Converges the Windows packaged desktop installer onto a single canonical
install topology: drop the Electron shell only (~80MB instead of ~500MB),
clone Hermes Agent at a build-time-pinned commit on first launch via
install.ps1's stage protocol, and treat the resulting git checkout at
%LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes\hermes-agent\ as the canonical install location
(same path the CLI installer uses). Future updates flow through the
existing applyUpdates() git-pull path.
Replaces the previous fat-installer architecture where the .exe bundled
a pre-staged hermes-agent source tree under resources/hermes-agent/ that
was then sync'd into ACTIVE_HERMES_ROOT at launch -- a complicated
factory-vs-active dance with several footguns (FACTORY_HERMES_ROOT
mismatch on path resolve, isGitCheckout guard regressions, pyproject
hash drift detection inside the sync loop).
Architecture overview
---------------------
Build time
apps/desktop/scripts/write-build-stamp.cjs writes
apps/desktop/build/install-stamp.json with {commit, branch, builtAt,
dirty}. Honours $GITHUB_SHA / $GITHUB_REF_NAME in CI, falls back to
`git rev-parse HEAD` locally.
apps/desktop/scripts/stage-native-deps.cjs copies the runtime subset
of @homebridge/node-pty-prebuilt-multiarch from the workspace-root
node_modules into apps/desktop/build/native-deps/. Workspace dedup
hoists this dep to the root, out of reach of electron-builder's
`files:`-restricted collector; staging gives us a deterministic
path to extraResources.
electron-builder ships both into resources/install-stamp.json and
resources/native-deps/ respectively.
Boot resolver (electron/main.cjs)
Resolver order:
1. HERMES_DESKTOP_HERMES_ROOT override
2. SOURCE_REPO_ROOT (dev mode)
3. ACTIVE_HERMES_ROOT git checkout WITH .hermes-bootstrap-complete
marker -- the post-install fast path
4. `hermes` on PATH (CLI-installed user adding the desktop)
5. pip-installed hermes_cli via system Python
6. bootstrap-needed sentinel -> hand off to runBootstrap
Deletes the entire FACTORY_HERMES_ROOT / RUNTIME_MARKER /
syncTreeExcludingVenv machinery (-200 lines). The isGitCheckout
guard that bit us in the install.ps1 PR is gone.
First-launch bootstrap (electron/bootstrap-runner.cjs)
1. Resolve install.ps1: prefer SOURCE_REPO_ROOT/scripts (dev), else
download from GitHub raw at INSTALL_STAMP.commit (cached at
HERMES_HOME\bootstrap-cache\install-<sha>.ps1).
2. Fetch the stage manifest via install.ps1 -Manifest -Commit X
-Branch Y.
3. Iterate stages: install.ps1 -Stage <name> -NonInteractive -Json
-Commit X -Branch Y per stage.
4. On all stages green: write the .hermes-bootstrap-complete
marker with {schemaVersion, pinnedCommit, pinnedBranch,
completedAt, desktopVersion}.
Per-run log to HERMES_HOME\logs\bootstrap-<ts>.log. Cancellation
via AbortSignal. Manifest cache so retries don't re-download.
Install overlay (src/components/desktop-install-overlay.tsx)
Mounted alongside the existing onboarding overlay; flexbox card
with header (static) + middle (scrollable) + footer (failure-only,
static). Subscribes to hermes:bootstrap:event IPC + resyncs from
hermes:bootstrap:get on mount/reload. Renders:
- 14-stage checklist with per-stage state icons
- Overall progress bar + current-stage spotlight
- Auto-expanded installer-output panel on failure
- "Copy output" button (full ring buffer + error to clipboard)
- "Reload and retry" wired through hermes:bootstrap:reset to
clear main.cjs's latched failure
Synthetic empty-manifest event from main.cjs flips the overlay to
'active' immediately so the slow install.ps1 download doesn't
leave the user staring at the generic Preparing splash.
Failure latching (main.cjs)
bootstrapFailure module-scope variable holds the rejection after
install.ps1 fails. startHermes() throws the latched error
immediately when set, bypassing the entire ensureRuntime +
runBootstrap chain. Without this, the renderer's ensureGatewayOpen
retries would re-run install.ps1 in a 5-10 min hot loop while the
user was still reading the failure overlay. Cleared via
hermes:bootstrap:reset on user-driven retry.
Unsupported-platform overlay (1F)
macOS / Linux packaged builds (no install.sh stage protocol yet)
emit an unsupported-platform event with a copy-pasteable install
command + docs URL. Dedicated overlay branch with "Copy command"
+ "I've run it -- retry" buttons.
install.ps1 additions (Phase 1F.3 + 1F.5)
-----------------------------------------
New -Commit and -Tag string params. Precedence Commit > Tag >
Branch. Honoured by all three code paths (update / fresh clone /
ZIP fallback), with archive URL selection that handles each
ref-type variant. Detached-HEAD checkouts intentionally -- they're
pins, not branches the user pulls into.
EAP=Continue wrap around the new pin-step git invocations. `git
fetch origin <commit>` writes the routine 'From <url>' info line to
stderr; under the script's global EAP=Stop that terminates the
script even though fetch+checkout succeed. Matches the established
pattern in Install-Uv, Test-Python, _Run-NpmInstall.
Backend fix (hermes_cli/web_server.py)
--------------------------------------
CORS allow_origin_regex now accepts Origin: 'null'. Packaged
Electron loads index.html via file://; Chromium sets the WebSocket
upgrade Origin header to the opaque origin 'null', which the old
regex rejected with HTTP 403 before gateway_ws() ever ran. This
failure mode was masked in the older FACTORY_HERMES_ROOT
architecture because the resolver often found an existing hermes
on PATH with different binding behavior.
Security maintained: localhost-only bind keeps cross-machine pages
out; per-process session token still gates every authenticated
/api/ endpoint regardless of Origin.
Desktop QoL
-----------
DevTools is now enabled in packaged builds (F12 / Cmd+Opt+I).
Field-debugging trade-off: tiny attack surface increase versus
a much better support story when CSP / WS / theme issues surface.
NSIS prereq-check page deleted (-767 lines). The standard
Welcome -> License -> Directory -> InstallFiles -> Finish wizard
now installs without custom Python/Git/ripgrep detection -- those
prereqs are install.ps1's job at first launch.
Test infrastructure (Phase 1G)
------------------------------
apps/desktop/scripts/test-desktop.mjs rewritten as a cross-platform
bundle validator (was darwin-only and asserted on dead factory-
payload paths):
NEGATIVE: hermes_cli/main.py is NOT shipped (regression guard)
POSITIVE: install-stamp.json carries a real commit + branch
POSITIVE: node-pty native deps shipped under resources/native-deps
POSITIVE: renderer dist/index.html reachable (asar or unpacked)
New nsis mode and npm run test:desktop:nsis script.
Validated end-to-end on clean Win10 VM
--------------------------------------
Confirmed: NSIS installer drops Electron shell, app launches,
install overlay shows progress, install.ps1 clones the pinned
commit, 14 stages run to completion, marker written, backend
spawns, WebSocket connects, onboarding overlay asks for API key,
main UI loads, integrated terminal works.
Failures handled: bootstrap stays failed (no hot-loop retry),
"Copy output" gives actionable transcript, "Reload and retry"
explicitly re-runs install.ps1.
What's deferred
---------------
- MSIX wrapping (Phase 2): same Electron .exe under MSIX manifest
with runFullTrust, signed and submitted to Microsoft Store.
- install.sh stage protocol parity (Phase 2): once shipped, the
unsupported-platform overlay becomes drive-it-yourself and
macOS/Linux packaged installers gain feature parity with Windows.
Add ripgrep as a third (recommended) prereq alongside Python and Git in
the NSIS prereq detection page, and clean up the page layout based on
on-VM testing.
Why ripgrep
- Hermes' search_files tool calls `rg` directly for content + filename
search (tools/file_operations.py:1382). Falls back to grep/find from
Git Bash when missing — works but slower and noisier (no .gitignore
awareness).
- ~5MB winget install via `BurntSushi.ripgrep.MSVC --scope user` — no
UAC prompt, parallel to how Python installs.
- scripts/install.ps1 already installs ripgrep as part of
Install-SystemPackages; this brings the desktop installer to parity.
Why "recommended" not "required"
- Python and Git are hard requirements: without them the agent runtime
or terminal tool refuses to start. The bootstrapper preflight throws.
- ripgrep is a performance enhancement: missing it just means slower
searches. Page wording reflects this; failure to install is logged
but doesn't show a MessageBox or block.
Layout polish (response to on-VM screenshot review)
- Wizard header now correctly reads "System Requirements" instead of
the leftover "Choose Install Location" from the previous page. Set
via `GetDlgItem $HWNDPARENT 1037/1038` + WM_SETTEXT — the standard
NSIS pattern for overriding the page header on a custom Page.
- Removed redundant in-body title + verbose intro paragraph; the
wizard header IS the title now. Body has one short intro line.
- Group boxes tightened to 26u with content positioned just below the
groupbox title (not top-anchored status + bottom-anchored checkbox
with empty space in the middle). All three panels + footer fit
comfortably in 126u, well under the 140u page limit.
- Checkbox labels simplified: dropped "(per-user, no admin prompt)"
and "(administrator approval required)" suffixes. The footer note
still calls out UAC for Git when relevant.
- Footer text trimmed to fit cleanly without clipping.
Install order (in customInstall macro)
- Python → ripgrep → Git
- Python and ripgrep are silent and run first; Git's UAC prompt comes
last so the user's approval interaction isn't interrupted by silent
activity afterwards.
Skip behavior unchanged
- All three detected → page auto-skips via Abort
- Silent install (/S) → customInstall winget block skips
- User unchecks all → page advances without running winget
Files
- apps/desktop/installer/prereq-check.nsh: ripgrep detection block,
ripgrep page panel + checkbox, ripgrep customInstall block,
GetDlgItem header override, layout reflow
- apps/desktop/README.md: Runtime prerequisites section updated to
list ripgrep as recommended, with manual winget command
The packaged Windows installer now detects Python 3.11+ and Git for Windows
at install time and offers to install missing prereqs via winget. Mirrors
the prereq logic scripts/install.ps1 already runs for CLI installs, so
desktop installer users get the same out-of-the-box experience as
install.ps1 users.
Why
- Hermes' terminal tool calls bash.exe directly (tools/environments/
local.py); on Windows that's Git Bash from Git for Windows. Without it,
the agent fails on the first terminal() call.
- Hermes' Python runtime needs 3.11+. Without it, the desktop bootstrapper
errors out at venv creation.
- Both gaps surfaced on a fresh Windows 11 VM smoke test: VM had Python
pre-installed but no Git, so the agent's first terminal call failed
with "Git Bash isn't installed."
- install.ps1 has had Install-Git + Install-Uv functions for ages. The
desktop installer was the asymmetric outlier.
How — NSIS prereq page
- New file: apps/desktop/installer/prereq-check.nsh (plugged into
electron-builder via build.nsis.include)
- Real Wizard page using nsDialogs, inserted via customPageAfterChangeDir
hook (between the Directory page and InstFiles).
- Group boxes for Python and Git, each showing detection status.
- Pre-checked install checkboxes when winget is available.
- Auto-skips silently if both prereqs are already installed.
- Falls back to manual download URLs when winget itself is missing.
- Detection:
- Python: probes `py -3.11`/`-3.12`/`-3.13`/`-3.14` via the Python
launcher. Microsoft Store "Python stub" (no py.exe) is correctly
classified as not-installed.
- Git: `where git`.
- winget: `where winget` (Win10 1809+ / Win11 with App Installer).
- Install execution (in customInstall macro):
- Python: nsExec::ExecToLog with `--scope user --silent`. Per-user
install, no UAC prompt, output streams to install log.
- Git: ExecShellWait via Windows ShellExecute. Critical because Git
always installs per-machine and triggers UAC; ShellExecute preserves
the foreground focus chain across non-elevated → elevated process
spawns, so UAC actually comes to the foreground. nsExec::ExecToLog
breaks the chain because winget runs hidden.
- Both pass `--disable-interactivity --accept-package-agreements
--accept-source-agreements` to suppress winget's own dialogs.
- Verification: probes Git's standard install locations via FileExists
rather than `where git`. NSIS's process inherits PATH at startup, so
a freshly-installed Git won't be visible to `where` until restart.
- Silent installs (/S) skip the prompts; managed deploys handle prereqs
out-of-band via Group Policy / Intune.
How — Electron-side safety net
- New findGitBash() in main.cjs, parallel to findSystemPython(). Probes
the same locations as tools/environments/local.py:_find_bash() so a
positive result here means the agent's terminal tool will work.
- ensureRuntime now throws a clear, actionable error on Windows when Git
Bash isn't found, matching the existing "Python 3.11+ is required"
error path.
- Catches users the NSIS page doesn't: .msi installer users (NSIS prereq
page doesn't run for MSI), `npm run dev` users, manual installers,
anyone who unchecked the install boxes on the NSIS prereq page.
- All gated on `IS_WINDOWS`; macOS / Linux unaffected.
NSIS build issue (resolved)
- electron-builder defaults to `-WX` (warnings as errors). NSIS optimizer
emits "warning 6010: function not referenced" for our page functions
because Page custom directives don't count as references in its
static-analysis pass. The functions ARE called at runtime when NSIS
invokes the page; the optimizer just can't see it statically.
- Set `build.nsis.warningsAsErrors=false` in package.json so this
spurious warning doesn't fail the build. (Documented option from
electron-builder's nsisOptions.)
Out of scope (filed for future work)
- MSI prereq detection: Windows Installer custom actions are a different
mechanism. Enterprise deploys typically handle prereqs via GP/Intune.
- Bundle PortableGit + python-build-standalone in extraResources for
zero-network installs. ~80MB increase.
- Mac / Linux GUI prereq flows (different installer formats; Xcode CLT
covers most macOS prereqs already; Linux is per-distro hard).
Files
- apps/desktop/installer/prereq-check.nsh (new, ~290 lines NSIS)
- apps/desktop/package.json (build.nsis.include +
warningsAsErrors)
- apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs (findGitBash + preflight)
- apps/desktop/README.md (Runtime prerequisites
section)
Cross-platform impact
- macOS / Linux builds (dist:mac, dist:mac:dmg, dist:mac:zip): nsis
config is ignored entirely; .nsh is dormant.
- npm run dev: .nsh dormant; main.cjs preflight gated on IS_WINDOWS.
- scripts/install.ps1, scripts/install.sh: no reference to any new
files; CLI install paths untouched.
- Hermes CLI / dashboard / gateway: no reference; runtime untouched.
- All checks: node --check on main.cjs and test-desktop.mjs pass;
npm run test:desktop:platforms 4/4 passing; node --test green.
Tested
- npm run dist:win produces signed .exe and .msi without errors.
- Fresh Win11 VM (Python pre-installed, no Git): prereq page renders,
Python check shows detected, Git checkbox pre-checked. Click Next →
Git installs via winget with UAC prompt in foreground.
- After install completes, Hermes launches and the agent's terminal
tool can run bash commands. Verified Git Bash is detected at
`C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe` by ensureRuntime's preflight.
Make the desktop app's runtime layout match what scripts/install.ps1 and
scripts/install.sh produce, so a desktop-only user and a CLI-only user end
up with the same files in the same places and can share one install.
Layout
- ACTIVE_HERMES_ROOT = HERMES_HOME/hermes-agent (was: process.resourcesPath/hermes-agent, read-only)
- VENV_ROOT = HERMES_HOME/hermes-agent/venv (was: userData/hermes-runtime)
- desktop.log = HERMES_HOME/logs/desktop.log (was: userData/desktop.log)
- HERMES_HOME default: %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes on Windows, ~/.hermes elsewhere
The packaged .app/.exe still ships a read-only payload at
process.resourcesPath/hermes-agent (FACTORY_HERMES_ROOT). On first launch
or after an installer-driven upgrade we sync factory -> active, then
provision the venv and run pip install -e . against the active root.
Key behaviors
- Pin HERMES_HOME in the spawned Python's env so get_hermes_home() resolves
to the same path resolveHermesHome() picked. Without this, Python falls
back to ~/.hermes on every platform - fine on mac/linux, a split-state
bug on Windows where our default is %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes.
- Detect developer installs by .git presence at ACTIVE; never overwrite
a user's checkout via factory sync.
- Marker at ACTIVE/.hermes-desktop-runtime.json (schema v4) tracks
pyproject hash + factory version + runtime schema version. depsFresh
fast-paths when nothing changed.
- Dev (npm run dev) prefers SOURCE_REPO_ROOT over ACTIVE so devs run
their local edits, not whatever's under HERMES_HOME.
- Better error messages distinguish "no payload" from "no Python".
- Preserve a legacy ~/.hermes on Windows when no %LOCALAPPDATA%\hermes
exists, so users with prior pip/manual installs aren't orphaned.
pyproject.toml
- Promote fastapi, uvicorn[standard], ptyprocess (non-Windows), and
pywinpty (Windows) to main dependencies. The dashboard backend
(hermes dashboard) needs them at runtime; the previous lazy-import
fallback was a footgun for fresh installs.
- Empty the [pty] optional-extra; kept as a no-op back-compat alias for
any existing pip install hermes-agent[pty] invocations.
Drops the hardcoded BUNDLED_RUNTIME_REQUIREMENTS list in main.cjs - the
desktop now installs whatever pyproject.toml says, single source of truth.
Files
- apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs: runtime layout, HERMES_HOME pin,
factory->active sync, marker v4
- apps/desktop/scripts/test-desktop.mjs: track new venv location
- apps/desktop/README.md: new Setup, Runtime Bootstrap, and
Debugging sections
- pyproject.toml: fastapi/uvicorn/pty backends in main
dependencies; [pty] extra emptied
Tested locally on Windows: npm run dev boots cleanly, sessions land at
the new location, type-check + lint + test:desktop:platforms all pass.
Verified end-to-end on a fresh Win11 VM via dist:win installer.
Known gaps (filed as follow-ups, not in this PR):
- Skills not seeded on packaged installs (sync_skills only runs in
cmd_chat, not cmd_dashboard). Need to move to shared pre-dispatch.
- Git Bash not bundled or detected; agent's terminal tool errors out
with a useful message but desktop bootstrapper should pre-flight it.
- install.ps1 / install.sh should be decomposed into composable phase
libraries so the desktop bootstrapper can reuse them as a single
source of truth across all install surfaces.
