deboboy/hermes-pwa

Hermes PWA is a reference implementation of a chat interface built as an installable web app. It is designed to connect to a backend called Hermes Agent, which runs separately on a server. The project exists to test whether a set of recently released chat components from the shadcn/ui library would work well as the mobile-facing front end for that agent. The app is built with Next.js 16 and TypeScript, and uses Tailwind CSS for styling. The shadcn/ui chat components handle the details of displaying a conversation correctly: streaming responses appear as they arrive, scroll position stays anchored to the latest message, and previous sessions can be restored. The app works as a Progressive Web App, meaning users can install it from their browser to their phone's home screen and use it like a native app, even offline for previously loaded content. On top of the basic chat, the app supports browser push notifications using a web standard called Web Push. When the Hermes backend finishes an async task, it can send a notification to a specific installed app instance. Each installation has a stable ID stored in the browser, so the backend can target the right device. Session history is stored locally in the browser's built-in database and can also be searched across the remote Hermes backend using full-text search. Setup requires pointing the app at your own Hermes backend by setting an environment variable with its URL. You generate encryption keys for push notifications, run the standard npm install, and deploy anywhere that can run Node.js. This is a developer reference project, not a consumer product. It is most useful to someone who has already built or is building the Hermes agent and wants a ready-made mobile chat front end to connect to it.