
open-computer-use-automation
AI-powered computer automation using MCP to control desktop apps, click elements, and interact with the UI on macOS, Linux, and Windows
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/reason-machines/codex-skills --skill open-computer-use-automation- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads open-computer-use-automation automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
open-computer-use-automation
Skill by ara.so — Codex Skills collection.
Overview
open-computer-use is an open-source Computer Use service wrapped as MCP (Model Context Protocol). It enables AI agents to interact with desktop applications through accessibility APIs on macOS, Linux, and Windows. Inspired by OpenAI's Codex Computer Use, it provides non-intrusive automation using native accessibility features.
The project exposes tools to:
- List running applications
- Get application UI state and elements
- Click elements, buttons, and UI components
- Type text and press keys
- Take screenshots
- Manage app focus and windows
Installation
Global Installation
npm i -g open-computer-use
macOS Permissions
On first run, grant Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions:
open-computer-use
Follow the system prompts to enable permissions in System Settings.
MCP Integration
Install into your AI agent:
# Codex
open-computer-use install-codex-mcp
# Claude Code
open-computer-use install-claude-mcp
# Gemini CLI (project scope)
open-computer-use install-gemini-mcp
# Gemini CLI (user scope)
open-computer-use install-gemini-mcp --scope user
# opencode
open-computer-use install-opencode-mcp
Manual MCP Configuration
Add to your MCP client config (e.g., ~/.codex/config.toml, ~/.claude.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-computer-use": {
"command": "open-computer-use",
"args": ["mcp"]
}
}
}
Skill Installation
# Install for Codex
npx skills add iFurySt/open-codex-computer-use -g -a codex --skill open-computer-use -y
# Install for Claude Code
npx skills add iFurySt/open-codex-computer-use -g -a claude-code --skill open-computer-use -y
# Update existing skill
npx skills update open-computer-use -g -y
# List installed skills
npx skills ls -g -a codex | rg 'open-computer-use'
Core Commands
CLI Usage
# Check permissions and system readiness
open-computer-use doctor
# Call a single tool (returns MCP JSON)
open-computer-use call list_apps
# Call with arguments
open-computer-use call get_app_state --args '{"app":"TextEdit"}'
# Run a sequence of operations (maintains element_index state)
open-computer-use call --calls '[
{"tool":"get_app_state","args":{"app":"TextEdit"}},
{"tool":"press_key","args":{"app":"TextEdit","key":"Return"}}
]'
# Run sequence from file with custom sleep between operations
open-computer-use call --calls-file sequence.json --sleep 0.5
# Show help
open-computer-use -h
Codex Plugin Installation
For Codex App (macOS):
open-computer-use install-codex-plugin
MCP Tools Reference
list_apps
List all running applications.
Arguments: None
Returns: Array of app names
{
"apps": ["Safari", "TextEdit", "Terminal"]
}
get_app_state
Get the UI element tree for an application.
Arguments:
app(string, required): Application nameinclude_screenshot(boolean, optional): Include base64 screenshot
Returns: UI hierarchy with element metadata
{
"app": "TextEdit",
"elements": [
{
"element_index": 0,
"role": "AXWindow",
"title": "Untitled",
"children": [...]
}
],
"screenshot": "data:image/png;base64,..."
}
click_element
Click a UI element by index.
Arguments:
app(string, required): Application nameelement_index(number, required): Element index fromget_app_stateclick_type(string, optional): "single" (default) or "double"
Returns: Success confirmation
{
"success": true,
"element_index": 5
}
type_text
Type text into the focused field.
Arguments:
app(string, required): Application nametext(string, required): Text to type
Returns: Success confirmation
press_key
Press a keyboard key or key combination.
Arguments:
app(string, required): Application namekey(string, required): Key name (e.g., "Return", "Tab", "Command+S")
Supported keys: Return, Tab, Space, Delete, Escape, Arrow keys, Command+[key], etc.
take_screenshot
Capture the current screen.
Arguments:
app(string, optional): Application name to focus
Returns: Base64-encoded PNG
activate_app
Bring an application to the foreground.
Arguments:
app(string, required): Application name
Usage Patterns
Basic App Interaction
// From an MCP client or AI agent
// 1. List running apps
const apps = await call_tool("list_apps");
// 2. Get app UI state
const state = await call_tool("get_app_state", {
app: "TextEdit",
include_screenshot: true
});
// 3. Find and click a button
// (element_index 3 might be a "Save" button from state.elements)
await call_tool("click_element", {
app: "TextEdit",
element_index: 3
});
// 4. Type text
await call_tool("type_text", {
app: "TextEdit",
text: "Hello, world!"
});
// 5. Save with keyboard shortcut
await call_tool("press_key", {
app: "TextEdit",
key: "Command+S"
});
Sequence Execution
Create a JSON sequence file automation.json:
[
{
"tool": "activate_app",
"args": {"app": "TextEdit"}
},
{
"tool": "get_app_state",
"args": {"app": "TextEdit"}
},
{
"tool": "type_text",
"args": {
"app": "TextEdit",
"text": "This is automated text."
}
},
{
"tool": "press_key",
"args": {
"app": "TextEdit",
"key": "Return"
}
},
{
"tool": "take_screenshot",
"args": {"app": "TextEdit"}
}
]
Run it:
open-computer-use call --calls-file automation.json --sleep 1
Finding Elements
When you call get_app_state, inspect the returned elements to find the one you need:
{
"elements": [
{
"element_index": 0,
"role": "AXWindow",
"title": "Document",
"children": [
{
"element_index": 1,
"role": "AXButton",
"title": "Close",
"enabled": true
},
{
"element_index": 2,
"role": "AXTextArea",
"value": "Current text content"
}
]
}
]
}
Use element_index from this tree when calling click_element.
Cross-Platform Considerations
- macOS: Requires Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions
- Linux: Uses AT-SPI (accessibility toolkit)
- Windows: Uses UI Automation API
All platforms use the same MCP interface, but element roles and properties may differ slightly.
Configuration
Environment Variables
No environment variables required for basic operation. Permissions are handled at the OS level.
Custom Sleep Between Operations
Default sleep is 1 second. Customize with --sleep:
open-computer-use call --calls-file seq.json --sleep 0.5
MCP Server Args
When configuring MCP manually, you can pass custom args:
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-computer-use": {
"command": "open-computer-use",
"args": ["mcp"],
"env": {}
}
}
}
Troubleshooting
Permission Denied (macOS)
Symptom: Cannot access UI elements or take screenshots.
Solution:
- Run
open-computer-use doctorto check permissions - Grant Accessibility permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security
- Grant Screen Recording permission
- Restart the terminal or agent
App Not Found
Symptom: list_apps doesn't show the target application.
Solution:
- Ensure the app is running
- Check exact app name (case-sensitive):
open-computer-use call list_apps - Some apps use different process names (e.g., "Google Chrome" vs "Chrome")
Element Index Invalid
Symptom: click_element fails with invalid index.
Solution:
- Refresh app state with
get_app_statebefore clicking - Element indices can change when UI updates
- Use sequences to maintain state across operations
MCP Server Not Starting
Symptom: Agent can't connect to open-computer-use.
Solution:
# Verify installation
which open-computer-use
# Test manual MCP mode
open-computer-use mcp
# Reinstall globally
npm i -g open-computer-use
# Check agent config file syntax
cat ~/.codex/config.toml # or relevant config
Linux: AT-SPI Not Available
Symptom: Tools fail on Linux with accessibility errors.
Solution:
# Install AT-SPI dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt-get install at-spi2-core
# Enable accessibility
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface toolkit-accessibility true
Advanced Usage
Programmatic Integration (TypeScript)
If building a custom MCP client or agent:
import { exec } from 'child_process';
import { promisify } from 'util';
const execAsync = promisify(exec);
async function automateApp(appName: string) {
// Get app state
const { stdout } = await execAsync(
`open-computer-use call get_app_state --args '{"app":"${appName}"}'`
);
const state = JSON.parse(stdout);
// Find button with specific title
const button = state.elements
.flatMap(e => e.children || [])
.find(e => e.role === 'AXButton' && e.title === 'Submit');
if (button) {
// Click it
await execAsync(
`open-computer-use call click_element --args '{"app":"${appName}","element_index":${button.element_index}}'`
);
}
}
await automateApp('Safari');
Custom Skill Integration
When writing agent prompts or skills that use open-computer-use:
To interact with desktop apps:
1. Always list apps first to verify the target is running
2. Get app state to find element indices
3. Use element_index from state when clicking
4. Add small delays between operations (1s default)
5. Take screenshots to verify results
Example workflow:
- list_apps → verify "Safari" is running
- get_app_state(app="Safari") → find address bar element_index
- click_element(element_index=X) → focus address bar
- type_text(text="https://example.com") → enter URL
- press_key(key="Return") → navigate
Related Tools
- Cursor Motion: Separate macOS app for smooth cursor animations (download from releases page)
- open-browser-use: Companion project for browser-specific automation
Resources
FAQ
What does the open-computer-use-automation skill do?
AI-powered computer automation using MCP to control desktop apps, click elements, and interact with the UI on macOS, Linux, and Windows
How do I install open-computer-use-automation?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/reason-machines/codex-skills --skill open-computer-use-automation in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/open-computer-use-automation/ (personal) or .claude/skills/open-computer-use-automation/ (project).
Which AI agents can use open-computer-use-automation?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is open-computer-use-automation safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains open-computer-use-automation?
It is published by reason-machines in reason-machines/codex-skills. It has 270 recorded installs.
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