Hermes Agent OS GitHub: Install Herald OS on Mac or Linux

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The Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo you want is iamlukethedev/Herald-OS — the free, open-source operating system with Hermes Agent as the interface. In the video below I show it running. This guide gives you the exact install commands for every platform, the requirements, and the gotchas to watch for.

Key takeaways

The repo is github.com/iamlukethedev/Herald-OS (MIT licence).
Mac: install Hermes, run hermes setup, then install the DMG from Releases.
Linux: a Fedora-based ISO, an Arch package or a tarball.
It’s 0.1 alpha — read the open issues first.

The Hermes Agent OS GitHub repository

Herald OS lives at iamlukethedev/Herald-OS. It’s an independent project by Luke The Dev, released under the MIT licence, and it builds on Hermes Agent by Nous Research, which is also MIT. It isn’t affiliated with Nous. The project is very active — new pull requests land almost daily.

Herald OS at a glance
What it is	An agent-native operating system with Hermes Agent as the interface
Made by	Luke The Dev (iamlukethedev) — independent, not affiliated with Nous Research
Price	Free — MIT licence; you only pay for the AI model you connect
Version	0.1 alpha — early software
Platforms	macOS app (Apple Silicon, macOS 13+), Herald OS Linux (Fedora-based ISO), Arch/Omarchy package, Linux tarball
Needs	Hermes Agent, plus a Nous Portal account or an API key for a supported provider
Source	github.com/iamlukethedev/Herald-OS

Install from the Hermes Agent OS GitHub on a Mac

For Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 13 or later, install Hermes Agent first:

curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
source ~/.zshrc
hermes setup

Download the Herald OS DMG from the repo’s Releases page and drag it to Applications. The build isn’t notarised by Apple yet, so the README has you clear the quarantine flag:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Herald OS.app"

Only do that for a DMG you downloaded from the official releases page. Intel Macs don’t have an app build — use the Linux VM instead.

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Install on Linux, Arch or Omarchy

Arch Linux:

git clone https://github.com/iamlukethedev/Herald-OS.git
cd Herald-OS/packaging/arch/herald-os-bin
makepkg -si
herald-os setup

On Omarchy, after the Arch package, run herald-os omarchy install.

Other Linux distros use the tarball: verify the checksum, extract it to /opt/herald-os, run the bundled install script, then herald-os setup.

Herald OS Linux is a full Fedora-based system for 64-bit Intel/AMD PCs. Download both ISO parts, join them with cat, verify the SHA-256 checksum, write it to a USB stick of 8 GB or more, and boot from it. The developer notes it’s tested in a VM in CI but hasn’t been tried on much real hardware yet.

Try it in a VM or build from source

On an Apple Silicon Mac you can try the Linux version in a virtual machine:

brew install qemu zstd
git clone https://github.com/iamlukethedev/Herald-OS.git && cd Herald-OS
bash linux/vm/try.sh

Allow about 20 GB of disk, 4 cores and 8 GB of RAM. To build the Mac app from source you need Node.js 22.12+, Git, Xcode Command Line Tools and Hermes Agent 0.21.3+, then:

npm run bootstrap
npm run dev

Or let your AI agent install it

This is how I did it: I pasted the GitHub link into Claude and said “Can you set this up?” It was running about two minutes later. Ask your agent to follow the README for your platform and to stop and check with you before running anything with sudo.

Hermes Agent OS GitHub: tips before you install

Read the open issues — it’s alpha, and that’s where known bugs live.
Use the official repo — not a fork or a re-upload.
Verify checksums on the Linux downloads.
Keep Hermes updated — source builds need 0.21.3 or later.
Report bugs on GitHub — Luke ships fixes fast.

Once it’s running, my Herald OS review walks through the dashboard, spaces, missions and settings.

What’s been changing in the repo

The project moves fast. Recent pull requests include:

Tool scoping — Herald’s system tools now only run in Herald OS sessions, not your other Hermes sessions.
Updater hardening — stops a Hermes session leaking into the backend or bridge.
Filing documents by voice — a new skill for finding, reading, naming and filing documents.
Safer Linux updates — update commands only act on Herald’s own image.
Calendar access on Mac — the app now asks properly for calendar permission.

Watch or star the repo to get notified of new releases, and update regularly — in alpha software, fixes like these matter.

Troubleshooting a Herald OS install

“App is damaged” on Mac — that’s the missing notarisation; clear the quarantine flag as shown above.
Hermes not found — run source ~/.zshrc or open a new terminal after installing Hermes.
No model responding — run hermes setup again and check your provider.
Connections not syncing — a known rough edge in my test; ask your agent to debug it or check the issues tab.
Calendar not showing — grant calendar access when macOS asks.

Getting started from the Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo

The Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo, iamlukethedev/Herald-OS, gives you a free, beautiful operating system for Hermes on Mac or Linux. Install Hermes, grab the release for your platform, keep approvals on, and you’re up and running.

If you hit a problem that isn’t covered above, search the repo’s issues for your exact error message first — with an alpha project, someone has often reported it already and a fix may be in the next release. If not, open a new issue with your platform, version and the steps to reproduce it. Clear bug reports help Luke ship fixes faster for everyone, and they’re the best way to give back to a free project like this.

FAQ: hermes agent os github

Is Herald OS free?

Yes — it’s free and open source under the MIT licence. You only pay for the AI model you connect to Hermes.

Is Herald OS made by Nous Research?

No — it’s an independent project by Luke The Dev. It runs on Hermes Agent, which is made by Nous Research.

Where is the Hermes Agent OS GitHub repo?

github.com/iamlukethedev/Herald-OS — Herald OS by Luke The Dev.

How do I install Herald OS on a Mac?

Install Hermes Agent and run hermes setup, then install the DMG from the repo’s Releases page. It needs an Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 13+.

Does Herald OS work on Linux?

Yes — as a Fedora-based ISO, an Arch/Omarchy package or a tarball for other distros.

What do I need to build it from source?

Node.js 22.12+, Git, Xcode Command Line Tools and Hermes Agent 0.21.3+.

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About Julian Goldie

I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency, best-selling author, and an AI educator with 428K+ YouTube subscribers. I’ve spent 10+ years in SEO and online business and I test every AI agent on my own work before I recommend it. Join the AI Profit Boardroom for the daily builds, or book a free strategy session to talk through yours.