Hermes VPS: Essential Command Guide
This guide covers the essential commands to manage your Hermes VPS after you have logged in via SSH. Use these commands to configure your AI agent, check system status, and perform routine maintenance.
Prerequisites
Before running these commands, you must be connected to your VPS via SSH (Terminal or Putty). You will need your server's IP address and root password, which were provided in your welcome email.
Please refer to this guideline if you are unsure how to access your VPS via SSH.
⚙️ Core Hermes Configuration Commands
These guided commands are used to set up and connect your AI agent for the first time. Simply type the command and follow the on-screen prompts.
Command | Description |
|---|---|
hermes setup | Starts the interactive setup wizard to configure your LLM provider, API keys, tools, and runtime preferences. |
hermes model | Interactively choose or change the default AI provider and model. |
hermes fallback | Configure fallback providers the agent will try if the primary model errors out. |
hermes tools | Interactively enable, disable, or configure built-in tools like terminal access, file ops, web search, and memory. |
hermes gateway setup | Interactive setup for connecting your agent to messaging platforms (Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, etc.). |
hermes --help | Display all available top-level commands and global options for the Hermes CLI. |
🖥️ Hermes CLI & Management Commands
Use these commands to interact with your agent, check its health, and perform maintenance.
Category | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
Status & Info | hermes or hermes chat | Launches the default interactive chat session in your terminal. |
hermes status | Displays the current status of your agent, authentication, and connected platforms. | |
hermes doctor | Diagnoses your Hermes environment, checking for configuration issues and missing dependencies. | |
Configuration | hermes config show | Display the effective configuration currently being used by the agent. |
hermes config edit | Open | |
hermes config set key value | Set configuration values from the command line. Secrets routed to | |
hermes config check | Detect missing or stale settings. | |
Maintenance | hermes update | Pull the latest code and reinstall dependencies to update your Hermes installation. |
hermes update --backup | Update with a pre-update snapshot of your Hermes home directory. | |
hermes backup | Create a backup of your Hermes home directory to a zip file. | |
hermes import | Restore a Hermes backup from a zip file. | |
Logs & Debugging | hermes logs | View, tail, and filter agent, gateway, and error log files. |
hermes dump | Generate a copy-pasteable setup summary — helpful for support or debugging. |
📁 Important File Paths
Knowing where your configuration files are stored is useful for advanced management or manual edits.
Description | File Path |
|---|---|
API Keys | ~/.hermes/.env |
Main Configuration | ~/.hermes/config.yaml |
Agent Home Directory | ~/.hermes/ (contains skills, memory, sessions, gateway state, and logs) |
🔗 Related Articles
- Hermes VPS Quick Start Guide
- How to Set Up Your Hermes Agent
- How to Access the Hermes Dashboard Locally
Need Further Assistance?
If you face any issues or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out — our support team is always ready to help!
🔧 Need help? Submit a Support Ticket
💬 Chat with us on Live Chat via our website
Updated on: 10/07/2026
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