Hermes Agent Background: Run Hermes 24/7 as a Service

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Running Hermes Agent in the background is what turns it from a chat window into an employee: your scheduled jobs run, your messages get answered, and work continues while you do something else. The key is the Hermes gateway, which you can install as a background service. In the video below I show Hermes working 24/7. Here’s how to set it up on Mac, Linux and a VPS.

Key takeaways

The Hermes gateway runs messaging, cron jobs and maintenance in the background.
hermes gateway install sets it up as a service.
Hermes can also run background processes with its process tool.
On a Mac, use caffeinate or a VPS so it doesn’t sleep.

How Hermes Agent runs in the background

The gateway is the part of Hermes that stays running: it connects to your messaging platforms, runs scheduled cron jobs and handles background maintenance. If you only run it in a terminal session, it stops when you close that session or disconnect from SSH. Installed as a service, it starts automatically and keeps going.

Hermes gateway commands

Command	What it does
`hermes gateway run`	Run in the foreground (testing)
`hermes gateway install`	Install as a background service (systemd on Linux, launchd on macOS)
`hermes gateway start` / `stop` / `restart`	Control the background service
`hermes gateway status`	Check it’s running
`journalctl --user -u hermes-gateway -f`	Follow logs on Linux

Each profile can have its own gateway service, so you can run separate bots in the background at the same time.

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Run Hermes Agent in the background on a Mac

Run hermes gateway install and choose to start on login.
Check it with hermes gateway status.
Stop your Mac sleeping while it works — the docs suggest macOS’s built-in caffeinate.
If the service won’t register, some users report reloading the launchd plist fixes it.

A Mac that sleeps is the biggest reason scheduled jobs don’t run, which is why many people move Hermes to a VPS.

Run Hermes Agent in the background on Linux or a VPS

On Linux, hermes gateway install creates a user systemd service; for a system-wide service that starts at boot, some guides use sudo hermes gateway install --system. Follow the logs with:

journalctl --user -u hermes-gateway -f

My best Hermes Agent VPS guide covers choosing a server.

Background processes inside a task

Separately from the gateway, Hermes can start long-running commands in the background during a task — a build, a script, a server — and manage them with its process tool, so it doesn’t sit waiting. Combine that with sub-agents (delegate_task) and big jobs finish much faster.

What to run in the background

A 6am news brief sent to Telegram.
Morning inbox triage with draft replies.
A weekly report every Friday.
Competitor monitoring every few hours.
Long research jobs split across sub-agents.

Background vs backend

They’re different: the gateway is the background service for messaging and cron, while hermes serve is the API backend that the desktop app and dashboard talk to. They’re separate processes sharing the same Hermes home folder. More in my Hermes Agent backend guide.

Keeping background jobs reliable

Three habits keep background Hermes reliable. First, check hermes gateway status after every update, because updates can restart services. Second, send every scheduled job’s result to a messaging platform you actually read, so you notice quickly if one stops arriving. Third, keep an eye on the logs when you add a new job — journalctl on Linux, or the Hermes logs folder — so you catch errors in the first run rather than the tenth.

If you run several profiles as separate bots, give each one its own gateway service so one bot’s problem doesn’t stop the others.

Background Hermes on a laptop vs a VPS

A laptop works for background jobs as long as it’s awake and online, which is why caffeinate helps on a Mac. But laptops sleep, travel and restart for updates, and every interruption means a missed job. A small VPS doesn’t have that problem: it’s always on, always connected and cheap. If your morning brief or inbox triage matters to you, moving the gateway to a VPS is the single best reliability upgrade you can make.

Background Hermes and costs

Background jobs use model tokens every time they run, so pick the model per job. Use fast free models for frequent jobs like monitoring, and save frontier models for weekly reports or work that needs top quality. That way an always-on agent costs very little.

Frequently asked: background Hermes

Will background Hermes use lots of memory? Not much, since models run on your provider’s servers. Can it run while I’m logged out? A system-wide service can; a user service runs while you’re logged in. How do I stop it? Run hermes gateway stop, and disable the service if you don’t want it to start on login. Can I run several bots in the background? Yes — each profile can have its own gateway service.

The bottom line on Hermes Agent background

To run Hermes Agent in the background, install the gateway as a service, keep the machine awake or move to a VPS, and check hermes gateway status after updates. Then your agent works while you don’t.

Once the gateway is running reliably, add jobs one at a time and watch the first few runs. A small number of dependable background jobs is worth far more than a long list you can’t trust, and every new job you add compounds the time Hermes saves you each week. Check the status after every update.

FAQ: hermes agent background

How do I run Hermes Agent in the background?

Run hermes gateway install to set up the gateway as a background service, then hermes gateway start.

Why did my Hermes cron jobs stop?

Usually because the gateway wasn’t running as a service or the computer went to sleep.

Can Hermes run in the background on a Mac?

Yes — as a launchd service; use caffeinate to stop the Mac sleeping.

How do I check Hermes is running?

Run hermes gateway status.

What is the difference between the Hermes gateway and hermes serve?

The gateway runs messaging and cron in the background; hermes serve is the API backend for the desktop app and dashboard.

Two ways I can help from here. Join the AI Profit Boardroom — it’s where your always-on Hermes setup gets built with 3,400+ members doing the same.

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