mirror of
https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.git
synced 2026-05-05 10:17:17 +08:00
9eaddfafa3
CLI/TUI sessions on the local backend now unconditionally use os.getcwd() as the working directory. The terminal.cwd config value is only consumed by gateway/cron/delegation modes (where there's no shell to cd from). Previously, 'hermes setup' would write an absolute path (e.g. $HOME) into terminal.cwd which then pinned the CLI to that directory regardless of where the user launched hermes from. This was a silent foot-gun — the user's 'cd' was being ignored. Changes: 1. cli.py: Restructured CWD resolution — if TERMINAL_CWD is not already set by the gateway, and the backend is local, always use os.getcwd(). Config terminal.cwd is irrelevant for interactive CLI/TUI sessions. 2. setup.py: Moved the cwd prompt from setup_terminal_backend() to setup_gateway(). It now only appears when configuring messaging platforms and is labeled 'Gateway working directory'. 3. Tests: Rewrote test_cwd_env_respect.py to validate the new behavior: explicit config paths are ignored for CLI, gateway pre-set values are preserved, non-local backends keep their config paths. 4. Docs: Updated configuration.md, profiles.md, and environment-variables.md to clarify that terminal.cwd only affects gateway/cron mode on local backend. Closes #19214
242 lines
8.5 KiB
Markdown
242 lines
8.5 KiB
Markdown
---
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sidebar_position: 2
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---
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# Profiles: Running Multiple Agents
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Run multiple independent Hermes agents on the same machine — each with its own config, API keys, memory, sessions, skills, and gateway state.
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## What are profiles?
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A profile is a separate Hermes home directory. Each profile gets its own directory containing its own `config.yaml`, `.env`, `SOUL.md`, memories, sessions, skills, cron jobs, and state database. Profiles let you run separate agents for different purposes — a coding assistant, a personal bot, a research agent — without mixing up Hermes state.
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When you create a profile, it automatically becomes its own command. Create a profile called `coder` and you immediately have `coder chat`, `coder setup`, `coder gateway start`, etc.
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## Quick start
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```bash
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hermes profile create coder # creates profile + "coder" command alias
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coder setup # configure API keys and model
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coder chat # start chatting
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```
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That's it. `coder` is now its own Hermes profile with its own config, memory, and state.
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## Creating a profile
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### Blank profile
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```bash
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hermes profile create mybot
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```
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Creates a fresh profile with bundled skills seeded. Run `mybot setup` to configure API keys, model, and gateway tokens.
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### Clone config only (`--clone`)
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```bash
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hermes profile create work --clone
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```
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Copies your current profile's `config.yaml`, `.env`, and `SOUL.md` into the new profile. Same API keys and model, but fresh sessions and memory. Edit `~/.hermes/profiles/work/.env` for different API keys, or `~/.hermes/profiles/work/SOUL.md` for a different personality.
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### Clone everything (`--clone-all`)
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```bash
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hermes profile create backup --clone-all
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```
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Copies **everything** — config, API keys, personality, all memories, full session history, skills, cron jobs, plugins. A complete snapshot. Useful for backups or forking an agent that already has context.
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### Clone from a specific profile
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```bash
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hermes profile create work --clone --clone-from coder
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```
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:::tip Honcho memory + profiles
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When Honcho is enabled, `--clone` automatically creates a dedicated AI peer for the new profile while sharing the same user workspace. Each profile builds its own observations and identity. See [Honcho -- Multi-agent / Profiles](./features/memory-providers.md#honcho) for details.
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:::
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## Using profiles
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### Command aliases
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Every profile automatically gets a command alias at `~/.local/bin/<name>`:
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```bash
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coder chat # chat with the coder agent
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coder setup # configure coder's settings
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coder gateway start # start coder's gateway
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coder doctor # check coder's health
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coder skills list # list coder's skills
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coder config set model.default anthropic/claude-sonnet-4
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```
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The alias works with every hermes subcommand — it's just `hermes -p <name>` under the hood.
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### The `-p` flag
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You can also target a profile explicitly with any command:
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```bash
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hermes -p coder chat
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hermes --profile=coder doctor
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hermes chat -p coder -q "hello" # works in any position
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```
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### Sticky default (`hermes profile use`)
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```bash
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hermes profile use coder
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hermes chat # now targets coder
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hermes tools # configures coder's tools
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hermes profile use default # switch back
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```
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Sets a default so plain `hermes` commands target that profile. Like `kubectl config use-context`.
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### Knowing where you are
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The CLI always shows which profile is active:
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- **Prompt**: `coder ❯` instead of `❯`
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- **Banner**: Shows `Profile: coder` on startup
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- **`hermes profile`**: Shows current profile name, path, model, gateway status
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## Profiles vs workspaces vs sandboxing
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Profiles are often confused with workspaces or sandboxes, but they are different things:
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- A **profile** gives Hermes its own state directory: `config.yaml`, `.env`, `SOUL.md`, sessions, memory, logs, cron jobs, and gateway state.
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- A **workspace** or **working directory** is where terminal commands start. For CLI/TUI on local backend, this is always your launch directory. For gateway mode, it's controlled by `terminal.cwd` in config.
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- A **sandbox** is what limits filesystem access. Profiles do **not** sandbox the agent.
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On the default `local` terminal backend, the agent still has the same filesystem access as your user account. A profile does not stop it from accessing folders outside the profile directory.
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If you want a profile's **gateway** to start in a specific project folder, set an explicit absolute `terminal.cwd` in that profile's `config.yaml`:
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```yaml
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terminal:
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backend: local
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cwd: /absolute/path/to/project
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```
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:::note
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This only affects gateway/cron mode. If you run `hermes -p myprofile` from CLI, the agent uses your shell's current directory regardless of `terminal.cwd`. The `terminal.cwd` config is for headless modes (gateway, cron) where there's no shell to `cd` from.
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:::
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Also note:
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- `SOUL.md` can guide the model, but it does not enforce a workspace boundary.
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- Changes to `SOUL.md` take effect cleanly on a new session. Existing sessions may still be using the old prompt state.
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## Running gateways
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Each profile runs its own gateway as a separate process with its own bot token:
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```bash
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coder gateway start # starts coder's gateway
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assistant gateway start # starts assistant's gateway (separate process)
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```
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### Different bot tokens
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Each profile has its own `.env` file. Configure a different Telegram/Discord/Slack bot token in each:
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```bash
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# Edit coder's tokens
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nano ~/.hermes/profiles/coder/.env
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# Edit assistant's tokens
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nano ~/.hermes/profiles/assistant/.env
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```
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### Safety: token locks
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If two profiles accidentally use the same bot token, the second gateway will be blocked with a clear error naming the conflicting profile. Supported for Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, and Signal.
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### Persistent services
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```bash
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coder gateway install # creates hermes-gateway-coder systemd/launchd service
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assistant gateway install # creates hermes-gateway-assistant service
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```
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Each profile gets its own service name. They run independently.
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## Configuring profiles
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Each profile has its own:
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- **`config.yaml`** — model, provider, toolsets, all settings
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- **`.env`** — API keys, bot tokens
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- **`SOUL.md`** — personality and instructions
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```bash
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coder config set model.default anthropic/claude-sonnet-4
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echo "You are a focused coding assistant." > ~/.hermes/profiles/coder/SOUL.md
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```
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If you want this profile to work in a specific project by default, also set its own `terminal.cwd`:
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```bash
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coder config set terminal.cwd /absolute/path/to/project
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```
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## Updating
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`hermes update` pulls code once (shared) and syncs new bundled skills to **all** profiles automatically:
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```bash
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hermes update
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# → Code updated (12 commits)
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# → Skills synced: default (up to date), coder (+2 new), assistant (+2 new)
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```
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User-modified skills are never overwritten.
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## Managing profiles
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```bash
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hermes profile list # show all profiles with status
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hermes profile show coder # detailed info for one profile
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hermes profile rename coder dev-bot # rename (updates alias + service)
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hermes profile export coder # export to coder.tar.gz
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hermes profile import coder.tar.gz # import from archive
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```
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## Deleting a profile
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```bash
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hermes profile delete coder
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```
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This stops the gateway, removes the systemd/launchd service, removes the command alias, and deletes all profile data. You'll be asked to type the profile name to confirm.
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Use `--yes` to skip confirmation: `hermes profile delete coder --yes`
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:::note
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You cannot delete the default profile (`~/.hermes`). To remove everything, use `hermes uninstall`.
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:::
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## Tab completion
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```bash
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# Bash
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eval "$(hermes completion bash)"
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# Zsh
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eval "$(hermes completion zsh)"
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```
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Add the line to your `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc` for persistent completion. Completes profile names after `-p`, profile subcommands, and top-level commands.
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## How it works
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Profiles use the `HERMES_HOME` environment variable. When you run `coder chat`, the wrapper script sets `HERMES_HOME=~/.hermes/profiles/coder` before launching hermes. Since 119+ files in the codebase resolve paths via `get_hermes_home()`, Hermes state automatically scopes to the profile's directory — config, sessions, memory, skills, state database, gateway PID, logs, and cron jobs.
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This is separate from terminal working directory. Tool execution starts from `terminal.cwd` (or the launch directory when `cwd: "."` on the local backend), not automatically from `HERMES_HOME`.
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The default profile is simply `~/.hermes` itself. No migration needed — existing installs work identically.
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