gaelic-ghost/socket/choose-hermes-agent-workflow

Choose Hermes Agent Workflow

Classify the requested outcome before opening broad documentation or changing configuration.

Route the Request

Use more than one workflow when the request genuinely crosses boundaries. Keep one workflow in charge of each write surface.

Keep the Three Gateway Terms Separate

• Hermes messaging gateway: the long-running Hermes process that connects messaging platforms, webhooks, and the API server.
• Nous Tool Gateway: Nous-hosted backends for web, media, browser, and optional cloud terminal tools.
• TUI gateway: the JSON-RPC protocol used by Hermes TUI and custom host integrations.
• ACP: the editor-to-agent protocol used when Zed, Xcode, or another client launches and renders Hermes through hermes acp.
• A2A: the peer-agent protocol used when Hermes exchanges discovered messages

or tasks with independently operated agents.

Never use an unqualified “gateway” in a decision or implementation note when more than one meaning is possible. Do not describe ACP as a gateway or as a general agent-to-agent protocol.

Select the Smallest Extension Surface

Prefer, in order:

1. A skill for instructions plus existing tools or commands.
2. MCP for an external tool server.
3. Config-driven backends or shell hooks when Hermes already defines that surface.
4. A standalone Python plugin for registered runtime behavior.
5. A specialized provider, platform, memory, context, browser, search, media, secret, desktop, or dashboard extension only when that exact subsystem owns the behavior.
6. A Hermes core contribution only when the behavior belongs in the upstream product rather than a user, project, or third-party extension.

Source and State Rules

• Refresh the official Hermes docs for claims that can drift; the project moves quickly.
• Inspect the installed Hermes version and active profile before diagnosing local behavior.
• Keep ~/.hermes/ user state, project .hermes/ state, standalone plugin source, and the upstream Hermes repository distinct.
• Do not mutate Portal accounts, gateway services, messaging accounts, cloud deployments, or user-home configuration unless the user requested that action.
• Do not describe a Codex or Claude plugin manifest as a Hermes plugin.

Output Contract

Return:

1. workflow: the selected skill or combination.
2. surface: the concrete Hermes runtime, configuration, hosted service, or source tree involved.
3. reason: why that surface owns the request.
4. state: local, project, hosted, or upstream state that may change.
5. verification: the narrowest proof needed.

Read references/workflow-map.md when the request crosses multiple Hermes subsystems or uses an ambiguous “gateway,” “plugin,” “cloud,” or “provider” label.