# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Hermes update blocked by stale Docker install method file

## Open now

- 1 issue, 1 PR open on GitHub.
- #71153: \[Bug\]: \`hermes update\` blocks update when using Docker backend and old .install_method is "docker"
- PR #71172: fix(update): allow \`hermes update\` for Docker backends with a legacy .install-method file

These issues address a bug where \`hermes update\` is incorrectly blocked on Docker backends due to stale or legacy \`.install-method\` file contents. Fixes involve ignoring outdated code-scoped Docker stamps in non-container contexts and allowing updates when the old install method is 'docker'.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 1 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- No fix has been merged to main; one or more PRs were attempted (see below).
- **Recommended:** review the prior/competing PR(s) below. A fix was attempted but not merged; your case may extend or revive that work.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.67`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Open related issues

- #71153: \[Bug\]: \`hermes update\` blocks update when using Docker backend and old .install_method is "docker"

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#71172: fix(update): allow \`hermes update\` for Docker backends with a legacy .install-method file**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `hermes_cli/config.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_pip_install_detection.py`
- **#71927: fix(install): ignore stale code-scoped docker stamp on non-container hosts (#71153)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `stale_abandoned`; implication `active`

## Fix status

- No merged fix on record.
- Subsystem: `hermes_cli`