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Agent Desktop

Agent Desktop is a Rust desktop-automation tool for AI agents that reads application interfaces through operating-system accessibility trees and exposes observation and interaction through a CLI and C-ABI library.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Agent Desktop — OpenViST project profile in Agent Infrastructure.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use Agent Desktop when building an agent workflow that needs to inspect and interact with desktop applications through their accessibility structures, especially when a compact overview followed by focused exploration suits a dense interface.

Who it is for

  • AI-agent developers adding structured desktop observation and control.
  • Developers integrating desktop interaction into Python, Swift, Go, Ruby, Node, or C host applications.
  • Automation builders who want to target desktop controls through accessibility references.

Documented uses

  • Inspect an app's accessible interface and identify controls for an agent.
  • Use a shallow overview and targeted drill-down to navigate dense application interfaces.
  • Invoke desktop automation from a native CLI or a host application using the C-ABI library.
  • Drive Chromium app web contents through CDP while using accessibility interfaces for native menus, dialogs, and windows.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

The repository is public and specifies the Apache-2.0 license. The documented setup requires macOS 13.0 or later; the C-ABI release library is described as available for macOS, Linux, and Windows.

  • The tool reads OS accessibility trees, so the target app's relevant interface needs to be exposed through an accessibility tree.
  • macOS Accessibility permission is required; Screen Recording and Automation permissions apply to the screenshot and Notification Center functions respectively.
  • The CLI is written in Rust, while the C-ABI library is documented for use from Python, Swift, Go, Ruby, Node, and C.
  • Progressive skeleton traversal is designed for dense interfaces and is reported to reduce token use by 78–96%.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Install the CLI with npm

Install the prebuilt Agent Desktop command-line binary through npm.

Before you start

  • A macOS 13.0-or-later system.
  • Rust 1.89 or later is required for source builds; the documented npm route downloads a prebuilt binary.

Steps

  1. Run the command below to install the package and download the prebuilt binary.

    Documented command
    npm install -g agent-desktop

  2. Grant macOS Accessibility permission before using desktop observation or interaction.

Expected outcome

The Agent Desktop CLI is installed; the documented next step is to use its snapshot and interaction workflow.

Guide limitations

  • The README does not provide a complete first-interaction recipe in the available text.
  • Screenshots require Screen Recording permission; opening Notification Center requires Automation permission for System Events.
Documentation 1 ↗
Source-based practical guide

Build the CLI from source

Compile the Agent Desktop CLI in release mode and copy its binary to `/usr/local/bin/`.

Before you start

  • macOS 13.0 or later.
  • Rust 1.89 or later.

Steps

  1. Clone https://github.com/lahfir/agent-desktop.

  2. Change into the agent-desktop repository directory.

  3. Run the command below.

    Documented command
    cargo build --release

  4. Copy target/release/agent-desktop to /usr/local/bin/.

Expected outcome

A release build of the CLI is copied to the documented installation path.

Guide limitations

  • macOS Accessibility permission is required for desktop use.
  • The documented build procedure is for macOS.
Documentation 1 ↗
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
Source record details
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Sources checked
10 October 2026
Original website title
lahfir/agent-desktop · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
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