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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/techjarves/Hermes-USB-Portable/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Hermes USB Portable ships with the Hermes Agent source cloned from NousResearch/hermes-agent into the src/hermes-agent/ directory. Because the source lives inside your portable folder, you can update it at any time without reinstalling from scratch — your API keys, sessions, memories, and skills in data/ are never touched by an update.

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Update Methods

1

In-chat command

The fastest way to update is from inside an active Hermes conversation. Type the following at the chat prompt:
/hermes update
Hermes will fetch the latest source changes, reinstall Python dependencies, and confirm when the update is complete. Restart the chat after updating to load the new version.
2

Via the Launcher Advanced menu

From the main launcher menu, navigate to [4] Advanced Options → [5] Update Hermes. The launcher runs hermes update in the foreground so you can see progress output, then waits for you to press Enter before returning to the Advanced menu.
3

Via the CLI

You can run the update command directly from your terminal without entering the interactive menu:
launch.bat hermes update
4

Manual rebuild

Use this approach when a major Hermes version requires fresh runtime components, or when the standard update command fails.
This procedure removes the Hermes source and your platform’s runtime cache. It does not touch data/ — your API keys, sessions, memories, and skills are preserved.
  1. Delete the current platform runtime cache (replace <your-platform> with your actual folder, e.g. windows-x64, macos-arm64, linux-x64):
:: Delete the runtime cache for your platform
rmdir /s /q .cache\runtimes\windows-x64

:: Delete the Hermes source tree
rmdir /s /q src\hermes-agent
  1. Re-run the launcher. The first-run setup will download the latest portable runtimes and re-clone NousResearch/hermes-agent from scratch:
launch.bat

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What Gets Updated

ComponentUpdated?Notes
src/hermes-agent/✅ YesHermes Agent source code pulled from NousResearch
Python dependencies✅ YesPackages in the virtual environment are upgraded to match the new source requirements
.cache/runtimes/❌ NoPortable Python and Node.js binaries are pinned versions downloaded during first-run setup
data/❌ NoAll personal data (API keys, sessions, memories, skills) is always preserved
The portable Python and Node.js runtimes in .cache/runtimes/ are not updated by hermes update. They are pinned to the versions downloaded during your initial setup. To upgrade the runtimes themselves, use the manual rebuild approach described above.

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Tips

Check your version first

Before updating, you can see the currently installed version in the launcher status bar, or run:
hermes --version

When to use manual rebuild

Use the manual rebuild method when:
  • A major Hermes release notes breaking runtime changes
  • The hermes update command errors out mid-way
  • You want a guaranteed clean slate while keeping your data
After any update, navigate to [4] Advanced Options → [1] Run Doctor to verify the updated installation is healthy before starting a new session.

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