Video summary

Hermes on windows finally makes sense (Linux & GPT-5.5)

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Tech Summary (Hermes on Windows via WSL + GPT-5.5)

Motivation / Review Context

The speaker initially tried Open Claw (installed on Windows) but found it unstable, citing:

  • Frequent crashes
  • Failing automations
  • Broken APIs

After spending many hours debugging, they concluded the setup wasn’t delivering enough value.

Why Switch to Hermes Now

The speaker says Hermes is a better option today because:

  1. GPT-5.5 is the most stable/best agentic model they’ve used.
  2. Hermes runs on Windows via WSL2, which they claim is more stable than “native” Windows installs.
  3. Nous Research is actively developing Hermes, with faster ongoing improvements than Open Claw (which they associate with lower priority from its creator).

Product Guidance / Tutorial: Installing Hermes on Windows

Key Requirement

  • Hermes does not have a native Windows installer.
  • Hermes supports WSL2 only.

Step-by-Step Installation Overview

  1. Install WSL2 from Windows PowerShell:
    • Run: wsl --install
    • The speaker recommends PowerShell over CMD.
  2. During WSL setup, set and save the Linux password (needed for later access).
  3. Install Hermes inside WSL:
    • Enter Linux by running WSL
    • Use the curl install command from the Hermes website
    • If needed, run hermes setup to start configuration

Configuration Wizard Highlights

  • Model provider selection
    • The speaker recommends OpenAI ChatGPT 5.5
    • Used via the Codex subscription path (as described in the video)
  • Authentication
    • Choose to use existing credentials or authenticate
  • Text-to-speech provider
    • Can be skipped
  • Terminal backend
    • Keep it local for self-hosting
  • Session reset controls
    • Options like daily reset / inactivity timeout to prevent context bloat and degraded responses
  • Channel setup
    • Telegram is recommended as the easiest integration
      • Create a Telegram bot
      • Provide the bot token
      • Optional: define allowed users for group-style usage
  • Gateway/system service option
    • You can install the gateway as a system service (auto-start)
    • The speaker prefers not to, running it manually instead so they can see logs
  • Tooling / CLIs
    • Keep defaults
    • Telegram CLI tools enable slash-command activation

Using Hermes After Setup

Telegram Pairing

  • After configuring Telegram, message the bot.
  • Hermes should return a pairing code.
  • Enter that pairing code back into Hermes to complete Telegram setup.

Running Hermes in the Future (Manual Background Style)

After a reboot:

  1. Start PowerShell
  2. Enter Linux with WSL
  3. Launch gateway with:
    • hermes gateway run

To keep it running, either:

  • Keep the terminal open, or
  • Use the optional system service approach so it doesn’t stop.

Updating and Maintenance

  • Update: hermes update
  • Health check: hermes doctor
  • Version check: hermes --version

Learning Terminal Commands

The speaker encourages learning a few basic terminal commands to improve reliability and control.

Windows Integration / File Access Claim

Even though Hermes runs “in Linux,” it can access Windows files through WSL mounting/copying behavior.

Example provided:

  • If an Obsidian vault is stored in Google Drive, Hermes can read it.
  • The speaker mentions mount/copy back-and-forth as part of the workflow.

Workflow example:

  • Provide Hermes the path to an Obsidian vault folder
  • Ask for outputs such as “top 5 use cases” based on your materials

Overall Described Setup

The speaker runs a persistent system including:

  • Windows laptop always on
  • WSL2
  • Hermes gateway
  • GPT-5.5
  • A personal “root stack” / knowledge base (e.g., Obsidian + Google Drive)
  • Interaction via Telegram, usable across Mac and phone

They emphasize the practical benefit of:

  • Better agent stability
  • Clear deep work separation

Main Speakers / Sources

Speaker

  • The video’s single first-person narrator, discussing their own installs of Open Claw and Hermes.

Referenced Organizations / Sources

  • Hermes (Nous Research / Nous Research lab)
  • Open Claw (creator referenced as Peter Steinberger)
  • OpenAI (for GPT-5.5 and Codex subscription)
  • Microsoft (WSL2 documentation via wsl --install)

Original video