How to Run Two Hermes Gateways: One Remote and One Local

A user documents the process of configuring two Hermes gateways—one remote and one local—on a Mac, revealing that the system's multiple independent profile and connection settings do not synchronize automatically. The guide provides a mental model, step-by-step instructions, and solutions to encountered problems.

I wanted something seemingly simple: keep my default profile in Hermes https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/ pointing to my remote instance while also having a second profile — macbook-local — running 100% on my Mac . Switching between them directly from the desktop app. “Simple” lasted until I discovered that Hermes has several independent notions of ‘active profile’ and ’local vs. remote’ , and they don’t talk to each other automatically. This post is the guide I wish I had: first the mental model, then the correct step-by-step, and finally all the problems I encountered and how I solved each one.