Run the server

bobby serve runs the HTTP API and the MCP-over-HTTP endpoint. Local agent hosts do not need it, because bobby mcp-stdio starts a shared runtime on demand. Run the server when applications, SDKs or remote clients connect by URL.

bobby serve
bobby serve --config /etc/bobby/config.toml --bootstrap-env /etc/bobby/bootstrap.env

Flag	Environment variable	Meaning
`--config <path>`	`BOBBY_BROWSER_CONFIG`	`config.toml` to load
`--bootstrap-env <path>`	`BOBBY_BROWSER_BOOTSTRAP_ENV`	Credential file
`--vision`, `--no-vision`		Start or skip the managed vision proxy

Check it:

curl http://127.0.0.1:7777/healthz

Authenticated routes live under /v1. See Authentication and the HTTP API. On a non-loopback bind, create the credential first with bobby init. bobby doctor checks a running server's health.

Do not expose the runtime to untrusted networks. Keep it on loopback or behind a boundary you control.

Deployment profiles

bobby profiles --json prints the profile contracts. Validate your setup against one with bobby doctor --profile <name>.

Profile	Transport	Bind	Browser	Storage	Start command
`desktop`	stdio	loopback	Firefox selection	durable local	`bobby mcp-stdio`
`headless-ci`	HTTP	isolated runtime	headless	ephemeral or mounted	`bobby serve`
`openshell`	streamable HTTP	loopback	host managed	host durable	`bobby openshell install`
`remote`	HTTP	operator controlled	remote managed	operator managed	`bobby serve --config <path>`

Every profile needs a bootstrap credential. bobby doctor --fix updates stale bobby-owned host entries and leaves other host configuration alone.

Jobs

With the server running, submit and inspect built-in jobs:

bobby jobs submit --name echo --payload '{"message":"hi"}'
bobby jobs status <job_id>

The credential needs job:submit, job:read and job:cancel. If an older bootstrap.env lacks them, run bobby init --force.

Docker

The repository includes a Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml for a non-root image running bobby serve with headless Chromium.

docker compose up -d --build
docker compose exec bobby bobby token --stdout

The compose file publishes 127.0.0.1:7777, so the runtime is reachable only from the host. Change that address only if you mean to expose it. The container needs BOBBY_CHROME_EXECUTABLE=/usr/bin/chromium and AUTOMATION_RUNTIME_BROWSER_SELECTION={"preference":{"mode":"managedChromium"}}, both set in the compose file. On first start it creates a bootstrap credential without printing it to the logs. Data lives in the bobby-data volume at /var/lib/bobby.