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Rhizomatica's open-source HERMES system lets remote communities send files, photos, and encrypted messages over shortwave radio instead of just voice, achieving 400-600 kilometer links with minimal infrastructure. The system proved itself when Bangladeshi fishers used it to coordinate a rescue after a boat broke down in the Bay of Bengal.
- HERMES transmits files at 400-600 bits per second over HF radio using the ionosphere as a reflector, enabling data transfer in places where terrestrial infrastructure doesn't exist
- The system handles practical emergency and logistical needs—GPS coordinates, SOS signals, medical data, supply lists, and evidence photos—faster and more reliably than voice transmission
- Bloom built optional encryption into HERMES because some partner communities in sensitive areas need protection from having their communications intercepted and weaponized
Claudia Ng outlines how to run the open-source Hermes agent for free by pointing it at NVIDIA’s free API tier. She walks through installing the Hermes desktop app, configuring the NVIDIA API key and model (switching from GLM-5.1 to DeepSeek V4 Flash), and enabling web search tools, while noting latency and rate-limit issues on the free tier.
- Local Mac models couldn't hit the 64K-token context window Hermes needs for tool loops, forcing a switch to NVIDIA's free API tier.
- Setup was just a few terminal commands: install the desktop app, run `hermes model` to point at NVIDIA (49 models available), and `hermes tools enable web` for search.
- GLM-5.1 burned through the free tier fast due to timeouts and heavy reasoning overhead, so switching to DeepSeek V4 Flash gave faster responses with shorter reasoning traces.
- Every tool call adds a round trip and grows the prompt, so free-tier sessions can stall once rate limits hit.
This article compares two main options for setting up an AI agent: the user-friendly Claude and the customizable Hermes. It explains the differences between AI agents and chatbots, outlines the setup processes for each option, and emphasizes the importance of .md files for effective AI interaction.
- Claude's Cowork mode requires a paid subscription starting at $20/month to let it act autonomously on your computer.
- Hermes has no known security vulnerabilities as of April 2026, whereas OpenClaw has had multiple.
- Hermes offers better memory and learning from past interactions than OpenClaw, at the cost of a more involved setup.