---
title: Camoufox vs Chrome
type: comparison
status: active
created: 2026-07-22
updated: 2026-07-22
verified_on: 2026-07-22
confidence: medium
tags: [comparison, browser]
sources: [raw/configs/hermes-config-sanitized.txt]
---

# Camoufox vs Chrome

## Purpose
Compare the two browser-automation options for Hermes's browser tool.

## At a glance
| | Camoufox | Chrome |
|---|---|---|
| In use on this install | **Yes** — configured `cloud_provider` | No evidence found |
| Config | `browser.camofox.managed_persistence: true` (note: key is spelled `camofox` in config, not `camoufox`) | n/a |
| Driver | `cua-driver` v0.9.0 at `/home/hermes/.cua-driver/packages/releases/0.9.0-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/cua-driver` | n/a |
| Display | Headed, via Xvfb `:99` + fluxbox — see [[systems/headless-server]] | n/a |
| `use_gateway` | `false` | n/a |

## Detail

### Camoufox (in use)
- **Verified:** `browser.cloud_provider: camofox`, `inactivity_timeout: 120s`, `allow_private_urls: true`.
- Runs headed under Xvfb rather than a true headless mode, per [[systems/headless-server]] — fluxbox provides the window manager, x11vnc/noVNC expose it for human viewing.
- `cua-driver` bridges Hermes's computer-use tool calls to the browser.

### Chrome (not found in use)
- No `google-chrome`, `chromium`, or CDP-only launch flags found in the sanitized config or running process list during this audit.
- Included in the comparison because the page existed as a placeholder — if Chrome/CDP was evaluated and rejected, that reasoning isn't captured anywhere; worth a [[decisions/index]] entry if anyone remembers why Camoufox was chosen over stock Chrome.

## Verdict
This install uses **Camoufox exclusively**. There's no evidence Chrome/Chromium was ever wired in as an alternative on this host — the comparison exists more as a placeholder for a decision that may have been made outside this wiki than as an active either/or choice today.

## Related
- [[systems/browser-backend]]
- [[concepts/browser-automation]]