Getting started

July 31, 2026 · View on GitHub

Prerequisites

Python 3.10+
A running hivemind-core hub on the network, with an access key/password issued for this client.
A browser (any modern browser with Web Crypto, i.e. served over http://localhost or https://).

The hub and the skills/agent (ovos-core) run as separate services — this package is only the webchat front end.

pip install hivemind-webchat

From source:

git clone https://github.com/JarbasHiveMind/HiveMind-webchat
cd HiveMind-webchat
pip install .

On the machine that hosts the assistant, install and run hivemind-core, then add a client for the webchat:

hivemind-core add-client
# note the printed access key and password
hivemind-core listen --port 5678

hivemind-webchat --port 9090

This serves the chat page at http://localhost:9090. The port here is the web server's HTTP port, not the hub port.

Open http://localhost:9090, fill in the connection form, and click Connect to HiveMind:

Field	Value
Host / IP	the hub's address (e.g. `127.0.0.1`)
Port	the hub's HiveMind port (default `5678`)
Access Key	the key from `hivemind-core add-client`
Password	the shared password for that client

Once the handshake completes, type a message. It is sent to the hub as a recognizer_loop:utterance and spoken replies appear in the chat log.

See Configuration for the optional headless bridge and Architecture for how the pieces fit together.