The fastest path
Pick the row that matches your goal: Goal Do this first Then do this I just want Hermes working on my machine hermes setup Run a real chat and verify it responds I already know my provider hermes model Save the config, then start chatting I want a bot or always-on setup hermes gateway setup after CLI works Connect Telegram, Discord, Slack, or another platform I want a local or self-hosted model hermes model → custom endpoint Verify the endpoint, model name, and context length I want multi-provider fallback hermes model first Add routing and fallback only after the base chat works Rule of thumb: if Hermes cannot complete a normal chat, do not add more features yet. Get one clean conversation working first, then layer on gateway, cron, skills, voice, or routing.
From the official Hermes Agent documentation.