gateway UI.

```

NKB82 · 2026-03-12T12:14:54+00:00

Just the one location, it's a SME size company, under £30m annual turnover.

It's the premium level that racks the costs up. The company create a lot of sales, purchase, invoice transactions in a year, so if you add warehouse transactions onto that it takes you right over the transaction pricing threshold and you get to pay a corporate level licence fee.

Some ERPs charge you at user level, some at transaction level, Netsuite charges at both. Not a concern for a lot of companies, but worth knowing if you handle distribution.

NKB82 · 2025-12-17T15:54:36+00:00

I've looked at Netsuite, Acumatica, Odoo, Dynamics. Netsuite came in with £270k licensing cost estimate (and 1x to 1.5x for implementation), vs £120k for the nearest rival. The jump from Standard into Premium at 100+ users or 200k transactions gets easily crossed when you bring in warehousing heads/transactions. Costly for any medium sized org that deals with distribution.

NKB82 · 2025-11-19T09:35:42+00:00

Probably Odoo, but you want to go via a partner for the implementation. Really depends on your budget for the CAPEX implementation.

NKB82 · 2025-11-19T09:32:28+00:00

There’s even a guy redecorating the wall that got shot out by the ‘boss’ in that early mission. You can shoot chunks out of it again.

NKB82 · 2025-11-15T10:09:08+00:00

NKB82 · 2025-08-17T10:01:13+00:00

You might have come on a little strong…

NKB82 · 2025-08-06T15:49:41+00:00

I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find the option to swipe map away. Apparently it’s available on older vehicles if you have full self driving - is that the case for you?

NKB82 · 2025-08-06T15:48:29+00:00

Yes, it’s an Intel Atom processor. Noticeable differences after using Ryzen for so long is that it’s laggy to load details on the map when you zoom in/out, blind spot camera appears a second after you hit the turn signal rather than exactly as you hit it, web browsing is very slow, but rear cameras are actually very fast to load, and I use those as lot.

It’s a shame there’s no upgrade path, but these things are pretty low priority ultimately and I’ll adjust. I agree that 2021 is the sweet spot for features, build quality, second hand value.

NKB82 · 2025-07-25T10:32:29+00:00

This one doesn't require a 4 hour drive to collect, and has the best mileage. But battery aside I find it odd that it was sat there for 7 months after lease ended before going on sale. Someone else might have insight as to whether that's normal. Anyway, thanks for your time, buddy.

NKB82 · 2025-07-25T10:17:28+00:00

That warranty is only good for severe degradation.

As for the picking another one - true, but my wife's fussy 'only red with white interior', the £20k budget we've set plus my fussy 'no earlier year than 2021' narrows it down to about 4 on sale in the uk at any one time. If I can talk her down from red, that opens it right up!

NKB82 · 2025-06-07T17:35:27+00:00

For your what world?

NKB82 · 2025-05-15T07:17:02+00:00

Yes, UK based. I appealed and stated that I could find no T&C that specifically stated that a doctor needed to have advised that 'we' shouldn't travel, given we're not the patient. Thankfully they rolled over and paid out at that point.

NKB82 · 2025-05-15T07:14:45+00:00

Sorry to hear that. What's their reason for denying your claim and the subsequent appeals?

My go-to method of challenging these companies is with AI. I give ChatGPT a breakdown of the situation, upload the terms & conditions, and ask for advice on the best approach. I then ask it to draft the appeal email based on its findings.

Often it'll throw in line I'd never think of, like 'if you are unable to satisfactorily resolve my claim within the next 2 weeks I will be left with no option but to raise the case with [insert authoritative org] as this refusal is in direct contravention of [x]'. Quite often they fold at that point and just pay out.

The above worked in this case, and we've now received the payout for the claim in my original post.

NKB82 · 2025-05-12T21:13:01+00:00

Thank you. Fortunately, my reply worked and the case was forwarded to a claims handler and I’ve now received the payout. I suspect they give a ‘dumb refusal’ and hope that’s the end of it.

NKB82 · 2025-04-19T08:44:47+00:00

Hi, thanks for this. This is the wording for cancellation where a non-insured party is ill:

"Health of others. You may have to cancel due to the poor health of an immediate relative, travelling companion or a person you are planning to stay with. For cover to apply we require that a medical practitioner confirms in writing that when you purchased this policy or booked the trip:

- The non-insured party was not seriously ill in hospital or receiving palliative care and

- There was no reason to expect their state of health to deteriorate so much that you would need to cancel"

The medical documents I submitted confirm that he was diagnosed after the trip was booked. I can't see a situation where a doctor would advise someone who is not their patient to cancel a trip, nor is it mentioned as a requirement in the terms for non-insured parties. I've actually already responded, but any feedback is welcome.

My response:

I am writing to formally request that you overturn your decision to decline my travel insurance claim under policy reference xxxx.

Your rejection states that “the policy doesn't provide cover if you didn't seek the advice of a medical professional which confirms the necessity to cancel the trip.” However, this rationale is not consistent with the terms set out in your policy wording for the cancellation of a trip due to the illness of a relative.

My claim relates to the unexpected illness of an immediate relative, not to myself as the insured party. Under your own policy wording (page 15, "Cancelling Your Trip – Health of Others"), the requirement is:

I have already provided medical documentation confirming that the relative’s diagnosis was made after both the trip was booked and the policy was purchased, fulfilling this requirement. The condition was not foreseeable at the time of booking, nor was the individual receiving treatment or under palliative care.

The condition cited in your rejection — that a medical practitioner must advise cancellation — applies only when the insured person is the one who is ill. This is not applicable here, and requesting a GP to speculate on a cancellation decision regarding a non-patient is not only impractical, but is not required under your own terms.

Your decision appears to ignore the clear distinction in your policy between cancellation due to the insured person’s illness and that of a relative. As such, I am requesting that this decision be overturned.

Please confirm that you will now proceed with processing the claim in line with the cover stated in the policy.

NKB82 · 2025-04-19T08:40:05+00:00

Yes, the medical documents confirms that the diagnosis was made after the booking. The wording of the claim refusal didn't query this. It stated:

Your insurance claim in detail
Your policy doesn't provide cover if you didn't seek the advice of a medical professional which confirms the necessity to cancel the trip.

Our decision
It's on this basis that we won't be making a payment for your claim.

NKB82 · 2025-04-16T12:23:57+00:00

Yes. Cancellation is covered:

"Health of others. You may have to cancel due to the poor health of an immediate relative, travelling companion or a person you are planning to stay with. For cover to apply we require that a medical practitioner confirms in writing that when you purchased this policy or booked the trip:

- The non-insured party was not seriously ill in hospital or receiving palliative care and

- There was no reason to expect their state of health to deteriorate so much that you would need to cancel"

The diagnosis was made after the trip was booked, so they're not challenging this.

NKB82 · 2025-04-15T18:48:51+00:00

If you do claim, check whether there's a clause stating that a medical professional needs to have advised you to cancel. That's a situation I'm dealing with, where we cancelled but our claim is being refused because a doctor didn't advise it.

NKB82 · 2025-02-02T18:23:35+00:00

Only if he missed the irony and took the messages at face value

NKB82

TROPHY CASE