Background computer use

Use the installed computer-use CLI for macOS UI work that must leave the user's cursor and keyboard alone. Read computer-use help and computer-use browser help for the current command syntax. Results and errors from operational commands are JSON on stdout; errors exit nonzero.

Check availability

Run command -v computer-use. If missing, install from this repository with cargo install --path . --locked at its root, or pass the repository's absolute path from another directory.
For native apps, run computer-use doctor. Accessibility is required for inspection and actions; Screen Recording is required for window capture. The host app running the CLI needs those macOS permissions.
For web work in the isolated browser, use browser start; it does not need those macOS permissions. It starts a separate headless Brave or Chromium profile, so it does not share the user's open tabs or cookies.

Native app loop

Find the target with computer-use apps. When a separate background instance is appropriate, use computer-use launch --app '/path/to/Target.app' and keep its returned PID. Launch requests no activation, but an app can activate itself later.
Run computer-use windows --pid PID, then computer-use observe --pid PID --output /tmp/target.png. Use computer-use inspect --pid PID --depth N --nodes N when the default tree misses a control.
Choose a path from the latest tree. Use computer-use describe --pid PID --path PATH if you need exact role, identifier, title, value, or advertised actions.
Act with a live identity precondition. Prefer --expect-id; use --expect-title or --expect-value when there is no stable identifier. Add --expect-role when useful. For example: