pi-skill-chrome-cdp-auto

Pi skill package for chrome-cdp with auto-launch: zero-config browser debugging that starts a dedicated Chrome instance when no CDP endpoint is found.

Packages

Package details

skill

Install pi-skill-chrome-cdp-auto from npm and Pi will load the resources declared by the package manifest.

npm report
$ pi install npm:pi-skill-chrome-cdp-auto
Package
pi-skill-chrome-cdp-auto
Version
0.3.3
Published
Aug 25, 2026
Downloads
1,150/mo · 1,150/wk
Author
heykb
License
MIT
Types
skill
Size
54.4 KB
Dependencies
0 dependencies · 0 peers
Pi manifest JSON
{
  "skills": [
    "./skills"
  ]
}

Security note

Pi packages can execute code and influence agent behavior. Review the source before installing third-party packages.

README

pi-skill-chrome-cdp-auto

npm license

English | 中文

A pi skill that controls a local Chrome browser via the Chrome DevTools Protocol — screenshots of rendered pages, accessibility-tree snapshots, navigation, clicks, typing, JavaScript evaluation, and network timing.

What makes this fork different from upstream: it auto-launches a dedicated debugging Chrome when no CDP endpoint is reachable — zero config, zero consent prompts.

Why this fork exists

Upstream @howaboua/pi-skill-chrome-cdp relies on the chrome://inspect/#remote-debugging toggle to enable debugging. With that flow, Chrome shows an "Allow debugging" consent dialog for every newly attached tab, and you have to re-approve after the session daemon goes idle — multiple confirmations per task.

This fork builds launching into the CLI itself:

  1. Probe CDP_PORT / 9222 first, then fall back to DevToolsActivePort (with liveness validation — stale port files won't send you to a dead port)
  2. If nothing responds, automatically start a dedicated Chrome instance with its own profile and wait until it's ready (up to 15s)
  3. Logins in that profile persist across restarts

One behavior chain for users: connect if reachable, launch if not.

Demo

Cold start with zero CDP endpoints — the CLI launches a dedicated Chrome instance in ~2s, and the agent invokes everything by bare filename:

Auto-launch in action

Install

# npm (recommended)
pi install npm:pi-skill-chrome-cdp-auto

# or from GitHub
pi install git+https://github.com/heykb/pi-skill-chrome-cdp-auto

Or clone manually and add the skills/ path to the skills array in ~/.pi/agent/settings.json.

Requirements

  • Node.js ≥ 22 (uses built-in WebSocket)
  • Chrome/Chromium

Environment variables (all optional)

Variable Default Description
CDP_PORT 9222 Fixed debugging port
CDP_AUTOLAUNCH_PORT 9222 Port used by auto-launch
CDP_PROFILE_DIR ~/.cache/chrome-cdp-profile user-data-dir of the dedicated instance
CDP_NO_AUTOLAUNCH – Set to 1 to disable auto-launch
CDP_PORT_FILE – Non-standard location of the DevToolsActivePort file

Security notes

  • The auto-launched instance exposes a CDP port (bound to 127.0.0.1). Any local process can read page contents and cookies and act as you through it. Only use on devices you trust.
  • Never point a debugging-enabled Chrome at your default profile directory — Chrome 136+ blocks that combination, which is exactly why this fork uses a dedicated profile.

Platform support

  • ✅ Tested on macOS with Google Chrome 151
  • ⚠️ Linux / Windows browser-path branches are implemented but untested

Credits

Based on pasky/chrome-cdp-skill → @howaboua/pi-skill-chrome-cdp (MIT), with auto-launch and port-file validation added. See LICENSE.