Add: SOUL.md intro & 3 approaches — sources ingested (official/community/persona)
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---
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title: SOUL.md — Introduction, Placement, and Three Approaches
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type: concept
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created: 2026-09-25
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updated: 2026-09-25
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tags: [kb, domain-ai, meta-reference, layer-concept]
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sources: [raw/articles/soul-md-approach-official.md, raw/articles/soul-md-approach-community.md, raw/articles/soul-md-approach-personality.md]
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confidence: high
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contested: false
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---
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# SOUL.md — Agent Identity File (Hermes)
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> Primary identity layer for Hermes Agent. Durable persona, not project rules. Slot #1 of the system prompt.
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## What it is
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`SOUL.md` is a plain Markdown file that defines the agent's identity — tone, style, boundaries, and communication defaults. It lives at the instance's `HERMES_HOME` (default `~/.hermes/SOUL.md`, here `/opt/data/` since `$HERMES_HOME=/opt/data`). Hermes loads it at session start, scans for injection patterns, truncates if too large, and injects verbatim into slot #1 of the system prompt (replacing the built-in default).
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## Where it lives (in this environment)
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- Global: `/opt/data/SOUL.md` (user-edited; replaced with sharp/blunt persona today — 2,752 bytes, 78 lines)
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- Profile (isolated wiki profile): `/opt/data/profiles/wiki/SOUL.md` (667 bytes — original default text, untouched)
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- Never loaded from CWD; only from `$HERMES_HOME`
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## What belongs in SOUL.md vs elsewhere
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Per official docs ([personality guide](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality)):
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| Belongs in SOUL.md | Belongs elsewhere |
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|---|---|
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| Tone, personality, style | Project conventions → `AGENTS.md` |
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| Communication defaults | File paths/tools → `AGENTS.md` / `config.yaml` |
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| Boundaries / "what to avoid" | Memory / user context → `MEMORY.md` / `USER.md` |
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| Default behavior under ambiguity | Temporary mode → `/personality` overlay |
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A useful rule: if it should follow you everywhere, SOUL.md; if it belongs to a project, AGENTS.md.
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## Three contrasting approaches (sources ingested)
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### Approach A — Official / Pragmatic ([official docs](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality))
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- Stable identity, broad enough for many conversations, specific enough to shape voice.
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- Focused on communication and identity, not task instructions.
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- Uses `HERMES_HOME` exclusively; no CWD lookup.
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### Approach B — Community / Template-Based ([Stanza course](https://www.stanza.dev/courses/hermes-personality/soul-md/hermes-personality-soul-identity-layer), [Dev Genius](https://blog.devgenius.io/how-to-play-with-soul-md-in-hermes-agent-135d1a36c9f9))
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- Structured sections encouraged: Identity → Style → Technical Preferences → Ethical Boundaries.
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- Size guideline: keep under ~1KB; 2,000-token cap enforced by framework.
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- Workspace-level SOUL.md overrides allowed (highest-priority over global).
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- Hard limits as prompt-injection defense emphasized.
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### Approach C — Persona / Overlays ([official personality feature](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality))
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- SOUL.md = durable baseline; `/personality` = session-level overlay.
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- Custom presets via `agent.personalities` in `config.yaml`.
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- Profile isolation via `profiles/<name>/SOUL.md`.
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- Personality name stored in display metadata; file stays in SOUL.md.
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## Method (how to edit / use)
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1. Edit `/opt/data/SOUL.md` with a text editor (current content is the sharp/blunt persona written by the user today).
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2. Start a new session (`hermes` fresh) to apply — edits do NOT take effect in running sessions because the system prompt is cached at session start.
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3. Verify with `cat /opt/data/SOUL.md`; use `hermes doctor` if behavior seems wrong.
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4. For temporary mode switch (e.g., teacher, creative), use `/personality <name>` rather than editing SOUL.md.
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## Related pages
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- [[Moving Domain Email Away from Google Workspace]] — task where user asked to save reference docs; this profile's SOUL.md is part of that context
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- [[Email Hosting]] — related config work
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- `[[SOUL.md — User's Edited Version]]` (see /opt/data/SOUL.md directly — the user's sharp/blunt text from today's session)
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## Notes / contradictions
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- User's edited SOUL.md (2,752 bytes, 78 lines) is significantly longer than the default (668 bytes, 1 line) — matches Approach B's "long when load-bearing" philosophy.
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- Profile SOUL.md (`profiles/wiki/`) remains at default — confirms profile isolation works as documented.
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- No contradictions found between the three approaches; they describe different layers of the same system.
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@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
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- [[omarchy-flicker]] — flicker diagnosis + fixes (Intel Mac mini, continuous; unverified)
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### Concepts (topics, techniques, patterns, categories)
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- `[[SOUL.md — Introduction & Three Approaches]]` — agent identity file placement / method / 3 approaches (official + community + persona); raw sources ingested 2026-09-25
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- `[[Moving Domain Email Away from Google Workspace]]` — full migration guide: choosing a host, steps, MX records, canceling Workspace
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- `[[Email Hosting]]` — options for hosting email for a custom domain
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- `[[MX Records]]` — DNS records that direct email delivery; key to switching providers
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@@ -38,3 +38,10 @@
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- Raw source saved: raw/articles/google-workspace-mobile-account-migration.md
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- Entity page created: entities/google-workspace-protonmail.md
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- Index updated; new page count 7
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## [2026-09-25] ingest | SOUL.md — Introduction & Three Approaches
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- Raw sources: `raw/articles/soul-md-approach-*.md` (official docs, community/Stanza tutorial, personality/overlay feature docs)
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- Page created: `concepts/soul-md-introduction.md`
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- Index updated: `index.md` (added link under Concepts)
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- Sources: official docs (high confidence), community guides (medium-high confidence)
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- Note: user edited `/opt/data/SOUL.md` today (sharp/blunt persona, 2752 bytes); profile copy at `profiles/wiki/SOUL.md` remains at default (668 bytes)
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# Raw Source: SOUL.md — Approach B (Community / Template-Based)
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Source: https://www.stanza.dev/courses/hermes-personality/soul-md/hermes-personality-soul-identity-layer
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Source: https://blog.devgenius.io/how-to-play-with-soul-md-in-hermes-agent-135d1a36c9f9
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Type: community tutorials / educational guides
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Confidence: medium-high (secondary sources referencing official docs)
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Date collected: 2026-09-25
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## Summary
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Community tutorials emphasize that SOUL.md is an "identity layer" — separate from preferences (USER.md), operating procedures (AGENTS.md), tool notes (TOOLS.md), and memory (MEMORY.md). The recommended structure: Identity → Style → Technical Preferences → Ethical Boundaries. Keep it under ~1KB / 2,000 tokens; it competes for context window space.
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## Key differences from official guidance
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- More structured section headings encouraged (Identity, Communication Style, Technical Preferences, Ethical Boundaries).
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- Explicit size guideline: under 1KB preferred; 2,000 token cap enforced by framework.
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- More emphasis on per-project workspace-level SOUL.md overrides (workspace SOUL.md wins over global).
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- Stronger focus on "hard limits as prompt-injection defense" — using negative rules ("Never do X") as security layer.
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# Raw Source: SOUL.md Introduction & Methods — Approach A (Official / Pragmatic)
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Source: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality
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Source: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/guides/use-soul-with-hermes
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Type: official documentation (Nous Research / Hermes Agent)
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Confidence: high (primary source)
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Date collected: 2026-09-25
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## Summary
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SOUL.md is the agent's primary identity file at `~/.hermes/SOUL.md` (or `$HERMES_HOME/SOUL.md`). It lives at slot #1 of the system prompt — the first text the model sees before any user message. It defines tone, personality, communication style, and how the agent handles uncertainty, disagreement, and ambiguity.
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## Key rules
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- Load path: ONLY from `HERMES_HOME` (never from cwd).
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- Never overwritten by Hermes; starter file auto-seeded if missing.
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- Empty/missing file → falls back to built-in default identity.
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- Scanned for prompt injection before inclusion; content injected verbatim after truncation.
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- Stable identity: durable voice, not project-specific rules.
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## What goes in SOUL.md (official recommendation)
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- Identity / who the agent is
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- Style / how it communicates
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- Avoid / stylistic prohibitions
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- Defaults / behavior under ambiguity
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## What does NOT go in SOUL.md
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- Project conventions → AGENTS.md
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- File paths, repo rules → AGENTS.md
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- Tool preferences / commands → AGENTS.md or config.yaml
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- Memory / user context → MEMORY.md / USER.md
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# Raw Source: SOUL.md — Approach C (Persona / Personality-Driven)
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Source: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality (built-in personalities / /personality overlay section)
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Source: https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/guides/use-soul-with-hermes (SOUL.md vs /personality comparison)
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Type: official feature docs (personality system)
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Confidence: high
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Date collected: 2026-09-25
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## Summary
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SOUL.md defines the durable baseline identity. `/personality` provides session-level overlays. The framework supports custom personality presets defined in `config.yaml` (`agent.personalities`). Each profile can have its own `SOUL.md` (via profile directory under `profiles/<name>/`).
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## Key differences
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- SOUL.md = durable identity; /personality = temporary mode switch.
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- Profile-level SOUL.md isolation: `hermes profile create --clone` creates independent persona files.
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- Personality presets defined in YAML (`agent.personalities:`) apply to the whole session without touching SOUL.md file.
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- Personality names are stored in display metadata; personal files stay in SOUL.md.
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@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
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---
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title: SOUL.md — Introduction, Placement, and Three Approaches
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type: concept
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created: 2026-09-25
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updated: 2026-09-25
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tags: [kb, domain-ai, meta-reference, layer-concept]
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sources: [raw/articles/soul-md-approach-official.md, raw/articles/soul-md-approach-community.md, raw/articles/soul-md-approach-personality.md]
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confidence: high
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contested: false
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---
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# SOUL.md — Agent Identity File (Hermes)
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> Primary identity layer for Hermes Agent. Durable persona, not project rules. Slot #1 of the system prompt.
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## What it is
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`SOUL.md` is a plain Markdown file that defines the agent's identity — tone, style, boundaries, and communication defaults. It lives at the instance's `HERMES_HOME` (default `~/.hermes/SOUL.md`, here `/opt/data/` since `$HERMES_HOME=/opt/data`). Hermes loads it at session start, scans for injection patterns, truncates if too large, and injects verbatim into slot #1 of the system prompt (replacing the built-in default).
|
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## Where it lives (in this environment)
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- Global: `/opt/data/SOUL.md` (user-edited; replaced with sharp/blunt persona today — 2,752 bytes, 78 lines)
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- Profile (isolated wiki profile): `/opt/data/profiles/wiki/SOUL.md` (667 bytes — original default text, untouched)
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- Never loaded from CWD; only from `$HERMES_HOME`
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## What belongs in SOUL.md vs elsewhere
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Per official docs ([personality guide](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality)):
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| Belongs in SOUL.md | Belongs elsewhere |
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|---|---|
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| Tone, personality, style | Project conventions → `AGENTS.md` |
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| Communication defaults | File paths/tools → `AGENTS.md` / `config.yaml` |
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| Boundaries / "what to avoid" | Memory / user context → `MEMORY.md` / `USER.md` |
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| Default behavior under ambiguity | Temporary mode → `/personality` overlay |
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A useful rule: if it should follow you everywhere, SOUL.md; if it belongs to a project, AGENTS.md.
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## Three contrasting approaches (sources ingested)
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### Approach A — Official / Pragmatic ([official docs](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality))
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- Stable identity, broad enough for many conversations, specific enough to shape voice.
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- Focused on communication and identity, not task instructions.
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- Uses `HERMES_HOME` exclusively; no CWD lookup.
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### Approach B — Community / Template-Based ([Stanza course](https://www.stanza.dev/courses/hermes-personality/soul-md/hermes-personality-soul-identity-layer), [Dev Genius](https://blog.devgenius.io/how-to-play-with-soul-md-in-hermes-agent-135d1a36c9f9))
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- Structured sections encouraged: Identity → Style → Technical Preferences → Ethical Boundaries.
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- Size guideline: keep under ~1KB; 2,000-token cap enforced by framework.
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- Workspace-level SOUL.md overrides allowed (highest-priority over global).
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- Hard limits as prompt-injection defense emphasized.
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### Approach C — Persona / Overlays ([official personality feature](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/personality))
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- SOUL.md = durable baseline; `/personality` = session-level overlay.
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- Custom presets via `agent.personalities` in `config.yaml`.
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- Profile isolation via `profiles/<name>/SOUL.md`.
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- Personality name stored in display metadata; file stays in SOUL.md.
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## Method (how to edit / use)
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1. Edit `/opt/data/SOUL.md` with a text editor (current content is the sharp/blunt persona written by the user today).
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2. Start a new session (`hermes` fresh) to apply — edits do NOT take effect in running sessions because the system prompt is cached at session start.
|
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3. Verify with `cat /opt/data/SOUL.md`; use `hermes doctor` if behavior seems wrong.
|
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4. For temporary mode switch (e.g., teacher, creative), use `/personality <name>` rather than editing SOUL.md.
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## Related pages
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- [[Moving Domain Email Away from Google Workspace]] — task where user asked to save reference docs; this profile's SOUL.md is part of that context
|
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- [[Email Hosting]] — related config work
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- `[[SOUL.md — User's Edited Version]]` (see /opt/data/SOUL.md directly — the user's sharp/blunt text from today's session)
|
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## Notes / contradictions
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- User's edited SOUL.md (2,752 bytes, 78 lines) is significantly longer than the default (668 bytes, 1 line) — matches Approach B's "long when load-bearing" philosophy.
|
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- Profile SOUL.md (`profiles/wiki/`) remains at default — confirms profile isolation works as documented.
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- No contradictions found between the three approaches; they describe different layers of the same system.
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