| name | chrome-setup-flyio |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| description | Install and configure Chrome for headless browser automation on Fly.io. Fixes "Chrome not found" errors from agent-browser. Covers npm global install, Chrome download, AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH setup, and PATH configuration.
|
| triggers | ["chrome not found","browser not working","agent-browser","install chrome"] |
Chrome Setup on Fly.io
Problem
The Hermes browser tool uses agent-browser CLI which requires Chrome/Chromium.
On Fly.io, the container runs as non-root user hermes with no apt-get.
Solution
1. Set npm global prefix (no sudo)
npm config set prefix /opt/data/npm-global
2. Install agent-browser
export PATH="/opt/data/npm-global/bin:$PATH"
npm install -g agent-browser
3. Download Chrome
agent-browser install
Chrome installs to: ~/.agent-browser/browsers/chrome-<version>/chrome
4. Set environment variable
Add to /opt/data/.env:
AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH=/opt/data/home/.agent-browser/browsers/chrome-<version>/chrome
5. Add npm global to PATH in .env
PATH=/opt/data/npm-global/bin:$PATH
6. Create symlink for cache detection
The browser tool checks /opt/data/.agent-browser/browsers (HERMES_HOME-based path):
mkdir -p /opt/data/.agent-browser
ln -sf /opt/data/home/.agent-browser/browsers /opt/data/.agent-browser/browsers
Pitfalls
npm install -g fails without setting custom prefix (permission denied)agent-browser install --with-deps fails on Fly.io (no apt-get)- Chrome binary is ~277MB; takes ~30s to download
.env changes require agent restart to take effect- Browser tool looks for Chrome in HERMES_HOME path, not HOME path — symlink needed
- Browserbase Launch plan doesn't include residential proxies or advanced stealth.
The API returns 402 and Hermes falls back gracefully, but the session is effectively
the same as local Chrome from a datacenter IP. StreetEasy/Zillow/Google will still
block with captchas. Scale plan required for proxy support.
