Hermes

"command not found: hermes" after install

After Hermes moved into a virtualenv (PR #6526) the binary lives in /opt/hermes/venv/, so docker exec shells that skip the entrypoint never get it on PATH, and on bare metal your current shell hasn't reloaded the rc file the installer edited. In Docker call /opt/hermes/venv/bin/hermes directly; on a host run source ~/.bashrc, then verify with hermes doctor.

Likely cause

After the virtualenv migration (PR #6526) Hermes lives in /opt/hermes/venv/, so docker exec shells that skip the entrypoint never get it on PATH. On bare metal the installer adds ~/.local/bin to your shell rc file, but the current shell hasn't reloaded it.

The fix

  1. 1 In Docker, call the binary by absolute path: /opt/hermes/venv/bin/hermes.
  2. 2 On a host, reload your shell: source ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc).
  3. 3 Verify with hermes doctor.
docker exec -it hermes /opt/hermes/venv/bin/hermes doctor
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Frequently asked questions

It works inside the container's entrypoint but not via docker exec. Why?

docker exec starts a fresh shell that skips the entrypoint where PATH is set, so the venv isn't on PATH. Call the binary by its absolute path: /opt/hermes/venv/bin/hermes.

The installer said it added Hermes to PATH, but the command still isn't found.

It edited your shell rc file, but your current shell hasn't reloaded it. Run source ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc), or open a new terminal, and the command will resolve.

Where exactly is the Hermes binary now?

Since the virtualenv migration it's at /opt/hermes/venv/bin/hermes on standard installs. Pointing your scripts and cron jobs at that absolute path avoids PATH issues entirely.

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