Contributing
Contributing
Start with meaning, then move to detail.
This lesson explains Contributing as part of Hermes internals and extension points. You will learn what it does, when it matters, and the smallest safe test that proves it works.
If you are new, do not memorize names. Focus on three questions: what problem does this solve, what access does it need, and how can you verify the result?
For practice, inspect the first example, identify its effects, run it on test data, and compare the result with the source claim.
For advanced readers, inspect Contribution Priorities, Common contribution paths, Development Setup, then verify failure modes and version compatibility.
Know Python, Git, and basic project structure before changing code.
A clear outcome before you read.
- Understand Contributing without assumed prior knowledge.
- Separate the source description from what still needs testing in your environment.
- Read the first command and identify its inputs and outputs before copying it.
How to contribute to Hermes Agent — dev setup, code style, PR process
What does the source say, and in what order?
- 01Contribution Priorities
Start here to understand the core idea or structure.
- 02Common contribution paths
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 03Development Setup
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 04Prerequisites
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 05Install with the standard installer
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 06Manual clone fallback
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 07Configure for Development
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 08Run
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 09Run Tests
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 10Code Style
Finish here to verify the result and special cases.
Copy only after you understand the effect.
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
cd "${HERMES_HOME:-$HOME/.hermes}/hermes-agent"
# Add dev/test extras on top of the standard install.
uv pip install -e ".[all,dev]"
# Optional: browser tools / docs site dependencies.
npm installgit checkout -b fix/description
scripts/run_tests.shscripts/dev-sandbox.sh python -m hermes_cli.main
scripts/dev-sandbox.sh --persistent python -m hermes_cli.main desktop # state survives restarts, but lives in the worktree :)Read the first command and identify its inputs and outputs before copying it.
Match every command to your installed Hermes version, review the files and accounts it can reach, and use non-sensitive data for the first test. If this explanation differs from the source, the official source wins.