FAQ

Do I need to run a local LLM (Ollama, etc.)? No. The core vault, session archiver, and memory-review pipeline work with any Hermes agent — no local models required. The optional trend-digest scripts (pipeline.sh, trend_digest.py, etc.) are the only parts that need Ollama or sentence-transformers for embeddings.

Is my data private? Yes. Everything lives in your local vault (or your private fork of this template). No data is sent to this repo or any external service unless you configure it to (e.g., enabling the Local REST API plugin and exposing it).

Can I use this without Hermes / OpenClaw? Absolutely. The vault structure, templates, Dataview queries, Kanban boards, and scripts are all usable as a standalone Obsidian “second brain” template. The Hermes-specific automation (hourly archiving, INSTALL_PROMPT.md) simply won’t run without a Hermes agent.

What’s the difference between the “Use this template” button and the one-line install?

• Use this template → creates your own private repo on GitHub with full history. Best if you want to version-control your personal vault.
• One-line install (curl ... | bash) → downloads the latest template directly to your machine, no GitHub account needed. Best for quick local setup.

Why are Daily/, Memory-Review/, and .smart-env/ git-ignored? They contain your personal session data, API keys, and plugin state. The template only ships the structure (folders, templates, scripts). See SETUP.md for the full list of intentionally excluded paths.

How do I update the template after I’ve installed it? Run the update script from inside your vault:

  ./_System/Scripts/Installers/update.sh     # Linux/macOS
.\\_System\\Scripts\\Installers\\update.ps1   # Windows
  

This pulls the latest template files (scripts, templates, configs) without touching your personal data in Daily/, Memory-Review/, etc.

Where do I ask questions or request features? Open a Discussion — there’s a welcome post to get started. Bugs and PRs go in Issues.