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hermes - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: WSL: gateway install/start fails even when systemd is running [1 participants]

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NousResearch/hermes-agent#18032•Fetched 2026-05-01 05:54:14
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Root Cause

The issue is in hermes_cli/gateway.py. The is_wsl() branch in the install/start code path doesn't call _wsl_systemd_operational() to verify systemd is actually working — it just assumes WSL means no systemd and exits. However, supports_systemd_services() (line 717) DOES correctly check _wsl_systemd_operational(), so the systemd path at line 4079 is never reached because is_wsl() short-circuits at line 4088.

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When running hermes gateway install or hermes gateway start on WSL2 with systemd properly enabled (systemd=true in /etc/wsl.conf, PID 1 is systemd, systemctl is-system-running returns "running"), Hermes still reports:

"WSL detected but systemd is not available" / "Service installation not supported on this platform"

The issue is in hermes_cli/gateway.py. The is_wsl() branch in the install/start code path doesn't call _wsl_systemd_operational() to verify systemd is actually working — it just assumes WSL means no systemd and exits. However, supports_systemd_services() (line 717) DOES correctly check _wsl_systemd_operational(), so the systemd path at line 4079 is never reached because is_wsl() short-circuits at line 4088.

The logic should check supports_systemd_services() first (which it does), but the elif is_wsl() branch at line 4088 catches cases where supports_systemd_services() returns False. When supports_systemd_services() returns True AND is_wsl() is True, it correctly enters line 4080 — but this path requires systemd to actually be operational.

In my case, systemd IS operational but supports_systemd_services() still returns False on WSL. Please verify the _wsl_systemd_operational() detection logic.

Reproduce:
1. WSL2 with systemd=true in /etc/wsl.conf
2. Run wsl --shutdown from PowerShell, reopen WSL
3. Confirm: ps -p 1 -o comm= shows "systemd"
4. Run: hermes gateway install → fails

extent analysis

TL;DR

The issue can be resolved by modifying the hermes_cli/gateway.py to correctly check for systemd availability on WSL2 by calling _wsl_systemd_operational() in the is_wsl() branch.

Guidance

  • Verify that _wsl_systemd_operational() correctly detects systemd availability on WSL2 by checking its implementation and ensuring it returns True when systemd is operational.
  • Modify the is_wsl() branch in hermes_cli/gateway.py to call _wsl_systemd_operational() and only exit if it returns False.
  • Check the logic in supports_systemd_services() to ensure it correctly returns True when systemd is available, even on WSL2.
  • Test the changes by reproducing the issue using the provided steps and verifying that hermes gateway install succeeds.

Example

No code snippet is provided as the issue requires a specific change to the hermes_cli/gateway.py file, which is not explicitly stated.

Notes

The issue is specific to WSL2 with systemd enabled, and the fix may not apply to other platforms or configurations.

Recommendation

Apply workaround: Modify the hermes_cli/gateway.py file to correctly check for systemd availability on WSL2, as the current implementation has a logical error that prevents it from working correctly.

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hermes - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: WSL: gateway install/start fails even when systemd is running [1 participants]