Hermes v2026.7.7.2 Update: Hermes Agent v0.18.2 (2026.7.7.2)

This is a quick same-day patch that fixes a critical dependency issue in the WhatsApp bridge so that Hermes Agent installs and Docker builds work reliably again.

What’s New

Nothing new here — this is a targeted fix, not a feature drop. We’re keeping the release train moving while we prepare the bigger v0.19.0 update.

Improvements

Cleaner dependency management: Previously, the WhatsApp bridge relied on a specific git commit of the Baileys library. Now we use the official published release (7.0.0-rc13) from npm. Think of it like switching from using a hand-drawn map to a printed one — same destination, but much easier to follow and share.

Fixes

Fixed WhatsApp bridge installation (#60643): The old pinned git commit could break when the repository changed or when building fresh Docker images. By unpinning to the published npm package, installs are now stable and reproducible. This means:
- pip install -U hermes-agent works without unexpected errors.
- Docker image builds for tagged releases no longer fail mid-way.
- Your WhatsApp connections won’t silently break after a fresh setup.

A Simple Analogy

Imagine you’re building a bookshelf. The instructions told you to use a specific piece of wood from a friend’s backyard — but that wood might be moved, rot, or be unavailable. Now we’re using a standard, pre-cut board from the hardware store. Same shelf, but you can always find the exact part you need.

What This Means for You

If you’ve had trouble installing Hermes Agent or building Docker images recently, this patch clears that up. It’s a small but important quality-of-life fix that keeps the foundation solid while we work on the next major version.

For everyone else, there’s no action needed — just update when you’re ready:

hermes update        # existing installs
pip install -U hermes-agent

The full set of changes since v0.18.0 (including new features and improvements) will be bundled into the upcoming v0.19.0 release, so stay tuned.

📎 Official release notes: https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/releases