# Getting started > Install Hermes, pick a model, and get a first useful result without reading everything first. Canonical: https://hermeswatcher.com/topics/getting-started Most people stall on the first hour: which installer, which provider, what to ask first. Start with the quickstart, then pick one small task with a result you can check. Everything else on this site builds on that first working setup. ## Guides, tools and workflows - [Models and providers: configure the actual inference route](https://hermeswatcher.com/tools/models.md): Understand which model handles conversation and which auxiliary models handle supporting tasks before diagnosing quality or cost. - [CLI: run bounded tasks and inspect the working environment](https://hermeswatcher.com/tools/cli.md): Use the terminal interface for interactive work, bounded single queries, explicit tool selection, and resumable sessions. - [Desktop: manage conversations and inspect artifacts visually](https://hermeswatcher.com/tools/desktop.md): Use the native desktop interface to work with the same Hermes core, sessions, configuration, skills, and memory. - [How to install Hermes Agent on Windows (native or WSL2)](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/install-hermes-agent-windows.md): Hermes Agent runs natively on Windows 10 and 11. Pick the desktop app or the PowerShell installer, or use WSL2 if you need a Linux setup. - [How to install Hermes Agent on Mac](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/install-hermes-agent-mac.md): Hermes Agent officially supports Apple Silicon Macs. Install the desktop app or run the one-line terminal installer, then pick a model to start. - [How to install Hermes Agent on Linux](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/install-hermes-agent-linux.md): Hermes Agent officially supports 64-bit Linux on x86_64 and ARM. Run the one-line installer as your normal user, then set up a model to start. - [How to run Hermes Agent in Docker](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/install-hermes-agent-docker.md): Hermes Agent has an official Docker image for amd64 and arm64. Run the setup wizard, then start the gateway with your data on a mounted volume. - [Where Hermes Agent runs: host vs work environment](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/where-hermes-runs.md): Decide where the agent, its tools and its lasting files live before moving a workflow to a server. - [How to write your first Hermes Agent skill](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/writing-your-first-skill.md): A step-by-step walkthrough of creating a SKILL.md, where to put it, how Hermes discovers and loads it, and how to keep agent-written skills under review. - [How to update Hermes Agent safely](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/updating-hermes-safely.md): What hermes update actually does, how to preview and back up before updating, how release channels work, and how to recover if an update goes wrong. - [Hermes Agent install or update failed](https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/install-or-update-failed.md): Symptom-led fixes for a Hermes install script that errors out, a missing hermes command, Python or permission problems, and updates that leave things half-done. - [Moving to Hermes Agent from OpenClaw and other agents](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/moving-from-openclaw-and-other-agents.md): Use the built-in, preview-first importers to bring your persona, memory, skills, model settings and bot tokens across, then finish the handful of things that never migrate automatically. - [Hermes Agent setup: your first 24 hours](https://hermeswatcher.com/learn/first-24-hours-default-setup.md): An opinionated, documentation-grounded checklist for a new Hermes install: one working model, deliberate tools and approvals, memory you can trust, one skill, one scheduled job and a paired phone. ## Questions - [What is Hermes Agent?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#what-is-hermes-agent) - [Is Hermes Agent free, and how do I get the free models?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#is-hermes-agent-free) - [Which operating systems does Hermes Agent run on? What about old Macs, Docker or unRAID?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#which-operating-systems) - [How do I install Hermes Agent?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#how-to-install) - [How do I update Hermes Agent and the Desktop app?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#how-to-update) - [How do I uninstall Hermes Agent?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#how-to-uninstall) - [Can I move over from OpenClaw?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#migrate-from-openclaw) - [How do I switch from Claude Code or Codex to Hermes?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#import-from-claude-code-or-codex) - [Can I run Hermes on my Android phone?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#android-termux) - [Should I use native Windows or WSL2?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#windows-native-or-wsl) - [What's the best way to start learning Hermes?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#best-beginner-guide) - [Desktop app, CLI, TUI, web dashboard or chat apps: which interface should I use?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#which-interface) - [Can I customize the Desktop app's theme, fonts, layout and language?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#customize-desktop-app) - [What should I use Hermes for first?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#what-to-use-hermes-for-first) - [How do I change models in the CLI or the Desktop app?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#switch-models) - [Can Hermes set itself up and configure things for me?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#can-hermes-set-itself-up) - [How do I install a ready-made agent or profile someone else built?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#profile-distributions-and-packs) - [Is Hermes good for coding, and can it replace Claude Code or Codex?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#hermes-for-coding) - [What can Hermes do that Claude Code, ChatGPT or other assistants can't?](https://hermeswatcher.com/faq#hermes-vs-chat-assistants) All answers: https://hermeswatcher.com/faq.md --- HermesWatcher is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nous Research. The [official Hermes Agent documentation](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs) and [repository](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent) from Nous Research are the authority; each page here lists the official sources it was written from. If this site and the official docs disagree, trust the official docs. Index for agents: https://hermeswatcher.com/llms.txt