What is Hermes Desktop? A plain explanation for business owners

Hermes Desktop is the app you use on your computer to talk to an AI agent called Hermes Agent. Nous Research makes both and publishes them as open-source software under the MIT license[1][2]. It runs on macOS with Apple Silicon, on Windows and on Linux[1]. MeshVault installs it, pins its version and pairs it to your server. MeshVault does not make it.

By Tanner Osterkamp. . 4 min read. All posts

What an AI agent is

A chatbot answers a question. An agent also takes steps: it reads files, uses tools, drafts documents and works through a list of tasks. Hermes Agent is an agent of that kind. It keeps memory between sessions and uses skills, which are saved instructions for a kind of job[2]. That is where most of the value comes from, and also where you want limits. Our post on AI agent approvals covers the limits.

What the desktop app does

Hermes has several front ends that all talk to the same agent. The desktop app is the one built for people who do not live in a terminal. According to the Hermes documentation it gives you[1]:

  • A chat window that shows what the agent is doing as it works.
  • A file browser, so you can follow along as the agent reads and writes files.
  • A preview pane for web pages, files and results next to the chat.
  • Voice, so you can talk to the agent and hear replies.
  • Settings pages for providers, models, tools and connected services, so you do not edit configuration files by hand.
  • The same conversation history as the other Hermes front ends. A session started in the app can be resumed elsewhere.

Hermes works with hosted model providers and with models you run yourself[2][3]. The model is the program that writes the answers. Which one you choose decides where your questions and files are read.

Where your data goes

When a model runs on your own hardware, your questions and files are read there. The Hermes documentation describes running models entirely on your own machine, with no account and no API key[3]. When you choose a hosted provider, the prompts you send are processed by that provider.

In a MeshVault setup, local AI runs on your server. A job may go outside for four stated reasons only: the local model cannot do the job well enough, is too busy, is down, or a named person says so. You choose which reasons are allowed and can allow none. Connectors such as email reach outside apps by their nature. The guide on what local AI means lists what can still leave.

How the app and your server fit together

Hermes can run on one machine and be used from another. The documentation describes connecting the desktop app to a Hermes instance on a remote machine[1]. That is the shape of a MeshVault setup: your server holds the shared files and records, and Hermes Desktop on your computer is how you give it work. The MeshVault iPhone app handles quick questions and approvals. Day 5 of the one-week install pairs your devices to the server.

Why we pin the version

Hermes is updated often. A new version can change how things behave. Pinning means locking a version in place so it does not change without a decision. We install the software on day 2 of the one-week install, pin the version and tell you what is installed in the handover record. When it makes sense to update, that is a decision made on purpose, not something that happens to you on a Tuesday.

What MeshVault adds

The software is open source, and you can install it yourself. Nous Research publishes the documentation and the code[2]. What MeshVault adds is the work around it:

  1. A server in your office that you own, with your files and records on it.

  2. Backups with a restore test that you watch.

  3. Hermes Desktop installed, pinned and paired to the server.

  4. A named person who approves sends, payments, posts and access changes.

  5. A handover record with what was installed, who owns each account and where the backup lives.

MeshVault is not affiliated with Nous Research, and Hermes Desktop is not Anthropic software.

Is it a fit for you?

Hermes Desktop makes sense when your work involves documents, files, email and repeated tasks that an assistant could prepare for you to review. It does not remove the need to check the output, because AI output can be wrong. Start with one small job and a named person who checks it. The first AI job guide helps you choose.

Questions

What is Hermes Desktop?

A native app for macOS, Windows and Linux for working with Hermes Agent, an AI agent from Nous Research. It shows chat, tool activity, files and previews in one window[1].

Does MeshVault make Hermes Desktop?

No. Nous Research makes it and publishes it as open-source software under the MIT license[2]. MeshVault installs it, pins its version and pairs it to your server.

Is Hermes Desktop free?

The software is MIT-licensed open source[2]. Hosted model providers can charge for use. Running a model on your own hardware adds no per-use fee, but it needs the hardware.

Which AI models does Hermes work with?

The Hermes documentation lists Nous Portal, OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, and it supports local models[3]. Choose by where you want your data read and how well the model does your jobs.

Why does MeshVault pin the version?

So the software does not change without a decision. Pinning locks a version in place, and updates happen on purpose.

Sources

  1. Nous Research, Hermes Desktop, Hermes Agent documentation. hermes-agent.nousresearch.com
  2. Nous Research, hermes-agent, source repository and MIT license. github.com
  3. Nous Research, Hermes Agent documentation index and Local Models. hermes-agent.nousresearch.com

What to do next

MeshVault sets up a server you own, pairs Hermes Desktop and an iPhone app to it, and keeps a backup that we have tested. The one-week install is quoted per job, because the price depends on your hardware.

Plan my install Next post: What to gather before setting up a business server

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