# Hermes Dreaming > Use when Hermes needs staged self-improvement, explicit reviewable artifacts, or safe apply/discard workflows for memory, user, skill, or fact updates. - Skill: `tomevault-io/hermes-dreaming` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/hermes-dreaming` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/hermes-dreaming/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/hermes-dreaming --- # Hermes Dreaming Use this plugin when you want staged, reviewable self-improvement instead of silent writes. ## Core idea Hermes-dreaming scans explicit source inputs, stages proposed changes in an artifact directory, and only writes to live state after an explicit apply step. It is designed for local-first, reviewable updates. ## When to use - You want to convert notes or `DREAM:` markers into staged proposals. - You want a reviewable diff before anything touches live state. - You want explicit apply/discard gates. - You want to keep backups and archives under separate roots. ## Main commands ```bash dreaming create --live-root ./live --artifact-root ./artifacts --source ./sources dreaming review --live-root ./live --artifact-root ./artifacts --source ./sources dreaming review --open ./artifacts/ dreaming summarize ./artifacts/ dreaming approve ./artifacts/ all dreaming reject ./artifacts/ --reason "too broad" dreaming diff ./artifacts/ --live-root ./live dreaming validate ./artifacts/ --live-root ./live dreaming apply ./artifacts/ --live-root ./live --backup-root ./backups dreaming discard ./artifacts/ --archive-root ./archive dreaming compact --artifact-root ./artifacts --archive-root ./archive dreaming install-cron --schedule "0 3 * * *" dreaming status --artifact-root ./artifacts dreaming update ``` ## Safe usage pattern 1. Keep the live root small and explicit. 2. Put generated artifacts in a separate artifact root. 3. Use `review --open` or `summarize` to understand the current decision state. 4. Use `approve` or `reject` to record human decisions without mutating live roots. 5. Use `diff` and `validate` before `apply`. 6. Use `discard` when the staged proposal is wrong or stale. ## Fast path If you want the safest short workflow, use `review` first, then `diff`, `validate`, and `apply` only after the staged artifact looks right. ## Dream marker format The offline provider looks for explicit `DREAM:` lines in the source bundle. ```text DREAM: memory: Keep updates short and concrete. DREAM: user: Prefer concise status updates. DREAM: fact: {"type": "preference", "key": "tone", "value": "casual"} DREAM: skill: path=skills/review.md | Preserve review gates and backups. ``` ## Notes - This plugin is local-first and does not need paid X or cloud APIs for the default offline flow. - Use the optional LLM provider only if you explicitly want one. - The plugin is fine without this skill file, but the skill makes the workflow much easier to remember and reuse. --- > Source: [asimons81/hermes-dreaming](https://github.com/asimons81/hermes-dreaming) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).