After running hermes claw migrate, your config files and skills have been migrated to Hermes, but the Agent’s cognition may still be stuck in the OpenClaw era. It may still call itself “Aris,” try to access the ~/.openclaw/ directory, and use tools that no longer exist.
Solution: Send a single command that lets the Agent automatically check and fix its own identity and working logic.
Roles Explained
Before continuing, we need to clarify two identities:
| Identity | Framework | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aris | OpenClaw | The AI assistant name in the original OpenClaw ecosystem, used in your historical configuration |
| Helix | Hermes | The new identity after migrating to Hermes, which the Agent needs to self-identify as |
When the Agent says “I am Aris,” it is still running on its OpenClaw identity. You need it to update to “I am Helix.”
Background
Limitations of the Official Migration Command
hermes claw migrate handles the data level:
- Copies configuration files to
~/.hermes/ - Migrates skills to
~/.hermes/skills/openclaw-imports/ - Transfers memory files
But it does not modify the contents of files. If SOUL.md says “I am Aris,” the Agent will still believe that after migration.
Typical Symptoms
After migration, if the Agent exhibits any of the following behaviors, it needs role adaptation:
| Symptom | Description |
|---|---|
| Calls itself “Aris” | Identity not updated |
Accesses ~/.openclaw/ |
Wrong path cognition |
| Invokes memory_search | Using an OpenClaw-specific tool |
| Mentions “OpenClaw provides context” | Wrong framework cognition |
The Single-Command Automation Approach
You don’t need to edit files manually. Send the following command to the Agent, and it will automatically perform all checks and fixes:
The Agent will automatically run the checks above, modify files directly, and report a summary of changes to you.
Technical Details (for reference)
If you want to know exactly what the Agent will check, here are the technical details:
Where Identity Is Declared
| File | Path | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| SOUL.md | ~/.hermes/SOUL.md | Global identity and personality definition |
| MEMORY.md | ~/.hermes/memories/MEMORY.md | The Agent’s personal notes (limited to 2,200 characters) |
| USER.md | ~/.hermes/memories/USER.md | User profile (limited to 1,375 characters) |
Key Differences
| Dimension | OpenClaw (Aris) | Hermes (Helix) |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | “I am Aris” | “I am Helix” |
| Framework | OpenClaw | Hermes Agent (Nous Research) |
| Home directory | ~/.openclaw/ | ~/.hermes/ |
| Memory storage | .jsonl files | SQLite + FTS5 |
| Skill lookup | memory_search | skills_list + skill_view |
| Memory limits | No explicit limits | 2,200 / 1,375 characters |
Example of Actual Changes
SOUL.md changes:
MEMORY.md changes:
Verification Results
After the Agent completes its self-check, it will output a report similar to the following:
Manual Verification (optional)
If you want to confirm the migration results manually:
References
- Official migration guide: Migrate from OpenClaw
- Memory system: Persistent Memory
- Context files: Context Files
Compiled from actual migration experience with Hermes Agent v0.7.0.
Author: Cyber Herald
Original URL: https://torchtree.com/en/post/openclaw-to-hermes-role-migration/
Publish Date: 2026-04-08
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0