feat(browser): prefer Chrome default + add Brave/Edge fallbacks
Co-authored-by: Christoph Nakazawa <christoph.pojer@gmail.com>
This commit is contained in:
Peter Steinberger
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
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---
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summary: "Fix Chrome/Chromium CDP startup issues for Clawdbot browser control on Linux"
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summary: "Fix Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium CDP startup issues for Clawdbot browser control on Linux"
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read_when: "Browser control fails on Linux, especially with snap Chromium"
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---
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@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ read_when: "Browser control fails on Linux, especially with snap Chromium"
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## Problem: "Failed to start Chrome CDP on port 18800"
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Clawdbot's browser control server fails to launch Chrome/Chromium with the error:
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Clawdbot's browser control server fails to launch Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium with the error:
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```
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{"error":"Error: Failed to start Chrome CDP on port 18800 for profile \"clawd\"."}
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```
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@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ curl -s http://127.0.0.1:18791/tabs
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| Option | Description | Default |
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|--------|-------------|---------|
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| `browser.enabled` | Enable browser control | `true` |
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| `browser.executablePath` | Path to Chrome/Chromium binary | auto-detected |
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| `browser.executablePath` | Path to a Chromium-based browser binary (Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium) | auto-detected |
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| `browser.headless` | Run without GUI | `false` |
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| `browser.noSandbox` | Add `--no-sandbox` flag (needed for some Linux setups) | `false` |
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| `browser.attachOnly` | Don't launch browser, only attach to existing | `false` |
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@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ read_when:
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# Browser (clawd-managed)
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Clawdbot can run a **dedicated Chrome/Chromium profile** that the agent controls.
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Clawdbot can run a **dedicated Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium profile** that the agent controls.
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It is isolated from your personal browser and is managed through a small local
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control server.
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Beginner view:
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- Think of it as a **separate, agent-only browser**.
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- It does **not** touch your personal Chrome profile.
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- It does **not** touch your personal browser profile.
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- The agent can **open tabs, read pages, click, and type** in a safe lane.
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## What you get
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@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Browser settings live in `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json`.
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headless: false,
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noSandbox: false,
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attachOnly: false,
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executablePath: "/Applications/Chromium.app/Contents/MacOS/Chromium",
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executablePath: "/Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/MacOS/Brave Browser",
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profiles: {
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clawd: { cdpPort: 18800, color: "#FF4500" },
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work: { cdpPort: 18801, color: "#0066CC" },
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@@ -69,17 +69,45 @@ Notes:
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- If you override the Gateway port (`gateway.port` or `CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT`),
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the default browser ports shift to stay in the same “family” (control = gateway + 2).
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- `cdpUrl` defaults to `controlUrl + 1` when unset.
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- `attachOnly: true` means “never launch Chrome; only attach if it is already running.”
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- `attachOnly: true` means “never launch a local browser; only attach if it is already running.”
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- `color` + per-profile `color` tint the browser UI so you can see which profile is active.
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- Auto-detect order: Chrome → Brave → Edge → Chromium → Chrome Canary.
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## Use Brave (or another Chromium-based browser)
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Set `browser.executablePath` to override auto-detection:
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```json5
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// macOS
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{
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browser: {
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executablePath: "/Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/MacOS/Brave Browser"
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}
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}
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// Windows
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{
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browser: {
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executablePath: "C:\\Program Files\\BraveSoftware\\Brave-Browser\\Application\\brave.exe"
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}
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}
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// Linux
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{
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browser: {
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executablePath: "/usr/bin/brave-browser"
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}
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}
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```
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## Local vs remote control
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- **Local control (default):** `controlUrl` is loopback (`127.0.0.1`/`localhost`).
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The Gateway starts the control server and can launch Chrome.
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The Gateway starts the control server and can launch a local browser.
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- **Remote control:** `controlUrl` is non-loopback. The Gateway **does not** start
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a local server; it assumes you are pointing at an existing server elsewhere.
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- **Remote CDP:** set `browser.profiles.<name>.cdpUrl` (or `browser.cdpUrl`) to
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attach to a remote Chrome. In this case, Clawdbot will not launch a local browser.
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attach to a remote Chromium-based browser. In this case, Clawdbot will not launch a local browser.
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## Remote browser (control server)
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@@ -88,7 +116,7 @@ Gateway at it with a remote `controlUrl`. This lets the agent drive a browser
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outside the host (lab box, VM, remote desktop, etc.).
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Key points:
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- The **control server** speaks to Chrome/Chromium via **CDP**.
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- The **control server** speaks to Chromium-based browsers (Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium) via **CDP**.
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- The **Gateway** only needs the HTTP control URL.
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- Profiles are resolved on the **control server** side.
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@@ -104,14 +132,14 @@ Example:
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```
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Use `profiles.<name>.cdpUrl` for **remote CDP** if you want the Gateway to talk
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directly to a Chrome instance without a remote control server.
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directly to a Chromium-based browser instance without a remote control server.
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### Running the control server on the browser machine
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Run a standalone browser control server (recommended when your Gateway is remote):
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```bash
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# on the machine that runs Chrome
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# on the machine that runs Chrome/Brave/Edge
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clawdbot browser serve --bind <browser-host> --port 18791 --token <token>
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```
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@@ -198,8 +226,8 @@ Notes:
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## Profiles (multi-browser)
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Clawdbot supports multiple named profiles (routing configs). Profiles can be:
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- **clawd-managed**: a dedicated Chrome instance with its own user data directory + CDP port
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- **remote**: an explicit CDP URL (Chrome running elsewhere)
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- **clawd-managed**: a dedicated Chromium-based browser instance with its own user data directory + CDP port
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- **remote**: an explicit CDP URL (Chromium-based browser running elsewhere)
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- **extension relay**: your existing Chrome tab(s) via the local relay + Chrome extension
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Defaults:
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@@ -264,22 +292,24 @@ Notes:
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## Isolation guarantees
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- **Dedicated user data dir**: never touches your personal Chrome profile.
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- **Dedicated user data dir**: never touches your personal browser profile.
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- **Dedicated ports**: avoids `9222` to prevent collisions with dev workflows.
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- **Deterministic tab control**: target tabs by `targetId`, not “last tab”.
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## Browser selection
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When launching locally, Clawdbot picks the first available:
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1. Chrome Canary
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2. Chromium
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3. Chrome
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1. Chrome
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2. Brave
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3. Edge
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4. Chromium
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5. Chrome Canary
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You can override with `browser.executablePath`.
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Platforms:
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- macOS: checks `/Applications` and `~/Applications`.
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- Linux: looks for `google-chrome`, `chromium`, etc.
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- Linux: looks for `google-chrome`, `brave`, `microsoft-edge`, `chromium`, etc.
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- Windows: checks common install locations.
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## Control API (optional)
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@@ -313,7 +343,7 @@ For the Chrome extension relay driver, ARIA snapshots and screenshots require Pl
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High-level flow:
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- A small **control server** accepts HTTP requests.
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- It connects to Chrome/Chromium via **CDP**.
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- It connects to Chromium-based browsers (Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium) via **CDP**.
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- For advanced actions (click/type/snapshot/PDF), it uses **Playwright** on top
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of CDP.
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- When Playwright is missing, only non-Playwright operations are available.
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