hermes-desktop-web: app and UI for Hermes Agent

Run the Hermes Desktop UI in a browser as a container connected to your Hermes backend

What hermes-desktop-web does

Hermes Desktop ships as an Electron build that installs on the host OS, so it cannot normally be served from a container. hermes-desktop-web builds the unmodified upstream renderer with a plain vite build and injects web-bridge.js, which implements the desktop app's window.hermesDesktop bridge (about 50 methods) using fetch and WebSocket.

On first start, the container reads your backend's version from the /api/health endpoint, clones the official hermes-agent repository at that exact version tag so the UI and backend match, builds the bundle, and serves it with nginx on one port. The default is port 8090 against a backend at 127.0.0.1:9119, both configurable. You sign in with your Hermes dashboard credentials. An optional Hermes plugin enables the Terminal tab by opening a shell on the machine where Hermes runs. The author describes it as an adapter, not a fork.

Key features

Serves the unmodified Hermes Desktop renderer in a browser
Builds against the same version tag as your running backend
Single-port nginx container, backend set with the GATEWAY variable
Sign in with the same credentials as the Hermes web dashboard
Optional web-terminal plugin to enable the Terminal tab

When to use it

Reaching the Desktop UI of a remote or containerized Hermes from any browser
Running Hermes on a server and using the Desktop interface without installing Electron
Pairing a containerized Hermes backend with a matching front end

Who it is for: Self-hosters who run Hermes Agent in a container or on a server and want the Desktop UI in a browser.

How it fits with Hermes Agent

Built around Hermes Agent: it adapts the official Hermes Desktop app and talks to the Hermes gateway the way the desktop app's own remote backend mode does.

How to install hermes-desktop-web

These commands are copied from the project's README. Check the repository for the latest steps before you run them.

git clone https://github.com/Ohrest88/hermes-desktop-web && cd hermes-desktop-web
podman build -t hermes-desktop-web .
podman run -d --name hermes-desktop-web --network host hermes-desktop-web
podman logs -f hermes-desktop-web

Requirements: podman or docker and a running Hermes instance (for example at http://127.0.0.1:9119)

FAQ

What is hermes-desktop-web?

hermes-desktop-web is an adapter that runs the official Hermes Desktop UI as a containerized web app. The container relays traffic to your Hermes backend.

Is hermes-desktop-web a fork of Hermes Desktop?

No. It builds the unmodified upstream renderer and adds a bridge layer, web-bridge.js, that replaces the Electron interface with browser APIs.

What do I need to run hermes-desktop-web?

You need podman or docker and a running Hermes instance. The first start takes a few minutes while the container builds the UI for your backend.