Integration
Where your Obsidian vault lives when Hermes runs remotely
Plan Hermes vault access across a laptop, VPS, Docker or gateway. Separate filesystem access from synchronization and keep private notes out of unintended runtimes.
Quick answer
Hermes can work with the Markdown files visible to its execution environment. Your laptop vault is not automatically visible to a VPS, Docker container or managed runtime. Decide where the working copy lives, expose only approved files, and test a read and disposable write through the actual gateway or runtime before enabling automation.
Start with a disposable note and verify the exact path before enabling recurring writes.
Best for
Using a Telegram or Discord gateway to capture notes on a machine that stays online
Connecting a server runtime to a deliberately synchronized subset of project notes
Separating personal vault content from client or team workflows
Features
- ✓Filesystem-based note access through the Obsidian skill
- ✓Explicit vault paths for local or remote runtimes
- ✓Separate verification of file writes and device sync
- ✓Reviewable notes rather than automatic full-vault memory
Setup path
- 1Identify the runtime host, operating-system user, Hermes profile and terminal backend that will perform file operations.
- 2Choose an authoritative vault location and an approved subfolder. Use filesystem permissions or a restricted mount when a prompt-only boundary is insufficient.
- 3Set OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH in the intended profile environment; resolve it to an absolute path before file-tool calls.
- 4Run the disposable-note test from the connection guide through the actual interface you will use, then inspect the file locally and on every required destination device.
Local Hermes and local Obsidian
When Hermes file tools run on the same machine as the vault, start with the existing vault path. Obsidian does not need to be running for file reads and writes. Confirm the file is inside the vault you actually open, not another folder with the same name.
- •Use the built-in skill for file work; install a separate chat plugin only if you need its interface.
- •A Hermes-Agent subfolder is an organizational boundary, not a permission system.
- •Do not create a nested vault inside an existing vault just for this test.
Hermes on a VPS or through SSH
The remote machine needs its own authorized access to the selected files. Choose an explicit transfer or sync mechanism and verify its credentials, direction and conflict behavior. A remote desktop or browser session does not copy laptop files by itself.
- •Test a read from the remote runtime before granting write access.
- •Compare the note marker on both machines before declaring synchronization complete.
- •Keep runtime configuration and secrets out of the synchronized notes.
Hermes with a container backend
Check the path inside the execution container, not just the host path. The approved host folder must be mounted at a known container path with the intended read or write permissions. Set the path used by the skill to the path the file operation actually sees.
- •Start read-only when the job only searches or summarizes notes.
- •Do not mount an entire home directory to solve a missing-folder error.
- •Re-test visibility after container recreation; an old successful session does not prove the new mount exists.
Telegram and Discord are control surfaces
A phone message tells the gateway to perform work on its runtime. It does not give that runtime access to the phone or laptop vault. Match the profile and execution host before diagnosing a note that appears from the CLI but not through chat.
- •Read the same disposable note through the gateway and CLI.
- •Check write completion separately from reply delivery.
- •Confirm the gateway worker can read the file; opening a channel in a browser tests a different access path.
Shared notes need an owner
Give each shared note a writer or review process. Two agents and a sync service editing the same file can produce conflicts or overwrite human edits. Shared Markdown is useful reference material, but it is not a shared Hermes runtime home.
- •Read existing content before a targeted edit.
- •Keep agent homes and profiles separate; do not share state.db or credentials through the vault.
- •Maintain a restorable backup as well as sync, since sync can propagate mistakes.
Managed access still needs a file-access decision
Self-hosted Web Dashboard supports TUI Chat via PTY/WebSocket. Managed cloud access reduces runtime maintenance, but neither browser interface automatically mounts a private laptop vault. Confirm how approved notes reach the runtime before choosing hosting for a notes workflow.
- •Ask where files are stored and which provider receives passages in prompts.
- •Keep confidential notes outside the workflow until access and retention are understood.
- •Compare maintenance responsibility, not a false distinction between browser chat and no browser chat.
Common setup issues
- Literal $OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH in an error: resolve the variable before the file-tool call.
- Fallback path despite a configured vault: inspect the active profile and reload the process environment.
- Write succeeds but another device has no note: inspect sync state and conflict copies before creating duplicates.
- A fresh session forgets a fact: inspect the actual memory write; a vault note is not a built-in memory entry.
Keep building the workflow
Connect the vault step by step
Environment setup, disposable-note prompt and fresh-session retrieval.
Choose skill or plugin
Use the smallest integration that does the job.
Diagnose gateway execution
Separate chat delivery from worker and filesystem state.
Back up Hermes safely
Protect persistent state without sharing credentials.
Compare hosting responsibility
Decide who maintains the runtime and approved file access.
FAQ
Can Hermes on a VPS read my Mac Obsidian vault?
Not by default. The VPS needs authorized access to a copy, transfer or mounted subset of the files. Verify the exact path from the remote execution environment.
Does a Hermes profile sandbox my vault?
No. Profiles separate Hermes configuration, memory and sessions. They do not remove filesystem permissions held by the operating-system user or execution backend.
Can I control a notes workflow from my phone?
Yes, if the configured gateway runtime can access the intended notes. Test an actual file read through that gateway; receiving a message alone does not prove vault access.
Does a hosted browser interface automatically sync Obsidian?
No. Hosting, browser chat and vault synchronization are separate decisions. Confirm an explicit supported file-access path before relying on a hosted runtime for local notes.