EdgeGlow: developer tool for Hermes Agent

macOS menu bar app that lights up your screen edges while Claude Code or Hermes Agent is working

What EdgeGlow does

EdgeGlow is an open-source macOS menu bar app that makes an AI coding agent's activity visible. While Claude Code or Hermes Agent is working, a glowing light effect travels around the edges of your screen, and it fades out over about 1.5 seconds when the agent finishes or waits for input. The project description states the app is 892KB, uses about 0% CPU, and supports multiple displays and multiple terminals.

The agent talks to EdgeGlow through HTTP hooks. A local server on 127.0.0.1:9876 accepts start, pulse and stop requests, fired from events such as UserPromptSubmit and PreToolUse to start the glow and PostToolUse and Stop to end it. The effect is drawn with four stacked CAShapeLayer layers that imitate neon. EdgeGlow runs on macOS 12 or later on Intel and Apple Silicon, and a separate EdgeGlow-Windows repository ports it to Windows 10 and 11, listing five themes.

Key features

Glowing edge effect while the agent is thinking, with a 1.5 second fade-out when done
HTTP hook integration for Claude Code and Hermes Agent
Local control server on 127.0.0.1:9876 that accepts only local connections
Four-layer neon rendering with multi-display and multi-terminal support
Prebuilt release download or source build with build.sh
Separate Windows port with the same hooks

When to use it

Tell at a glance whether Hermes is still working or waiting for you
Run several terminals with agents and see activity across multiple monitors
Add a visible busy indicator to an unattended coding session

Who it is for: macOS users who run Claude Code or Hermes Agent and want an ambient visual cue for agent activity.

How it fits with Hermes Agent

Supports Hermes Agent alongside Claude Code: Hermes is configured to call the same local start, pulse and stop hooks.

How to install EdgeGlow

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/vector4wang/EdgeGlow.git
cd EdgeGlow
./build.sh
open Build/EdgeGlow.app

Requirements: macOS 12.0 (Monterey) or later, Intel or Apple Silicon

FAQ

What is EdgeGlow?

EdgeGlow is a macOS menu bar app that lights up the edges of your screen while an AI coding agent works. The light fades out when the agent finishes or waits for input.

Does EdgeGlow work with Hermes Agent?

Yes. The README lists Hermes Agent alongside Claude Code, and both trigger the glow through HTTP hooks to a local server on port 9876.

What do I need to run EdgeGlow?

You need macOS 12.0 Monterey or later, on Intel or Apple Silicon. You can download a release zip or build from source with build.sh.