Browser Debug Setup

Browser Debug Setup

Use this skill when dev-browser --connect http://127.0.0.1:9222 fails because no persistent debug browser is running yet.

Goal

Get the user onto one persistent browser/profile that both the human and the agent reuse. Minimize the Allow remote debugging? popup by keeping one dedicated debug browser/profile alive.

Rules

• Prefer one permanent debug browser/profile over disposable automation browsers.
• Treat a custom --user-data-dir as mandatory, not optional. Chrome 136+ basically wants remote debugging to happen from a dedicated profile.
• Keep auth in that profile. Do not fall back to cookie dumps or state files unless the user asks.
• Use a separate signed-in Chrome profile for browser work, like dev. Do not use the user's normal daily Default profile as the source profile.
• Clone that separate signed-in Chrome profile into the dedicated debug --user-data-dir; do not point 9222 straight at the user's daily Chrome data dir.
• On macOS, use open -na "Google Chrome" --args ... for the debug browser. That starts a separate Chrome instance with the dedicated debug profile without touching the user's normal Chrome window.

Preferred Shape

Use a dedicated browser/profile with:

• --remote-debugging-address=127.0.0.1
• --remote-debugging-port=9222
• a persistent --user-data-dir=<debug-profile-dir>

Sign in once in that dedicated browser and keep reusing it for agent work.

Quick sanity check:

curl -sS http://127.0.0.1:9222/json/version

Healthy output includes a JSON object with webSocketDebuggerUrl. Empty output or 404 means the wrong process owns 9222.

Then verify dev-browser:

dev-browser --connect http://127.0.0.1:9222 <<'EOF'
const page = await browser.getPage("persistent-main");
console.log(await page.title());
EOF

If dev-browser --connect http://127.0.0.1:9222 still cannot resolve CDP even though /json/version is healthy, connect with the exact websocket URL:

WS=$(curl -sS http://127.0.0.1:9222/json/version | jq -r '.webSocketDebuggerUrl')

dev-browser --connect "$WS" <<'EOF'
const page = await browser.getPage("persistent-main");
console.log(await page.title());
EOF

Google Chrome Path

Default setup on macOS:

1. Pick a separate signed-in Chrome profile for agent work, like dev, not the daily Default profile.
2. Map that human-facing Chrome profile name to the real folder in Local State.
3. Clone that profile into the dedicated debug dir.
4. Launch a separate Chrome instance on 9222.
5. Leave that debug window open and reuse it.

python3 - <<'PY'
import json, pathlib
p = pathlib.Path('~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Local State').expanduser()
obj = json.loads(p.read_text())
for key, val in obj.get('profile', {}).get('info_cache', {}).items():
    print(f"{key}\tname={val.get('name')}\tgaia_name={val.get('gaia_name')}")
PY

# Example: if `dev` maps to `Profile 1`, clone `Profile 1`.
mkdir -p "$HOME/.config/google-chrome-debug-profile/Default"
rsync -a --delete \
  --exclude='Singleton*' \
  --exclude='DevToolsActivePort' \
  --exclude='lockfile' \
  "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Profile 1/" \
  "$HOME/.config/google-chrome-debug-profile/Default/"
cp "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Local State" \
  "$HOME/.config/google-chrome-debug-profile/Local State"

open -na "Google Chrome" --args \
  --user-data-dir="$HOME/.config/google-chrome-debug-profile" \
  --profile-directory="Default" \
  --remote-debugging-address=127.0.0.1 \
  --remote-debugging-port=9222

That keeps the signed-in identity while still satisfying Chrome's dedicated --user-data-dir requirement.

Then keep reusing that exact debug browser. Do not point 9222 at your normal daily Default Chrome profile.

After Setup

• Use dev-browser --connect http://127.0.0.1:9222 for browser work.
• Reuse named pages like persistent-main.
• Do not stop the user's debug browser unless they ask.
• If the wrong Chrome steals 9222, identify it with lsof -nP -iTCP:9222 -sTCP:LISTEN, kill that listener, and relaunch the dedicated debug browser. Do not keep debugging against a stale 404 or empty /json/version owner.