---
title: Hermes Chaos
type: system
status: active
created: 2026-08-15
updated: 2026-08-17
verified_on: 2026-08-17
confidence: high
tags: [hermes, chaos, ct450, experimental, agent]
sources: [live-probe, config-inspection]
---

# Hermes Chaos

## Purpose

Experimental Hermes instance for testing new configurations, skills, themes, model routing, and plugin changes before promoting them to production. Changes here must not affect CT460 production without explicit approval.

## Location

- **Container:** LXC CT450 (`hermesagent`)
- **Tailscale IP:** `100.98.205.112`
- **Hostname:** `hermesagent`
- **Software:** hermes-ui (Vite web app for browser use, port 5174)
- **Memory:** CPU-only container (no GPU) — self-hosted VRAM models are off the table

## Current State

- **Status:** Active (experimental)
- **Soul:** Chaos — the unhinged raccoon 🦝 (SOUL.md beat-bank variant, updated 2026-08-01)
- **Duplicate cron jobs:** 11 paused (no post-pause execution records since 2026-08-01)
- **Production counterparts:** CT460 has 11 enabled jobs with successful latest runs

## Providers & Routing

- **Default model:** `deepseek-flash-mix` via `custom:omniroute` (`http://100.88.81.19:20128/v1`, key via `$HERMES_CUSTOM_100_88_81_19_20128_API_KEY`)
- **Fallback chain** (fixed 2026-08-15 — OmniRoute fallback entries removed, they were non-functional):
  1. `kilo-stepfun-step-3_7-flash-free` via `litellm_4000`
  2. `nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra:free` via `nous`
  3. `auto` via `custom` at `https://freellmapi.com/v1`
- **Important:** `fallback_providers` must stay a YAML list — `hermes config set` writes strings, which silently disables the whole chain (`_iter_fallback_entries` returns `[]` for strings). Edit via the `hermes fallback` command or direct YAML edit.
- See [[systems/model-providers]] for full breakdown.

## Browser & Desktop Access

- **Browser engine:** `camofox` on port 9377 (config: `engine: camofox`). Does **not** expose raw CDP on 9222 — do not point `cdp_url` at 9222 or browser tools fail with connection refused.
- **VNC desktop:** `camofox-vnc.service` (user unit) on Xvfb `:127`, RFB 5901, localhost-only no-auth. View at `hermesagent.kangaroo-eel.ts.net/vnc.html`.
- **CDP endpoint for typed-browser ops:** bind via `cua_browser_prepare`/`cua_browser_state` on the Camofox window; legacy `browser_navigate` works for plain navigation.
- See [[systems/browser-backend]] for browser architecture.

## Web UIs (do not conflate)

- **WebUI:** port 8787 (Python/vanilla JS)
- **hermes-ui:** port 5174 (Vite/React desktop-style renderer, proxies to gateway 9119)
- These are separate projects. Deployment of hermes-ui is done via CX-dump + tar through the PVE host.

## Phase One Review (2026-08-08)

Phase One seven-day review completed and independently live-verified:
- CT450 duplicate jobs remained paused with no post-pause execution records
- CT460 counterparts remain enabled with successful latest runs
- CT333 schedules remained enabled and healthy
- **Phase Two is ready for consideration but is NOT approved**

## Key Rules

- **Do not promote changes to production without explicit approval.** Chaos is for testing.
- **Duplicate cron jobs are paused.** Do not re-enable without approval.
- **Separate state.** Memory, skills, and config are independent from CT460.
- **Wiki governance:** write only to this section (`agents/hermes-chaos.md`); never hand-edit auto-generated pages like [[systems/skills-index]].

## Relationship to Production

Hermes Chaos (CT450) and Hermes Production (CT460) are separate Hermes instances with:
- Separate configs
- Separate skills
- Separate cron jobs
- Separate memory state (Chaos runs Hindsight, bank `hermes-clean`; production runs Mnemosyne)
- Separate Tailscale