Updates

2.5. Updates — Upgrading to a New Version

For a direct install

Switch to the correct operating user before updating, then confirm with doctor and a test gateway start:

sudo -iu hermes
hermes update
hermes doctor
hermes gateway start

This final confirmation step matters — it ensures the new version starts cleanly and the existing gateway configuration still works, not merely that the update command finished without errors.

For Docker

Upgrade by changing the image tag, without touching anything inside the running container:

docker pull nousresearch/hermes-agent
docker stop hermes && docker rm hermes
docker run -d --name hermes -v ~/.hermes:/opt/data ... nousresearch/hermes-agent

Since all state lives on the volume, “updating” is really replacing the old container entirely with a new one running the new image — rollback is just as simple as rerunning with the old version tag.

Notes

• Always take a manual backup (1.6) before updating, whichever method you use — the data in ~/.hermes is not automatically protected just because you are “only updating the software”.
• Read the changelog/release notes before updating on a production machine, especially if you are running complex MCP or custom plugin configurations — some behavior changes (like the dashboard authentication rule mentioned in 2.3) can directly affect how you have things configured.
• With Docker, keep the old image tag around (do not delete it immediately) until you have confirmed the new version runs stably — this allows an instant rollback if you find a problem.