Running Docker Hermes Agent with VScode Attached to it

Yes, you can absolutely do this! The VS Code Dev Containers extension has a built-in feature called "Attach to a Running Container," which is perfect for this exact scenario.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to start the container and connect VS Code directly into it:

Step 1: Ensure Prerequisites are Met

  1. Make sure you have VS Code open.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab (Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+X on Mac).
  3. Search for and install the Dev Containers extension (published by Microsoft).

Step 2: Start your Docker Container

For VS Code to attach to a container, the container must be actively running and stay alive.

If you want to run it in the background specifically so you can connect to it, use the -d (detached) flag and give it a --name so it's easy to find:

docker run -d --name my-hermes-agent -v ~/.hermes:/opt/data nousresearch/hermes-agent

(Note: If the container immediately shuts down because it expects a specific command to keep it awake, you can force it to stay alive indefinitely by overriding the command like this: docker run -d --name my-hermes-agent -v ~/.hermes:/opt/data nousresearch/hermes-agent tail -f /dev/null)

Step 3: Attach VS Code to the Container

  1. In VS Code, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+P on Mac).
  2. Type in and select: Dev Containers: Attach to Running Container...
  3. A dropdown list of all your currently running Docker containers will appear.
  4. Click on my-hermes-agent (or whatever you named the container).

Step 4: Explore the Container

VS Code will open a new window and take a few seconds to install a tiny server inside the container to facilitate the connection. Once it's ready:

  1. Open your Files: Go to the Explorer tab in VS Code and click Open Folder.
  2. Type in /opt/data (the path where your ~/.hermes volume is mounted) or / (the root directory) to see the application files.
  3. Open a Terminal: If you open a terminal in VS Code (Ctrl+ ~), it will no longer be your computer's terminal—it will be a bash or sh shell directly inside the container.

Why this is awesome:

By attaching this way, you get the best of both worlds. You can use VS Code's beautiful graphical interface to edit configuration files, read logs, and write code, while the integrated terminal acts exactly as if you were SSH'd directly into the Hermes Agent environment.