linux-computer-use

linux-computer-use is an open source computer use agent for Linux. It is an MCP server that lets an AI agent such as Claude Code or OpenAI Codex drive a real browser, and native Linux applications, on your own Linux machine, with a live view, human takeover, and safety guardrails.

Computer use for AI agents landed first on macOS and Windows, or inside a cloud VM. This project brings the same capability to Linux, self-hosted, running on your machine with your own browser and your own cookies.

Install

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Roadmvn/linux-computer-use/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

That is the whole setup. The script is scripts/install.sh in this repository, so you can read it before running it.

Connect it to your agent

# Claude Code
claude mcp add --scope user linux-computer-use -- node ~/.linux-computer-use/app/src/index.js
# OpenAI Codex
codex mcp add linux-computer-use -- node ~/.linux-computer-use/app/src/index.js

Restart your client afterwards so it picks the server up.

Quick start

Ask your agent: "Open github.com in a session named research, then tell me what is on the page." Then watch it work:

cd ~/.linux-computer-use/app && npx playwright-cli show

What it does

Capability	What you get
Live view	playwright-cli show streams every session, in a window here or served to another machine.
Human takeover	A lease file freezes the agent mid-run, and only you can release it.
Visible cursor	An overlay draws the agent's pointer in the page, so you see where it acts.
Sessions and profiles	Named isolated sessions, cookies kept between runs when profile is set.
Tabs	List, open, select and close tabs with a single tool.
Two ways to act	Accessibility tree with element refs, the robust default, or raw pixel coordinates.
Guardrails	Fail closed on credentials, account pickers, irreversible actions and unreadable targets.
Native applications	Burp Suite, Wireshark, Ghidra and the rest, in a nested desktop that leaves your pointer alone.
Auto mode	set_mode drops the confirmation before a form is committed. The hard stops still apply.

MCP tools

Tool	What it does	Parameters
open	Open or attach a browser session	url, session, profile, browser, cdp
goto	Navigate to a URL	url
snapshot	Accessibility tree of the page, with element refs	-
screenshot	Image capture of the page	-
click	Click an element by ref	ref, confirm
type	Type text	text
fill	Fill a field by ref	ref, text
press	Press a key	key
mouse	Act at pixel coordinates, vision mode	action (move, click, down, up, wheel), x, y, confirm
tabs	Manage tabs	action (list, new, select, close), index, url
history	Navigate the history	direction (back, forward, reload)
status	Session state and control lease	takeover
set_mode	Switch between normal and auto	mode
desktop_start	Start the agent desktop, or shut it down	width, height, stop
desktop_windows	List the visible windows	-
desktop_focus	Bring a window to the front	id
desktop_screenshot	Capture the desktop, or a single window	window
desktop_click	Move the pointer and click	x, y, button, move_only
desktop_type	Type text into the focused window	text, confirm
desktop_key	Press a key or a combination	key, confirm
desktop_launch	Start an application by name	app, confirm

Requirements

• Linux, Node.js 20 or newer.
• A graphical session: DISPLAY or WAYLAND_DISPLAY set for the MCP client. No screen, wrap it in xvfb-run.
• The system libraries of Chromium. The installer pulls them on apt based systems.
• Desktop backend only: sudo apt install xserver-xephyr xdotool imagemagick xfwm4. Not needed to drive a browser.

Comparison

	Platform	Where it runs	Live view	Human takeover	Guardrails	Open source
linux-computer-use	Linux	Your machine	Yes, playwright-cli show, locally or served	Yes, explicit lease released from your machine	Yes	Yes, MIT
OpenAI Operator / ChatGPT agent	Any, used through ChatGPT	Cloud VM	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Anthropic Claude for Chrome	Chrome extension	Your browser	Your own browser window	-	Yes	No
Playwright MCP	Cross platform	Your machine	Yes	Yes	-	Yes

A dash means not verified rather than absent. These products move fast, so check their own documentation before relying on a row.

FAQ

Can AI control a browser on Linux?

Yes. Install this MCP server, register it with Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, or any MCP client, and the agent drives Chromium, Chrome, or Firefox on your Linux machine while you watch.

What is the Linux alternative to OpenAI Operator?

linux-computer-use. Operator runs a browser in a cloud VM you reach through ChatGPT. This runs on your own Linux machine, with your browser and your profile, and it is open source under MIT.

How do I give Claude Code browser access?

Run the installer, then claude mcp add --scope user linux-computer-use -- node ~/.linux-computer-use/app/src/index.js, and ask Claude Code to open a page. The 21 tools show up in its tool list.

Can it use my existing cookies and logins?

Yes, in two ways: pass profile with a directory path, or start your own browser with a debugging port and attach with cdp, see docs/usage.md. Without either, the profile is in memory and disappears with the browser.

Will it log into my accounts on its own?

No. It stops on an empty login form, and it asks you when several accounts are offered. It also asks before an action it judges irreversible.

Documentation

• docs/usage.md - first run, your own browser, native applications, guardrails, environment variables, audit trail, more FAQ.
• docs/design.md - architecture, and the reasoning behind each choice.

Roadmap

• AT-SPI integration, the Linux accessibility bus, to give the desktop backend the equivalent of the browser's accessibility snapshot, and with it real guardrails by element name. Planned, not available yet.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome on GitHub. Architecture notes live in docs/design.md.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.