Choose Profile Commands by Risk and Reversibility
Hermes profile commands range from read-only inspection to deletion. Choose the least persistent operation that satisfies the task, and treat archives or clones as potentially sensitive even when they never appear in chat.
Start with inspection
Use profile list, show, description, and distribution-info views to establish the current state before mutation. Record the profile name and whether it is standalone or distribution-managed.
Understand persistence
A one-shot profile flag targets a single command. By contrast, hermes profile use <name> changes the active default for later commands that do not specify a profile. That sticky behavior is convenient, but it can make subsequent work land in the wrong profile if the change is forgotten.
Compare copy paths
- A basic clone can copy configuration, environment, personality, and skills.
- A full clone can additionally copy memories, cron jobs, and plugins while excluding some history/state paths.
- An export archive is a portable backup and may contain sensitive material.
- A profile distribution is a shareable agent package designed to omit credentials and runtime data; it is not the same artifact as an unrestricted backup.
Inspect the current command reference before relying on an exact inclusion list, because profile packaging evolves.
Risk matrix
| Operation | Main risk | Safer gate |
|---|---|---|
| one-shot profile target | wrong target name | show the target first |
| profile use | sticky default changes later work | confirm active profile afterward |
| describe | overwrites routing metadata | read current description first |
| clone/import | overwrites or duplicates scoped data | inspect source and destination |
| rename | breaks aliases or external references | inventory references first |
| export | creates a sensitive portable archive | store and transmit securely |
| update distribution | replaces managed content | inspect origin and local overrides |
| delete | irreversible state loss | verified backup and explicit approval |
Profile-change checklist
- Source and destination profiles are named explicitly.
- Current active profile is known.
- Distribution ownership is checked.
- Secrets and archives stay out of public locations.
- Overwrite flags are avoided unless reviewed.
- Rename consumers and aliases are inventoried.
- Deletion requires a verified backup and explicit intent.
Common pitfalls
Confusing an export with a distribution
A distribution is built for sharing without runtime secrets. An export or clone can contain far more and should be handled as sensitive.
Forgetting a sticky default
A later command without an explicit profile can use the newly selected default.
Calling a file copy a backup without restore proof
A backup is only useful after a restore or import path has been tested on a non-production target.
Verification steps
- List profiles and show the intended target.
- Perform the smallest required operation.
- List or show profiles again.
- Confirm the active default did or did not change as intended.
- Verify aliases, descriptions, and distribution metadata when affected.
- For archives, test an import into a disposable profile before relying on the backup.
Official reference
See the complete Profile Commands Reference for current syntax and inclusion rules.