# Browser endpoints registry for mac-5 takeover and mac-7 automation

Date: 2026-03-18
Status: accepted

## Purpose

Record the currently validated browser control endpoints so future automation and browser takeover tasks can reuse the right path without re-discovering ports.

## mac-5 local intelligent browser takeover

Use OpenClaw local browser attach on mac-5 for takeover of the real local Chrome session.

### Validated profile

- OpenClaw browser profile: `user`
- Driver/transport: `existing-session` via `chrome-mcp`

### Validation result

Validated on 2026-03-18:

- `openclaw browser --browser-profile user status` returned `running: true`
- `openclaw browser --browser-profile user tabs` listed live local tabs

### Operational meaning

This is the preferred path for smart takeover of the browser running on mac-5 itself.

## mac-7 browser automation service

mac-7 hosts the dedicated automation Chrome instance.

### Persistent local CDP service

- LaunchAgent plist:
  - `~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.lingyuzeng.chrome-cdp-mac7.plist`
- Chrome executable:
  - `/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome`
- Dedicated profile dir:
  - `~/.openclaw/browser/mac7-automation-profile`
- Persistent local CDP listen address:
  - `127.0.0.1:9333`
- Validation:
  - `http://127.0.0.1:9333/json/version` returns standard CDP metadata and `webSocketDebuggerUrl`

### Persistent tailnet-facing listener

Validated on 2026-03-18:

- Tailscale IP on mac-7: `100.64.0.23`
- Persistent tailnet listener: `100.64.0.23:9223`
- Forward target: `127.0.0.1:9333`
- LaunchAgent:
  - `~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.lingyuzeng.chrome-cdp-tailnet-proxy-mac7.plist`
- Proxy script:
  - `~/.openclaw/bin/chrome_cdp_tailnet_proxy.py`
- Validation:
  - `http://100.64.0.23:9223/json/version` returns `200 OK`
  - returned `webSocketDebuggerUrl` is reachable on the tailnet-facing endpoint

### Important caveat

`tailscale serve` is not the active solution here.

Observed status:

- `tailscale serve status` => `No serve config`

The durable implementation is instead LaunchAgent + Python TCP proxy.

So future tasks should treat the endpoints as:

- **stable local automation endpoint on mac-7:** `127.0.0.1:9333`
- **stable tailnet remote endpoint on mac-7:** `100.64.0.23:9223`

## Usage guidance

- For mac-5 intelligent browser takeover: use OpenClaw local `user` profile.
- For mac-7 automation on the same machine: use CDP on `127.0.0.1:9333`.
- For mac-5 controlling mac-7 across the tailnet: use the stable remote CDP endpoint `http://100.64.0.23:9223`.

## LaunchAgent correction after blank-tab loop incident

Validated on 2026-03-18 later the same day:

- The original `com.lingyuzeng.chrome-cdp-mac7` LaunchAgent caused repeated blank tabs.
- Root cause: the plist directly executed Chrome with `KeepAlive=true` and `about:blank` in `ProgramArguments`.
- On macOS, Chrome detected the existing browser session, printed `正在现有的浏览器会话中打开。`, exited with code `0`, and launchd immediately re-ran it.
- This created a loop that kept injecting new `about:blank` tabs into the same automation profile.

### Corrected durable implementation

- LaunchAgent remains:
  - `~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.lingyuzeng.chrome-cdp-mac7.plist`
- It should no longer use `KeepAlive=true` to re-exec Chrome directly.
- It should launch a wrapper script instead:
  - `~/.openclaw/bin/start_chrome_cdp_mac7.sh`
- Wrapper behavior:
  - check whether `127.0.0.1:9333` is already listening
  - if yes, exit without launching another Chrome instance
  - if no, start the dedicated automation Chrome profile once

### Operational takeaway

- If future symptoms show many new `about:blank` tabs appearing on mac-7, first inspect `com.lingyuzeng.chrome-cdp-mac7.plist` for accidental reintroduction of `KeepAlive` or direct Chrome execution with `about:blank`.
- The repeated-tab issue was caused by LaunchAgent semantics, not by the remote CDP profile on mac-5.