Install help

Windows 11 + WSL2

Prepare Windows 11 with Ubuntu on WSL2.

Follow these steps before the install call when Hermes will run inside Ubuntu on WSL2.

Time required: 20–30 minutes
Start guideOnboarding hub

Do these in order before install day

Complete as much as your policy allows. If a step is blocked, note who can approve or unblock it during onboarding.

Step 1

Update Windows and restart

Use Windows 11 with all pending updates installed. Restart before the call so WSL and virtualization changes are not waiting on reboot.

Step 2

Open Windows Terminal as admin

Open Windows Terminal as Administrator for setup steps that require elevated privileges. Keep the Windows device administrator available if corporate policy controls terminal or virtualization access.

Step 3

Install or verify Ubuntu on WSL2

Install WSL2 with Ubuntu if it is not already present: wsl --install -d Ubuntu. Existing Ubuntu installs are fine if they are clean and maintained.

Step 4

Update Ubuntu and confirm sudo

Inside Ubuntu, run standard updates before the call: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y. Confirm the Windows user can open Ubuntu, create files in the Linux home directory, and use sudo.

Step 5

Surface VPN, antivirus, and WSL policy

Keep antivirus, VPN, or corporate device policies visible. If they block local services, ports, SSH, Tailscale, or WSL networking, bring the device administrator to the install call.

Useful checkswsl --statuswsl --install -d Ubuntusudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Bring the right owner and approvals

OS readiness is only half the install. We also need account owners, MFA, and access boundaries available during the call.

Account readiness

  • Decide which always-on computer will host Hermes. Keep it on reliable power, a trusted private network, and at the location where it will normally operate.
  • Make sure the business owner or operator can approve access decisions and use an administrator account during the call.
  • Keep MFA devices, password manager access, approved accounts, and off-limits systems ready. Do not send passwords, private keys, recovery keys, or tokens in chat or email.
  • Use a private, trusted network. Avoid hotel, airport, café, and conference Wi-Fi for install day.
  • Tell us before the call about device-management, firewall, VPN, antivirus, IP allowlisting, or vendor-review constraints.

Platform notes

  • WSL works best when Windows, Ubuntu, virtualization, and network policy are all current before the call begins.
  • If your company blocks WSL, SSH, Tailscale, or local services, bring the device administrator to the install call.

What we will walk through together

  1. Confirm scope, owner, machine, and access boundary.
  2. Verify OS, network, shell, package manager, and remote access posture.
  3. Install and configure Hermes on your infrastructure.
  4. Connect approved accounts and integrations through secure OAuth or password-manager flows.
  5. Run supervised test workflows with clear approval gates.
  6. Document operating commands, recovery notes, and the handoff checklist.

Hermes launches under supervision

Legacy OpenClaw support is diagnostic-only unless explicitly scoped. The legacy path is ~/.openclaw/. No alternate legacy directory applies.

Need a different OS guide?

macOS workstation

macOS

Follow these steps before the install call when Hermes will run on a Mac mini or another dedicated macOS machine.

Open macOS guide →

Linux host

Linux

Follow these steps before the install call when Hermes will run on a dedicated Linux workstation, mini PC, or server.

Open Linux guide →
🦞Setup help

Blocked?

Ask before the call.

Fresh installs use Hermes. Never paste passwords, keys, recovery codes, or tokens.

Ask a setup questionReturn to Hub