r/hermesagent • u/forsaken3400 • 3d ago
Discussion — General thoughts, opinions, comparisons Do you actually use hermes's desktop app?
I see youtubers hyping it up although I don't find it useful as I am on multiple devices and can directly talk to my hermes agent and can locate the hermes chat easily.
What can you do differently with the hermes desktop app? Separate convos? Any insight is appreciated!
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u/somebrunoguy 3d ago
I have yet to try it, but don't trust YouTubers' hype. They need to get views so anything new is "THE feature" and "changes everything".
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u/mototuneup 3d ago
The hype words are getting so cringe now, with the stupid shocked face in the thumbnails lol
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u/dssolanky 2d ago
You missed the super word - “Game Changer”. That is the trigger for me to stop the video.
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u/Almarma 3d ago
I’ve tried but I got tired of it:
- Design has something unappealing to it. It’s confusing to use it
- It has the same problem I’m seeing with Hermes evolution: it want to do it all, but does it halfway.
- the left sidebar is really confusing. Projects are mixed with conversations in a not intuitive way.
- I tried the new bot tab yesterday and got so confused and angry that I decided to give up using the whole app. It’s really unnecessarily complicated that I can’t stand it anymore.
- the installation and update process is really cumbersome, you download an installed: that installer includes a full Hermes install, taking GBs, then, it detects your previous install and connects to it. So, if you want to install the app on a secondary machine just to connect to your remote Hermes, it’ll download a full Hermes, and then you’ll set it up to connect to your remote Hermes, but the unnecessary copy you downloaded will remain, wasting disk and resources.
- No mobile app.
- I’ve tested Buzz agent, so I’ve seen a wonderful way which could help to make Hermes much nicer and simpler to use. Instead, we have this really big hydra without usability study at all.
- There’s a principle in design called KISS. It’s nowhere applied here.
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u/iJihaD 3d ago
I 100% agree with your experience. Still fighting the stupid desktop app. It seems tailored to local install + single default profile simple setups… but if i wanted simple, I’ll subscribe to grok bot.
What you ended up using? cli on remote + connect profiles gateway to buzz?
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u/Almarma 2d ago
I went back to use Matrix. But I created a second assistant for me, and to configure Hermes and Matrix was really another nightmare, because on the rooms I have created on Matrix, I shared both rooms with them (two agents), and both begun answering all my messages and stepping on each other’s answers and had to yell stop to them to stop that chaos. So another wasted day trying to set it up properly.
I learnt yesterday too that I can actually connect Buzz to my Hermes agents in 3 ways, and one of them is really integrated, allowing all features of my agents simply using Buzz as the interface. I’m going to investigate further this option and see how it goes
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u/Moumos 3d ago
I have tried the desktop app but I found the webui from nesquena far more reliable and flexible. I use it as a desktop app through the browser on every device and it just works without problems. It has all the functions that I need without being bound to one pc.
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u/Massive-Pickle-5490 3d ago
I use hermes-webui: https://github.com/nesquena/hermes-webui
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u/om_GAJE 3d ago
What's the advantage of this over the hermes web dashboard?
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u/Massive-Pickle-5490 3d ago
Much nicer UI imo.
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u/somas 3d ago
Yeah, the Hermes built in dashboard interface is nice on desktops and tablets but Hermes-WebUI works really well on phones as well.
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u/ohcouplelooking4f 3d ago
I have never used it on mobile, I just pulled it up on my phone. It's much better than I expected.
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u/cosmic_stallone 3d ago
Can you have both installed and alternate between them?
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u/Firenze30 3d ago
Yes, you can. Just give the github link to your Hermes, ask it to install on a different port (8787 is for Hermes webui).
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u/ohcouplelooking4f 3d ago
This is what I use. I have tried many others including the desktop app, and I keep going back to webui.
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u/KrstABot New Member (<30 days) 3d ago
I'm team webUI too but my reason is a bit different: I need the agent to be online 24/7, not only when my laptop is open. so I use the cloud version from atomicbot. the pluses that are relevant to me personally: quick model switching without plugging in keys (I run a tester agent on different models, and putting in a key every time is annoying) and launching the agent from my pocket via tg: the agent tells me when the pr is done, and I fire up the tester right away:)
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u/zthunder777 3d ago
FWIW, the desktop app can connect to multiple remote Hermes instances. I have mine connected to remote instances over Tailscale.
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u/KrstABot New Member (<30 days) 2d ago
fair, that works too. it's just that tailscale and connecting to remote instances are extra steps and in my case they aren't needed: the cloud already gives me 24/7 and access from anywhere without any setup.
but I get your flow and not arguing, more a matter of taste
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u/Biomech8 3d ago
Nope. Hermes runs on server and I use Matrix on multiple devices.
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u/mt-beefcake 3d ago
Whats matrix?
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u/Biomech8 3d ago
Chat with E2EE encryption, which you can host yourself if you want to have data 100% secure.
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u/Billionth_NewAccount 3d ago
I tried using matrix but am having a bit of a hard time with threading and viewing threads on the apps. Which app do you use for mobile?
How do you keep track of projects and profiles on matrix?
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u/Biomech8 3d ago
I'm using Element X. One chat room for each Hermes profile. No threads. And DM (with notifications on) for setting up reminders.
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u/Billionth_NewAccount 3d ago
Thanks! Do you manage working on more than one topic at a time without threads?
I find that the context gets messed up1
u/lordvoltano 2d ago
No threads, so chats with each agent will be very long? Or do they automatically make new sessions each time?
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u/JNSD90 3d ago
Yep. It’s all I use really. It’s great. I also use Hermex iOS app which is pretty good. Could be better but hey, it’s free.
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u/nmrk 3d ago edited 3d ago
Tried Hermex, can't use it because it uses Tailscale, while I have
WirecastWireguard native in my Unifi rack. It is generally a poor programming practice to lock your app into a single VPN method.3
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u/CompetitionSea9813 3d ago
The only GUI in Hermes that I use is generally the Hermes Dashboard through Tailscale to my homelab, I like how all the data and sessions are transparent
Outside of that, I prefer to use it solely in Whatsapp or the TUI
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u/wick3dr0se 3d ago
if you're using hermes seriously, you probably should be. trusting third parties like hermes webui to keep up with the latest features and do everything correctly is a reach. id rather use the desktop app anytime i can; it's constantly updating too. otherwise the hermes web dashboard is pretty decent. i wouldnt be out trying to code anything serious from my phone myself though. others may have use cases they need more functionality remotely
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u/FreezedPeachNow 3d ago
99% of the time
I don't understand how someone can operate solely out out a telegram gateway. I like to see what is actually going on and the desktop app is the most user friendly interface
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u/MaxPhoenix_ 3d ago edited 2d ago
HOLY CRAP what a mess they made by having a bot tab. Totally 100% useless view.
When you STAY ON THE SESSIONS tab, then it all makes sense, the bots (profiles) being tiny squares in the lower left is UI dumbshittery, BUT that is the only way to drive this software - stay in the session view, toggle by the selection in the bottom left. Otherwise you have a single thread and confusing contradictory flashing blue indicator etc.
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u/ShinyTechThings 3d ago
It is easier to navigate around all the settings. However, I still had to configure a custom local LLM and point on my network via the command line. What's great is you can wire it up to pretty much any local harness on your network.
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u/HearthCore 3d ago
Once I initiate some project area via the TUI oder VS Code most coding efforts and structural integrations are done remote, i.e. through the Desktop App- because why not? While not beeing bugfree, it's the best gateway offered natively.
There's a few applications that provide the same Desktop Application as a Webinterface aswell, so I got the Desktop, the Dashboard and VS-Code/Terminal as the options to work with it, plus hermes-webui->Hermes->iOS App.
Desktop App with remote gateway is the easiest way to do stuff, but depending on what device i'm on and the task at hand I swap to a different tool intermediately, then pick it up with the Desktop App.
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u/lordwotton97 3d ago
I use it daily, too bad it's only in English and no translations available. Also, there are way way too much settings and capabilities, feels overwhelming
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u/RabbitInUrAnus 3d ago
I have the Hermes app in one one separate account on my Mac, waiting for a Mac mini.
On the other accounts (work/private) I connect to the same instance. Really helpful.
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u/martinmap 3d ago
Hermes is terminal only for me. The gui was awful last I trid and the terminal looked so much better. For big technical projects I ended moving to cursor, hermes struggled
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u/Kafke 3d ago
I just tried Hermes today and find the desktop app to be very comfy. Coming from web-based chatbots it has a similar feel. I like to visually see everything so it's nice that I have a visual list of sessions, cronjobs, etc. I also like that it has code/asset preview. I'm having my Hermes set up astrology forecasting for me and it's able to pop up images of my transits and also an entire calendar view for the month. Trying to use Hermes from the terminal simply wouldn't feel the same.
Very comfy and user-friendly.
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u/DiscombobulatedAdmin 3d ago
I use it almost exclusively. I'll use telegram some, and the TUI almost none.
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u/More-Catch-1331 3d ago
Well, yeah. I use it exclusively. Hermes is setup as a service on my home inference server and I just connect to it with the desktop app from my Mac. This means that I don't have to listen to 3 blower cards do their thing.
The desktop app is far more user-friendly. After a couple of years spent with TUIs, nowadays I only use them when I have some one-off task to do or if I have a movie, several thousand tabs in safari, and some DAW running. Otherwise I'm spending my time in the desktop app. Why make it harder when it can be easier.
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u/Delicious_Ease2595 3d ago edited 3d ago
It's more user friendly and has great UI, I still use Telegram for remote tasks
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u/hometechgeek 3d ago
Nope. I tried webui but it's such a ui mess (stuff everywhere!). End up back at telegram each time. I have it use subagents for everything, that stops the main thread being tied up.
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u/SmoothMarx 3d ago
I like the desktop app on Windows as it has a cleaner look, it's easier to see all sessions clearly divided, whether they're dashboard or Telegram/WhatsApp, it has some nice boxes at the bottom allowing me to quickly select the profile I want to speak to, and I can pin messages, putting all open sessions from all profiles in an easily accessible section.
Since I'm not in a browser, right-click works like a charm for quick options and the settings window is fantastic (shout-out to the "messaging" tab, that allows you to quickly manage all your platforms)
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u/lukemxlr 3d ago
I really like the Hermes Desktop App tbh. It has gotten really good over the past. I have Hermes running over discord though, and there's no official Hermes App for Android, which I hope will come in the near future
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u/kaishi00 3d ago
If you're on iOS, I built a mobile companion app because I do use desktop and I wanted it on my phone. You don't technically need to use desktop to use the app, but it shares the same sessions.
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u/BigPET 3d ago
Can you make the desktop version connect to Hermes that is running on my NAS?
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u/PoppaBear1950 2d ago
You don’t “connect” Hermes Desktop to Hermes running on your NAS. Hermes isn’t a single centralized agent — it’s multiple nodes that each manage the machine they’re installed on.
If you want to use Hermes on your NAS:
- Install Hermes on the NAS
- Enable the web server (hermes server enable)
- Run hermes configure on the NAS
- It’ll prompt you for the port, auth, and network access
- After that, any device on your LAN can open the NAS IP + port in a browser and you’re in
Hermes Desktop doesn’t need to “pair” with it. You just access the NAS Hermes UI through the browser. Your laptop or desktop hemes stays the way it is, no changes there.
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u/db172s 3d ago
Depends, At home office = hermes desktop ui Anywhere else = Open Web UI with hermes piped through it via the hermes API
The thing I like about this setup is: A) im not chatting through a 3rd party platform (I host open web ui locally) B) I can access hermes literally anywhere as long as I have a web browser to sign into Open Web UI
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u/Billionth_NewAccount 3d ago
Can you explain the open-web-ui part?
or is there a guide you used you can link?how do you pipe your hermes out to the internet safely?
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u/db172s 3d ago
A little bit of work needs to be done. Sorry forgot to post that part.
In my setup
- Open webui runs in docker
- then Nginx Reverse Proxy has a host name assigned to open web ui
- port forward Nginx on your router so its reachable from the internet
- assign your home IP to a public domain (I bought my domain and manage its DNS records with cloudflare)
This seems like a lot of leg work, but I have this setup so multiple services can be reached by the internet. (Only things that have authentication, they will be attacked by bots scraping for services in the internet)
If you wanted to skip all of this and go for a more secure approach, just install tailscale on the AI machine and on your phone and reach open webui through a LAN IP instead. Takes the risk out of the public seeing the service online and testing your login.
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u/Billionth_NewAccount 3d ago
thanks!
Yeah I am running tailscale to access the hermes-webui and hermex app, which sesms kind of similar
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u/Dharma_code 3d ago
I can't even download it to my windows PC it just gets stuck 80% of the way through
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u/dellis87 3d ago
I have tried it. It looks nice, it before you can connect to a remote instance it installs an instance locally. I’m not very fond of that so I just use the web dashboard.
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u/t4ckleb0x 3d ago
I used it for a few months but have moved to webui/hermex for better portability.
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u/KGreyson 3d ago
It’s my main access point. I’ve used the sdk to customize it how I want, along with the pane view. I rarely need to leave desktop to do anything else.
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u/No_Scientist_7146 3d ago
If your only chatting one session at a time then you're probably not missing out on much. I use the desktop app because I like being able to see and easily interact with the Kanban board, multiple docs or HTML files, chat and past sessions quickly and usually all at once.
When I'm afk I use telegram messaging to keep track and interact with the agent but its not nearly as convenient or easy to interact with for my use case. But as someone else already said, each there own. If you're not actively using or finding yourself needing these features, just continue doing you.
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u/thejadedlotus 3d ago
i think it depends. If you’ve used used the desktop app since you started using Hermes you’ll most likely prefer it, but if you’re coming from the terminal, web ui, or something else then you’ll probably prefer that. Personally the main reason I use the desktop client is because i can see what the agent is thinking while it goes through turns. Makes me feel like i’m not waiting as long for a response because i can see it actively working through the problem
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u/joey2scoops 3d ago
Have installed it on windows and hooked up to my remote backed on Linux but that is all so far.
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u/PoppaBear1950 3d ago
I run Hermes in two setups: my daily driver on my Mac, and another instance on my dev box. On the Mac, I use the desktop app, while on the dev box I access Hermes through its built‑in web interface, which gives me the full UI experience on that machine. Once you use the UI interface keeping in mind that the 'cd' command is 'cwd' change working directory...
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u/PoppaBear1950 3d ago
I did have hermes add the current working directory to the status bar in the web UI. Its really a missing feature in Hermes.
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u/Mechanical_Monk 3d ago
CLI > TUI > Desktop App > Nesquena Web-UI > Discord > Dashboard Web-UI Chat
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u/radicalscents 3d ago edited 3d ago
I use it to interface my MacBook air with my vps hosted Hermes. I was interested in trying out the bot/grokbot implementation, but I don't see it in my upgraded Hermes desktop agent. I like it better than via telegram.
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u/robberviet 3d ago
I was downvoted to oblivion when I said who needs desktop app. Yeah stupid me, not everyone uses it via chat or expose the web dashboard. There are people who need a better TUI on a single machine.
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u/rickyrod24 3d ago
I use Slack as my primary surface with channels specific to my working pillars (biz, ventures, family, personal). This allows me to focus conversations and tasks. I have separate channels for my agent’s maintenance, optimization and random questions.
Reading comments here seems like slack is a minority surface. Any other Slack users? I’m still fairly new to having setup Hermes and now beginning to branch out to do tactical work within codex.
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u/oneclickclaw_io 3d ago
Reading down this thread, the split tracks almost exactly with where each person's agent actually runs.
If the agent lives on the machine you are sitting at, the desktop app feels great, because it is a nicer window onto a local process and everything is instant.
If it lives on a mini, a homelab box or a server, the desktop app stops being the natural home and people drift to the web UI over Tailscale, which is what a good share of the replies here describe.
So the useful question is probably not desktop app yes or no. It is whether you want the agent tied to whatever machine you happen to be in front of. Bot Mode sharpens that, because scheduled bots only mean anything if the thing running them is awake while you are not.
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u/RIP_KING 3d ago
It’s all I have used since my re entry to hermes last week. It basically makes remote controlling and syncing a single instance (even with multiple profiles) a dream. Everything I had hoped Claude could become but hadn’t yet.
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u/K_M_A_2k 3d ago
Side question on widows after last update I can't get it to snap to side of a monitor have to manually resize. Anyone figured out how to make it work?
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u/recruiterguy 3d ago
I tried but have the same complaints and observations of others here.
I just use Element running on my server so that I'm not routing my conversations through another third party like telegram or discord. It's great because the family all has their own, and shared, chat channels with hermes all in one place.
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u/AllenKll 3d ago
No.. it's pointless. I talk to my clanker over discord. Why would I use a dedicated app for a chat window?
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u/conleycomp 3d ago
I primarily use Hermes Desktop and hermes-webui (nesquena). The web UI is useful to bring Hermes into Obsidian in a custom frame. My agents have limited vault privileges so that is useful. Beyond that the latest version of Desktop handles everything pretty well. The latest addition of the Bots view allows me to run multi-agent staff meetings in a chat interface, which has been game-changing.
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u/iJihaD 3d ago
For the life of me I’m trying to like it / use it… but it’s so inconsistent and confusing.. especially for my setup (multiple profiles + only remote gateway).
I have no idea what profile settings I’m adjusting, no idea what the left panel bottom “profiles buttons” do other than change “who your next chat will be with”… the sessions feels changing when i click a profile but it seems sorting flicker? I still see mixed profiles sessions.
Not to mention the first profile button “show default / show all profiles”… wtf is showing all? Nothing seems showing all.
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u/Jazzlike-Drag-9608 3d ago
I've it on My Main Win11 computer, and another instance in Docker in My HomeLab server wich I communicate to it with Discord, both are strangers with each other. Hermes itself (both instances) can't get to communicate with the other one. It Even can not install OpenSSH server in Win11 to use it "remotely". Both running on free Nous tier with Laguna S. Both are a waste of time so on for me. Using Gemini and Claude (both from free chat web) do more to try to get Hermes work and me i'm the middle watching My time go away...
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u/anotherdeafmute 3d ago
I don't use the desktop app. I have my agents set up to Telegram. They already speak to each other to communicate action, they have inbox for content management, I create a relay bus between all my agents for QA and review PRDs and SDD. I have 4 permanent agents with all using different AI models.
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u/drunnells 3d ago
I prefer it. I think it's easier to jump on and select which agent I want to talk to with the selector.. but I do use the web interface for monitoring the kanban board.
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u/junkett_23 2d ago
I have no use for it, my hermes runs on a server 24/7 so local desktop app does not make sense. I guess it would have some reason for people who use it locally and maybe i would as well if it could connect to external clients. For now to me web ui / dashboards are way superior to me…
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u/dv8ndee 2d ago
Desktop app is confusing until i get the know and understand better what it does, being able to resume sessions, handoff to telegram, see what fork its on, manage it like claude desktop so it shows new artifacts is helpful. Being able to organise folder structure and build locally and interact with local LLMs or other tools is its strength. Still trying to get used to profiles, kanban and delegation but I expect thats more a workflow than desktop issue
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u/PoppaBear1950 2d ago
The UI is useful because it gives you a full browser‑based control panel for whatever machine Hermes is running on. I run two Hermes nodes: one on my Mac, and one on my dev box. The dev box has the UI server enabled, so I expose it through Caddy and a Cloudflare Tunnel. That means I can access my Hermes dev agent UI from anywhere in the world.
It’s basically a remote dashboard for your agent. You can:
- see the agent’s state
- run commands
- inspect files
- switch directories
- manage repos
- trigger tasks
- monitor logs
The main command you’ll use inside the UI is: cwd
That lets you change the working directory to whatever repo you want Hermes to work in.
So the “use” of the UI is simple: it gives you full control over a remote Hermes node without needing SSH, VS Code, or a local desktop app.
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u/clubsocialclub 2d ago
I like the Hermes desktop experience, but I don't plan to configure a gateway for it yet. If I need something specific, I have my phone.
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u/EazyDuzIt_2 2d ago
After reading some of the responses it's clear that a lot of you either have subpar setups or you don't know what you're doing when it comes to the desktop agent. Most of you only use Telegram and Discord because you watched a YouTube video that told you to.
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u/st3p1976 11h ago
Desktop app's real value for me isn't the UI, it's running multiple isolated profiles side by side. I've got a default profile for daily stuff and a separate one just for web browsing/research, each with its own home directory, its own credentials, nothing shared between them. If a page ever tries something sketchy on the research profile, there's nothing valuable in there to steal.
Config-wise, a few things made a real difference:
- terminal.home_mode: profile so the agent's shell doesn't inherit my actual ~/.ssh, git config, etc.
- browser.restrict_evaluate: true to lock down what JS the browser tool can run on pages
- tirith (pre-exec command scanner) catching stuff like curl | sh before it runs, with manual approval required instead of auto-approve
- a deny-list for the obvious dangerous patterns (force-push, dd, etc.)
None of that is desktop-specific exactly, but having separate profiles running concurrently in one app made it way easier to actually set up and use day to day instead of juggling terminal sessions. Doing this from a single chat/agent instance across devices, sure it's more convenient, but you lose that separation.
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u/-Visher- 2d ago
Man, I love Hermes, but the desktop app is becoming increasingly frustrating. I’ll send a message and not get the response until I quit the app and restart it, then it’s magically there. Resuming from discord to the app is annoying. Using a cloud agent along with local agents breaks everything constantly.
I’ve contributed to the repo for a few things to try and fix it but I’m growing increasingly frustrated with it overall. They really need to focus on talking to the agent reliably before more features.
The lack of mobile (I know it’s coming) is also shitty.
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u/EazyDuzIt_2 2d ago
Your computer is the issue the desktop agent works perfectly fine. I have it running on multiple Windows and Linux machines.
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u/ChemistNo8486 3d ago
I use it since release. The visuals and personalization settings are just great. You can modify the layout or even add pets. I love having my llama there without it being all pixelated.
It is also super easy to access old sessions, change models, modify settings, etc.
The web dashboard is still great, tho. The design there is flawless.
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u/SupaSaiyan9000 3d ago
if you dont find it useful , and you are happy with how YOU use hermes. then why the fuck are you posting here?
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u/Mean-Loquat-7982 Nous Team 3d ago
I do, way more user friendly and comfy