Backchat: app and UI for Hermes Agent

Local-first desktop workspace for ACP agents including Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and Hermes

What Backchat does

Backchat gives developer agents a shared desktop while keeping what makes each harness useful. Sessions are grouped by working directory, so files, terminals, browser state and conversations stay attached to the project. A project has one primary folder, which supplies the chat cwd, Git context and project instructions, and optional secondary folders that extend file scope through ACP additionalDirectories.

The app includes a built-in browser, file viewer, terminal and image attachments, and it can render interactive MCP Apps inside a turn. Several harnesses can join one conversation, or you can use side chats, ACP forks and native subagent activity where the agent supports them. One-time or recurring schedules run against a project and harness with local run history. Agent binaries are discovered or set in Settings, Agents. The registry lists Hermes as a hermes ACP entry. You can run it from source with Node.js 24 and pnpm.

Key features

Registry entries for Claude Code, Codex CLI, Pi, DeepSeek Harness, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Hermes and OpenClaw
Project-scoped sessions with a primary folder and optional secondary folders
Built-in browser, files, terminal and image attachments
Interactive MCP Apps and Codex plugins rendered in a turn
Multi-agent conversations, side chats and ACP forks
One-time and recurring schedules with local run history

When to use it

Using Hermes and another coding agent side by side on the same project
Keeping files, terminal and browser state grouped by project folder
Scheduling a recurring agent task against a chosen project and harness

Who it is for: Developers who use more than one ACP-capable coding agent and want one desktop workspace for them.

How it fits with Hermes Agent

Supports Hermes Agent as one of eight ACP harnesses through its hermes registry entry, next to Claude Code, Codex and others.

How to install Backchat

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/openma-ai/backchat.git
cd backchat
pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
pnpm dev

Requirements: Node.js 24 and pnpm 11.24.0, plus the agents you want to run installed or configured in Settings

FAQ

What is Backchat?

Backchat is a local-first desktop workspace for Agent Client Protocol agents. It lets you run several coding agents in one app with projects, a browser, files, a terminal and sessions.

Does Backchat work with Hermes Agent?

Yes. The README lists Hermes in its supported agents table with a hermes ACP entry, alongside Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Pi and DeepSeek Harness.

Is Backchat free and open source?

The repository has no license file, so default copyright applies. Check with the author before reusing or redistributing the code.