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93 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
93 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "PeekabooBridge integration for macOS UI automation"
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read_when:
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- Hosting PeekabooBridge in OpenClaw.app
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- Integrating Peekaboo via Swift Package Manager
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- Changing PeekabooBridge protocol/paths
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- Deciding between PeekabooBridge, Codex Computer Use, and cua-driver MCP
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title: "Peekaboo bridge"
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---
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OpenClaw can host **PeekabooBridge** as a local, permission‑aware UI automation
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broker. This lets the `peekaboo` CLI drive UI automation while reusing the
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macOS app’s TCC permissions.
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## What this is (and is not)
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- **Host**: OpenClaw.app can act as a PeekabooBridge host.
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- **Client**: use the `peekaboo` CLI (no separate `openclaw ui ...` surface).
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- **UI**: visual overlays stay in Peekaboo.app; OpenClaw is a thin broker host.
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## Relationship to Computer Use
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OpenClaw has three desktop-control paths, and they intentionally stay separate:
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- **PeekabooBridge host**: OpenClaw.app can host the local PeekabooBridge socket.
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The `peekaboo` CLI remains the client and uses OpenClaw.app's macOS
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permissions for Peekaboo automation primitives such as screenshots, clicks,
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menus, dialogs, Dock actions, and window management.
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- **Codex Computer Use**: the bundled `codex` plugin prepares Codex app-server,
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verifies that Codex's `computer-use` MCP server is available, and then lets
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Codex own native desktop-control tool calls during Codex-mode turns. OpenClaw
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does not proxy those actions through PeekabooBridge.
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- **Direct `cua-driver` MCP**: OpenClaw can register TryCua's upstream
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`cua-driver mcp` server as a normal MCP server. That gives agents the CUA
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driver's own schemas and pid/window/element-index workflow without routing
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through the Codex marketplace or the PeekabooBridge socket.
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Use Peekaboo when you want the broad macOS automation surface and OpenClaw.app's
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permission-aware bridge host. Use Codex Computer Use when a Codex-mode agent
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should rely on Codex's native computer-use plugin. Use direct `cua-driver mcp`
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when you want the CUA driver exposed to any OpenClaw-managed runtime as a normal
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MCP server.
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## Enable the bridge
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In the macOS app:
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- Settings → **Enable Peekaboo Bridge**
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When enabled, OpenClaw starts a local UNIX socket server. If disabled, the host
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is stopped and `peekaboo` will fall back to other available hosts.
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## Client discovery order
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Peekaboo clients typically try hosts in this order:
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1. Peekaboo.app (full UX)
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2. Claude.app (if installed)
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3. OpenClaw.app (thin broker)
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Use `peekaboo bridge status --verbose` to see which host is active and which
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socket path is in use. You can override with:
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```bash
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export PEEKABOO_BRIDGE_SOCKET=/path/to/bridge.sock
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```
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## Security & permissions
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- The bridge validates **caller code signatures**; an allowlist of TeamIDs is
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enforced (Peekaboo host TeamID + OpenClaw app TeamID).
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- Requests time out after ~10 seconds.
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- If required permissions are missing, the bridge returns a clear error message
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rather than launching System Settings.
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## Snapshot behavior (automation)
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Snapshots are stored in memory and expire automatically after a short window.
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If you need longer retention, re‑capture from the client.
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## Troubleshooting
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- If `peekaboo` reports “bridge client is not authorized”, ensure the client is
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properly signed or run the host with `PEEKABOO_ALLOW_UNSIGNED_SOCKET_CLIENTS=1`
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in **debug** mode only.
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- If no hosts are found, open one of the host apps (Peekaboo.app or OpenClaw.app)
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and confirm permissions are granted.
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## Related
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- [macOS app](/platforms/macos)
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- [macOS permissions](/platforms/mac/permissions)
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