Pocket agent
One job, one machine, one user. The folder is a Routine. The Runtime runs the Loop.
A pocket agent is a small unattended loop: one job, one machine, one user. A chat is a session. A pocket agent is a saved loop that runs when you are not there.
The saved folder is a Routine at ~/.dora/harness/<slug>/. The Runtime runs the Loop. Today that Runtime is Hermes.
The model
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pocket agent | The product: one unattended loop |
| Routine | The folder at ~/.dora/harness/<slug>/ |
| Runtime | The host that runs the Loop. Today: Hermes |
| Loop | The scheduled job on the Runtime |
| One-pass | One test run. Not the hourly job |
| Fixed step | Optional frozen Skill after a good one-pass |
| Run handoff | handoff.md when the destination cannot tell |
What counts as pocket
The job is loop-able: the same prompt on a timer. No human on that run.
It is pocket when all three hold:
- One job.
- One machine (the Mac that runs Hermes).
- One user (you).
It is not pocket when you babysit a chat, when many users share one job, or when the work needs a server that stays up.
Default interval is 1 hour. Do not set 1 minute during the grill. Change it after a good run.
What lives in the folder
| File | Job |
|---|---|
prompt.md |
Night steps. No secrets. No footer line. |
routine.yml |
Interval, model, provider, reasoning |
.env |
Secrets you add after save. Dora does not copy this. |
A Run has no last chat. Prefer a search before a create. When the destination cannot tell, the night prompt reads handoff.md at the start and overwrites it at the end. Missing file means first Run. Dora does not write that file.
Human-visible messages end with Sent by pocket agent <slug>. Do not put that line in prompt.md. Apply installs a Hermes hook that stamps it on the GitHub review and Slack post if the model skips it.
A Fixed step is optional. A small loop-able job can ship with prompt.md only.
Lifecycle
- Grill a loop-able idea with
/ask-dora. - Run one-pass.
- Accept the folder.
- Apply and watch.
- Log in with
hermes mcp login scalekit. Dora does not run that login.
Walkthrough: Run a pocket agent. CLI: dora harness.