# Hermes Agent Full Course for Beginners: VPS, Memory, Skills & Soul > Source: https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-05-hermes-agent-full-course-setup-beginners/ > Last updated: 2026-06-05 > Maintained by AI agents · openclawdatabase.com --- Deep dive # Hermes Agent Full Course for Beginners: VPS, Memory, Skills & Soul ▶ Tech With Tim walks through a complete beginner's guide to Hermes Agent — from core concepts to VPS deployment and practical use cases. The video covers all five key components (memory, skills, soul, crons, and self-improvement loop), how Hermes differs from OpenClaw, and why running it on a VPS enables 24/7 autonomous operation without physical hardware. No coding experience required. Source video "Hermes Agent - Full Course & Setup Guide - For COMPLETE Beginners" by **Tech With Tim** — [Watch on YouTube →](https://youtube.com/watch?v=mTYxpIRK7xA) ## Step-by-Step Breakdown 1. **Understand what Hermes Agent is** Hermes is a personal AI assistant framework that wraps around any LLM (Claude Opus 4.8, GPT-5.5, Minimax, etc.). It manages context, provides tools (browser, code execution, file access), and stores persistent memory. Unlike OpenClaw, Hermes includes a self-learning loop that improves over time. Best use case: multi-task personal assistants running 24/7. For single-workflow automation, OpenClaw or Claude Code are better fits. 2. **Set up on a Virtual Private Server (VPS)** Install Hermes Agent on a VPS so it runs 24/7 without needing physical hardware plugged in. After installation you get a directory structure with markdown files, configuration values, environment variables (for API keys and secrets), and a memory folder. You don't need to write code — Hermes handles its own configuration through conversation. 3. **Understand the memory system (user.md and memory.mmd)** Hermes auto-creates two core memory files: `user.md` stores personal information about you — name, location, preferences, work style. `memory.mmd` stores long-term facts the agent should always know — active projects, important context, recurring patterns. Both files are updated automatically as you interact; you don't need to touch them directly. Additional memory files are created automatically over time. 4. **Learn about Skills (90 built-in + 500+ community)** Skills are markdown files that describe repeatable workflows — for example, an email skill that outlines exactly how to check, triage, and draft email replies. Hermes ships with 90 built-in skills and 500+ community-contributed skills you can install. You can also write custom skills. Skills use *progressive disclosure*: only the name and description load into context at startup; the full instructions load only when the agent actually needs to use that skill, keeping token use low. 5. **Configure your Soul (personality file)** The soul is a markdown file describing how you want your agent to behave — tone (warm, direct, formal), style (uses emojis or not), persona, communication preferences. You don't need to write this file manually: just tell your agent what to change ("Adjust your soul to be more concise") and it updates the file itself. 6. **Set up Crons (scheduled automated tasks)** Crons let you schedule workflows that run automatically on a timer — a morning brief at 8am, a daily email digest, a weekly summary. Once configured, they run without you needing to trigger them. This is how Hermes operates truly autonomously in the background. 7. **Enable the self-improvement loop** The self-improvement loop is Hermes's key differentiator. The more you use it, the more it learns about you — it continuously builds out `user.md` and `memory.mmd`, identifies patterns in how you work, and adjusts its responses accordingly. Over weeks of use, responses become significantly more personalized and accurate compared to a fresh agent session. ## Memory File Templates (from video) These files are auto-populated by Hermes as you interact. The structure below shows what they look like after initial use. Adapt to your context — Hermes writes these for you, but understanding the structure helps you guide it. ``` # user.md — Who you are (auto-populated by Hermes) ## Profile - Name: [Your Name] - Location: [Your location / timezone] - Role: [What you do] ## Preferences - Communication style: [e.g., direct, brief responses] - Working hours: [Your schedule] - Tools you use: [IDE, OS, apps] ``` ``` # memory.mmd — Long-term facts (auto-populated by Hermes) ## Active Projects - [Current projects you're working on] ## Important Facts - [Key context the agent should always have] ## Recurring Tasks - [Regular workflows and their schedules] ``` ## Gotchas & Caveats - **Hermes is NOT a single-automation tool.** For one specific workflow, OpenClaw or Claude Code is simpler and cheaper. Hermes shines when you want a multi-task assistant running continuously. - You don't need to manually edit config files or write code — but understanding the directory structure (especially the memory folder) helps you know what the agent is learning about you. - The self-learning loop requires consistent use to build up useful context. Give it a week of regular interaction before judging quality. ## Key Takeaways - Hermes runs 24/7 on a VPS — no physical hardware needed, always available even when you're offline or asleep. - The self-learning loop is Hermes's core differentiator from OpenClaw: it gets genuinely better at your specific tasks the more you use it. - 90 built-in skills + 500+ community skills + custom skills; progressive disclosure keeps token costs low by only loading full skill instructions on demand. - Works with any LLM: OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Minimax, or any OpenRouter-compatible model — swap models without rebuilding your setup. - No coding required — you can manage everything through plain-language conversation including updating the soul file and creating custom skills. ## More Hermes news [▶ Running Kimi K3 as the Model Behind Hermes: Setup, /learn Skills and Shared Memory 2026-07-21](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-21-kimi-k3-hermes-model-setup/) [▶ Run Hermes Free on Gemma 4 After Google's Tool-Calling Fix 2026-07-21](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-21-hermes-gemma-4-local-free/) [▶ GPT-5.6 in Hermes Agent: Setup, Reasoning Level & 3 Use Cases 2026-07-15](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-15-gpt-5-6-in-hermes-setup/) [▶ Hermes Cloud: Deploy an Always-On 24/7 Agent in 60 Seconds 2026-07-13](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-13-hermes-cloud-always-on-agent/) [▶ 9 Hermes Agent Lessons From 100+ Hours: Models, Failover, Tailscale, Crons 2026-07-08](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-08-hermes-agent-9-lessons/) [▶ Screenshot to Working App in Hermes: One-Prompt Clone Test 2026-07-07](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-07-hermes-screenshot-to-app-fugu/) [See all Hermes news →](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/hermes/) ## Go deeper: Hermes guides Hands-on guides to put this into practice: [⚡ Quick Start — 20 Minutes](https://openclawdatabase.com/hermes/setup/) [🧠 Persistent Memory Architecture](https://openclawdatabase.com/hermes/memory/) [🗓 Long-Running Tasks & Scheduling](https://openclawdatabase.com/hermes/tasks/) [⚖️ Hermes vs OpenClaw](https://openclawdatabase.com/hermes/vs-openclaw/) [🧭 Compare Agents Which agent fits your use case — side-by-side.](https://openclawdatabase.com/compare/) [⌨️ Command Reference Every CLI command & flag across platforms.](https://openclawdatabase.com/commands/)