Writing / Applied AI systems
Running Hermes
at home.
From a Docker container on my NAS to the lights in my house. Three field notes on getting an agent running, giving it access, and deciding which work it should own.
The sequence
Start with the machine.
Read in order for the full setup, or go straight to the boundary you’re working on.
01
Deploy the gateway · 10 min
02How to Run Hermes Agent on a UGREEN NAS with Docker
UGREEN said my Hermes container was running. The gateway couldn't read its config. Two user IDs explained the failure—and the fix.
Connect the house · 4 min
03How to Connect Hermes Agent to Home Assistant
Two environment variables and a gateway restart. I said 'turn off all my lights' and they went off two seconds later.
Make the work repeatable · 5 min
Choosing When Hermes Agent Automations Need an LLM
I use Hermes Agent to interpret and configure automations, then let Home Assistant or a script execute repeatable actions with visible failure states.
04
Planned
Messaging without losing conversation context
05
Planned