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Windows / WSL auto-start

Hermes WebUI runs well under WSL2, but native Windows login does not automatically start Linux user processes. This guide covers two supported options:

  1. WSL session startup — simple and low-risk. WebUI starts the next time you open a WSL shell.
  2. Windows Task Scheduler — true Windows logon startup. Windows invokes wsl.exe, which runs the WSL launch script.

Both paths use the same WSL launch script:

scripts/wsl/hermes_webui_autostart.sh

The script is safe to call repeatedly. It uses a lock file, checks the /health endpoint, checks a pid file, and writes logs before starting start.sh --foreground in the background. It does not hardcode a user path; by default it derives the repository root from its own location.

Script settings

The WSL launcher supports these environment variables:

Variable Default Purpose
HERMES_WEBUI_REPO repo containing the script WebUI checkout to start
HERMES_WEBUI_LOG_DIR $HOME/.hermes/webui/logs Autostart and WebUI logs
HERMES_WEBUI_HOST 127.0.0.1 Host passed through to start.sh / bootstrap.py
HERMES_WEBUI_PORT 8787 WebUI port and health-check port
HERMES_WEBUI_HEALTH_URL http://127.0.0.1:$HERMES_WEBUI_PORT/health URL used to decide whether WebUI is already running
HERMES_WEBUI_PID_FILE $HERMES_WEBUI_LOG_DIR/hermes-webui.pid pid file used for duplicate prevention
HERMES_WEBUI_REQUIRE_AGENT_PROCESS 0 Optional: set to 1 only if your local setup requires a separate Hermes process before WebUI starts

Make the script executable once inside WSL:

cd /path/to/hermes-webui
chmod +x scripts/wsl/hermes_webui_autostart.sh

Run it manually to verify your paths and logs:

scripts/wsl/hermes_webui_autostart.sh
curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:8787/health

Logs are written to:

$HOME/.hermes/webui/logs/webui_autostart.log
$HOME/.hermes/webui/logs/hermes_webui.log

Option 1: WSL session startup

This starts WebUI when your WSL login shell starts. It is the easiest option if you already open WSL during your day.

Add this to ~/.profile or ~/.bashrc inside WSL, adjusting the repo path:

if [ -x "$HOME/hermes-webui/scripts/wsl/hermes_webui_autostart.sh" ]; then
  HERMES_WEBUI_REPO="$HOME/hermes-webui" \
    "$HOME/hermes-webui/scripts/wsl/hermes_webui_autostart.sh" >/dev/null 2>&1 &
fi

Open a new WSL terminal and check:

curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:8787/health

If you open several WSL terminals, the launcher should still start only one WebUI process because the lock, health check, and pid file all converge on "already running".

Option 2: Windows Task Scheduler startup

Use this if you want WebUI to start automatically at Windows logon even before you open a WSL terminal.

The helper PowerShell script is:

scripts/windows/setup_webui_autostart.ps1

From Windows PowerShell, run it with the WSL path to the launch script:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
.\scripts\windows\setup_webui_autostart.ps1 `
  -WslScriptPath "/home/your-user/hermes-webui/scripts/wsl/hermes_webui_autostart.sh" `
  -Distro "Ubuntu"

Notes:

  • -Distro is optional. Omit it to use your default WSL distro.
  • The default task name is HermesWebUIAutoStart; pass -TaskName if you need a different name.
  • The script is idempotent: rerunning it updates the existing scheduled task instead of creating duplicates.
  • The task runs as the current Windows user at logon with least privilege.
  • Add -WhatIf to preview the scheduled task registration.
  • Add -RunNow to start the task immediately after registration.
  • Add -SkipValidation only if you need to register the task before the WSL path exists.

To inspect or remove the task later:

Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName HermesWebUIAutoStart
Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName HermesWebUIAutoStart -Confirm:$false

Troubleshooting

Check the WSL logs first:

tail -n 80 "$HOME/.hermes/webui/logs/webui_autostart.log"
tail -n 80 "$HOME/.hermes/webui/logs/hermes_webui.log"

Common causes:

Symptom Likely cause Fix
Task exists but WebUI is not reachable WSL script path is wrong for the selected distro Re-run the PowerShell setup with the correct -WslScriptPath and -Distro
WebUI starts only after opening WSL You used the WSL session startup option, not Task Scheduler Install the Windows scheduled task
Multiple login events happen quickly Normal Windows startup behavior The WSL script should log already running and avoid duplicate processes
Health check fails but pid exists WebUI is still booting or the port differs Check HERMES_WEBUI_PORT and hermes_webui.log

If you want WSL2 systemd integration instead, see docs/supervisor.md for foreground process-supervisor guidance and adapt the Linux systemd --user pattern to your distro.