Hermes devcontainer
VS Code devcontainer that runs Hermes Agent with a persistent data volume, dashboard, and API ports.
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Hermes devcontainer
A small, purpose-built repository that wraps Hermes Agent in a VS Code dev container. It exists so the agent runs inside a container by default instead of being installed loose on the host — which is exactly the property we want for agents.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | https://github.com/wiki3-ai/hermes-devcontainer |
| OSS? | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Base image | nousresearch/hermes-agent:latest |
| Startup command | gateway run |
| Persistent data | Named volume at /opt/data |
| Dashboard | Port 9119 (basic auth hermes / hermes-devcontainer by default) |
| API | Port 8642 — root path returns 404 by design; use /health or /v1/... |
| Host access | host.docker.internal (Docker/Codespaces), host.containers.internal (Podman Desktop) |
Why it exists
Installing an agent directly means it can read and write your files with your full user privileges. A devcontainer narrows that: the agent gets the container's filesystem, and only the directories you mount are shared. The repository's own README states the reason plainly — it is a devcontainer for running Hermes Agent, built from the official image.
More background on the general principle: Agent containment.
Getting started
- Make sure you have a container runtime: Docker Desktop or Podman.
- Open https://github.com/wiki3-ai/hermes-devcontainer in a dev container — VS Code, GitHub Codespaces, Podman Desktop, or Docker Desktop all work.
- Wait for the build; the container pulls
nousresearch/hermes-agent:latestand runsgateway run. - Open port 9119 for the dashboard.
- Change the default dashboard password before exposing the port.
Common pitfalls
- Port 8642 appears broken. Opening the API port's root URL returns
404by design. Use a real endpoint. - Default credentials.
hermes/hermes-devcontainerare published defaults. Anywhere beyond your own machine, change them. - Public port visibility. The repo's
devcontainer.jsonmarks ports public to make Codespaces cross-device access easier. That is convenient and also an exposure — review it before sharing a forwarded URL. - Podman vs Docker hostnames. A host model server is at
host.docker.internalunder Docker andhost.containers.internalunder Podman Desktop. Both are mapped in the run arguments; using the wrong one produces a timeout, not a clear error. - Lost state if the volume is removed. Hermes' data lives in the named volume at
/opt/data; deleting the volume discards sessions and configuration.
Tips and tricks
- Treat this repository as a template: copy it, pin the image tag, and adjust mounts rather than editing it in place and losing your changes on pull.
- Combine with a local model endpoint (Unsloth Desktop) for a fully local agent with no cloud API keys.
- If you only need the agent occasionally, the container is still worth it — you avoid the "what did I install six months ago" archaeology.
Videos
- Run Your AI Coding Agent in Dev Containers — Complete Beginner's Guide — Visual Studio Code (verified 2026-10-28).
- The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Hermes Agent — Metics Media (verified 2026-10-28).
Related
- Hermes Agent — the agent itself.
- Agent containment.
- Choosing a container runtime.
Verification note: ports, volume path, startup command, licence, and default credentials were read from the repository README and the GitHub API on 2026-10-28. This repository is community-maintained and small (0 stars at the time of writing); pin a commit if you depend on it.