---
title: Restart Hermes
type: runbook
status: active
created: 2026-07-22
updated: 2026-07-22
verified_on: 2026-07-22
last_tested: 2026-07-22
confidence: high
tags: [runbook, hermes, restart]
sources: [raw/configs/hermes-config-sanitized.txt]
---

# Restart Hermes

## Purpose
Restart the Hermes agent, gateway, dashboard, and browser helper processes cleanly.

## Symptoms that match this runbook
- Hermes stops responding in chat or WebUI
- Tools fail mid-session but the agent is otherwise running
- After an update or config change

## Prerequisites
- User account `hermes` with access to systemd --user
- No active backups in progress
- If using a browser session, warn the user before restarting dashboards

## Procedure

### 1. Identify the active Hermes processes
```bash
ps aux | grep -E "hermes_cli.main (gateway|dashboard) run|hermes-webui/server.py|cua-driver serve|x11vnc.*5901" | grep -v grep
```
Expected active pieces on this install:
- gateway: `/home/hermes/.hermes/hermes-agent/venv/bin/python -m hermes_cli.main gateway run`
- dashboard: `/home/hermes/.hermes/hermes-agent/venv/bin/python -m hermes_cli.main dashboard ...`
- webui: `/home/hermes/.hermes/hermes-agent/venv/bin/python /home/hermes/hermes-webui/server.py`
- camofox/cua-driver: `/home/hermes/.local/bin/cua-driver serve`
- x11vnc: `-display :99 ... 5901`

### 2. Restart the gateway
```bash
hermes gateway restart
```

### 3. Restart the dashboard if needed
```bash
hermes dashboard restart
```
If that fails, stop and rerun:
```bash
hermes dashboard stop
hermes dashboard --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9119 --no-open
```

### 4. Restart the browser helper if needed
```bash
pkill -f "cua-driver serve"
/home/hermes/.local/bin/cua-driver serve
```

### 5. Restart the WebUI if needed
Find its PID, then restart standalone:
```bash
pkill -f "hermes-webui/server.py"
/home/hermes/.hermes/hermes-agent/venv/bin/python /home/hermes/hermes-webui/server.py
```

## Verification
```bash
hermes gateway status
hermes dashboard status
ss -tlnp | grep -E "8787|9119|5901|6081"
ps aux | grep -E "gateway run|dashboard|cua-driver serve|server.py" | grep -v grep
```
Current known-good ports after verified restart:
- gateway: active via `hermes-gateway.service`
- dashboard: `0.0.0.0:9119`
- webui: `0.0.0.0:8787`
- VNC: `5901`
- noVNC: `6081`

## Rollback
- If restart fails, review recent config changes and consider restoring `config.yaml.bak.*`
- Do not delete old config files without explicit confirmation
- Re-run backup first if you plan to rollback config

## Notes
- Last tested: 2026-07-22 on debian 13, user-mode systemd
- WebUI logs: `/home/hermes/.hermes/webui/bootstrap-8787.log`
- Defunct `<defunct>` processes in process list are expected zombie shells from prior runs and do not require action unless they pile up

## Related
- [[runbooks/backup-wiki]]
- [[runbooks/update-hermes-safely]]