| name | deskbrid-hermes-mcp |
| description | Use when the user wants to wire Deskbrid as a Hermes MCP server — start the daemon, register MCP tools, test connectivity, and verify available tool categories. For initial system install, load the devops/deskbrid-install skill first. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | Tuck |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"hermes":{"tags":["deskbrid","desktop","linux","mcp","hermes","integration"],"related_skills":["deskbrid-release-checklist"]}} |
Deskbrid Hermes MCP Integration
Wire Deskbrid's 100+ Linux desktop control tools into Hermes as an MCP server. After setup, the agent can control windows, keyboard, mouse, clipboard, screenshots, AT-SPI accessibility, terminals, and more.
Prerequisites: Deskbrid daemon installed and running. See devops/deskbrid-install skill for system installation.
What This Skill Covers
- Start the Deskbrid daemon (if not running)
- Register Deskbrid as a Hermes MCP server
- Test MCP connectivity
- Verify available tool categories
Step 1 — Ensure Daemon Is Running
pgrep -a deskbrid
If no daemon, start it:
nohup deskbrid daemon --dashboard-bind 0.0.0.0 > /tmp/deskbrid.log 2>&1 &
sleep 2
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" http://127.0.0.1:20129
--dashboard-bind 0.0.0.0 makes the web dashboard accessible from LAN. Use 127.0.0.1 on single-user workstations. The dashboard exposes clipboard history, screenshots, and window titles — only bind to 0.0.0.0 on trusted networks.
Step 2 — Register MCP Server
hermes mcp list | grep deskbrid
hermes mcp add deskbrid --command "deskbrid mcp"
This adds to ~/.hermes/config.yaml:
mcp_servers:
deskbrid:
command: deskbrid
args:
- mcp
timeout: 30
Step 3 — Test
hermes mcp test deskbrid
Expected: ✓ deskbrid: connected
Step 4 — Session Restart
MCP servers are loaded at session start. Run /reset or start a new hermes session. After restart, the agent has 100+ new tools.
Available Tool Categories
After MCP registration, the agent gains these tool categories:
| Category | Tools | Examples |
|---|
| Windows | list, focus, close, minimize, maximize, move, resize, tile | list_windows, focus_window |
| Input | keyboard typing, key combos, mouse, click, scroll, drag | type_text, press_key, mouse_move |
| Clipboard | read, write, history | clipboard_read, clipboard_write |
| Screenshots | capture, OCR, diff | screenshot, screenshot_ocr |
| System | info, battery, idle, power, pressure (PSI) | system_info, system_pressure |
| AT-SPI A11y | tree, get element, click, set value, perform action | get_accessibility_tree, click_element |
| Terminal | create PTY, send input, read output | terminal_create, terminal_send |
| Files | search, read, write, watch | files_search, files_read |
| Audio | volume, mute, sink management | audio_volume, audio_mute |
| Network | WiFi, Bluetooth, connections | network_status, wifi_scan |
| MPRIS | media player control | mpris_play, mpris_pause |
| Print | list printers, print files, manage jobs | print_file, print_list |
| Notifications | send, dismiss, history | notify_send, notify_dismiss |
| Keyring | Secret Service credentials | secrets_get, secrets_store |
| Rules | event-triggered automation | rule_create, rule_list |
| Confirmation | approval-gated destructive actions | confirm, deny |
| Agent | inter-agent mailbox messaging | agent_send, agent_check |
| Search | unified cross-surface search | search_query |
| Macros | record and replay action sequences | macro_record, macro_replay |
| Capabilities | supported actions, high-risk listing | capabilities |
Troubleshooting
MCP test fails
pgrep -a deskbrid
echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list"}' | deskbrid mcp
Tools not appearing after /reset
MCP servers load at session start. Verify registration: hermes mcp list. If deskbrid shows as disabled, run hermes mcp configure deskbrid to toggle tools on.
"Permission denied" on high-risk tools
Deskbrid uses ~/.config/deskbrid/permissions.toml. High-risk actions (clipboard read, screenshot, keyboard input, process start, terminal create) require explicit allow-listing. Edit the permissions file and restart the daemon.
Dashboard connection pool full
If the dashboard returns 000 but the daemon is running, the SSE connection pool (max 32) is full. Restart the daemon to clear it.
