# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Docker zombie process reaping and install fixes

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These items address zombie process accumulation in Docker containers, including the --init flag for proper reaping and sleep infinity for idle-based lifetime, alongside salvaged Docker and install-related pull requests.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #7407. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #7407 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.67`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #6908: Background processes accumulate zombies; process tool reports dead processes as running

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#7407: fix(infra): salvage Docker/install PRs #6934 #6910 #6904 + entrypoint dirs from #6936**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `docker/entrypoint.sh`, `pyproject.toml`, `scripts/install.sh`, `tools/environments/docker.py`
  - fix hunks:
  - `docker/entrypoint.sh`

    ```diff
    @@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ INSTALL_DIR="/opt/hermes"
     # The "home/" subdirectory is a per-profile HOME for subprocesses (git,
     # ssh, gh, npm …).  Without it those tools write to /root which is
     # ephemeral and shared across profiles.  See issue #4426.
    -mkdir -p "$HERMES_HOME"/{cron,sessions,logs,hooks,memories,skills,home}
    +mkdir -p "$HERMES_HOME"/{cron,sessions,logs,hooks,memories,skills,skins,plans,workspace,home}
     
     # .env
     if [ ! -f "$HERMES_HOME/.env" ]; then
    ```
  - `pyproject.toml`

    ```diff
    @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ dependencies = [
       "anthropic>=0.39.0,<1",
       "python-dotenv>=1.2.1,<2",
       "fire>=0.7.1,<1",
    -  "httpx>=0.28.1,<1",
    +  "httpx[socks]>=0.28.1,<1",
       "rich>=14.3.3,<15",
       "tenacity>=9.1.4,<10",
       "pyyaml>=6.0.2,<7",
    ```
  - `scripts/install.sh`

    ```diff
    @@ -1082,10 +1082,19 @@ install_node_deps() {
             log_success "Node.js dependencies installed"
     
             # Install Playwright browser + system dependencies.
    -        # Playwright's install-deps only supports apt/dnf/zypper natively.
    +        # Playwright's --with-deps only supports apt-based systems natively.
             # For Arch/Manjaro we install the system libs via pacman first.
    +        # Other systems must install Chromium dependencies manually.
             log_info "Installing browser engine (Playwright Chromium)..."
             case "$DISTRO" in
    +            ubuntu|debian|raspbian|pop|linuxmint|elementary|zorin|kali|parrot)
    +                log_info "Playwright may request sudo to install browser system dependencies (shared libraries)."
    +                log_info "This is standard Playwright setup — Hermes itself does not require root access."
    +                cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && npx playwright install --with-deps chromium 2>/dev/null || {
    +                    log_warn "Playwright browser installation failed — browser tools will not work."
    +                    log_warn "Try running manually: cd $INSTALL_DIR && npx playwright install --with-deps chromium"
    +                }
    +                ;;
                 arch|manjaro)
                     if command -v pacman &> /dev/null; then
                         log_info "Arch/Manjaro detected — installing Chromium system dependencies via pacman..."
    ```

    ```diff
    @@ -1100,15 +1109,35 @@ install_node_deps() {
                             log_warn "  sudo pacman -S nss atk at-spi2-core cups libdrm libxkbcommon mesa pango cairo alsa-lib"
                         fi
                     fi
    -                cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && npx playwright install chromium 2>/dev/null || true
    +                cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && npx playwright install chromium 2>/dev/null || {
    +                    log_warn "Playwright browser installation failed — browser tools will not work."
    +                }
    +                ;;
    +            fedora|rhel|centos|rocky|alma)
    +                log_warn "Playwright does not support automatic dependency installation on RPM-based systems."
    +                log_info "Install Chromium system dependencies manually before using browser tools:"
    +                log_info "  sudo dnf install nss atk at-spi2-core cups-libs libdrm libxkbcommon mesa-libgbm pango cairo alsa-lib"
    +                cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && npx playwright install chromium 2>/dev/null || {
    +                    log_warn "Playwright browser installation failed — install dependencies above and retry."
    +                }
    +                ;;
    +            opensuse*|sles)
    +                log_warn "Playwright does not support automatic dependency installation on zypper-based systems."
    +                log_info "Install Chromium system dependencies manually before using browser tools:"
    +                log_info "  sudo zypper install mozilla-nss libatk-1_0-0 at-spi2-core cups-libs libdrm2 libxkbcommon0 Mesa-libgbm1 pango cairo libasound2"
    +                cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && npx playwright install chromium 2>/dev/null || {
    +                    log_warn "Playwright browser installation failed — install dependencies above and retry."
    +                }
                     ;;
                 *)
    -                log_info "Playwright may request sudo to install browser system dependencies (shared libraries)."
    -                log_info "This is standard Playwright setup — Hermes itself does not require root access."
    -                cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && npx playwright install --with-deps chromium 2>/dev/null || true
    +                log_warn "Playwright does not support automatic dependency installation on $DISTRO."
    +                log_info "Install Chromium/browser system dependencies for your distribution, then run:"
    +                log_info "  cd $INSTALL_DIR && npx playwright install chromium"
    +                log_info "Browser tools will not work until dependencies are installed."
    +                cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && npx playwright install chromium 2>/dev/null || true
                     ;;
             esac
    -        log_success "Browser engine installed"
    +        log_success "Browser engine setup complete"
         fi
     
         # Install WhatsApp bridge dependencies
    ```
  - `tools/environments/docker.py`

    ```diff
    @@ -409,11 +409,12 @@ def __init__(
             container_name = f"hermes-{uuid.uuid4().hex[:8]}"
             run_cmd = [
                 self._docker_exe, "run", "-d",
    +            "--init",           # tini/catatonit as PID 1 — reaps zombie children
                 "--name", container_name,
                 "-w", cwd,
                 *all_run_args,
                 image,
    -            "sleep", "2h",
    +            "sleep", "infinity",  # no fixed lifetime — idle reaper handles cleanup
             ]
             logger.debug(f"Starting container: {' '.join(run_cmd)}")
             result = subprocess.run(
    ```
- **#6910: fix(docker): --init for zombie reaping + sleep infinity for idle-based lifetime**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `#7407`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #7407 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-04-10`. This confirmation is old and may be out of date (a revert/reopen would not have invalidated it here); re-verify.