Show HN: Computer – Build Your Manus AI Agent with an OSS macOS Sandbox (opens in new tab)

(github.com)

11 pointsf-trycua1y ago6 comments

We just open-sourced Computer, a Computer-Use Interface (CUI) framework that enables AI agents to interact with isolated macOS and Linux sandboxes, with near-native performance on Apple Silicon. Computer provides a PyAutoGUI-compatible interface that can be plugged into any AI agent system (OpenAI Agents SDK , Langchain, CrewAI, AutoGen, etc.).

Why Computer?

As CUA AI agents become more capable, they need secure environments to operate in. Computer solves this with:

• Isolation: Run agents in sandboxes completely separate from your host system.

• Reliability: Create reproducible environments for consistent agent behaviour.

• Safety: Protect your sensitive data and system resources.

• Control: Easily monitor and terminate agent workflows when needed.

How it works:

Computer uses Lume Virtualization framework under the hood to create and manage virtual environments, providing a simple Python interface:

from computer import Computer

computer = Computer(os="macos", display="1024x768", memory="8GB", cpu="4") try: await computer.run()

    # Take screenshots
    screenshot = await computer.interface.screenshot()
    
    # Control mouse and keyboard
    await computer.interface.move_cursor(100, 100)
    await computer.interface.left_click()
    await computer.interface.type("Hello, World!")
    
    # Access clipboard
    await computer.interface.set_clipboard("Test clipboard")
    content = await computer.interface.copy_to_clipboard()

finally: await computer.stop()

Features:

• Full OS interaction: Control mouse, keyboard, screen, clipboard, and file system

• Accessibility tree: Access UI elements programmatically

• File sharing: Share directories between host and sandbox

• Shell access: Run commands directly in the sandbox

• Resource control: Configure memory, CPU, and display resolution

Installation:

pip install cua-computer

GitHub repo: https://github.com/trycua/computer Discord for feedback: https://discord.com/invite/mVnXXpdE85

We're excited to see you building the next Manus general agents with Computer!

We'd love to hear your thoughts, feedback, and any questions you might have. What use cases do you see for AI agents running in sandboxes? How do you see Computer being useful in your workflow?

6 comments

mdaniel1y ago

I know it's usually poor form to whine about the names for things, but "cua" and "computer" have such a massive history, at least with Lume it was a more distinct thing to search for

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In the spirit of being constructive, don't overlook the previous submission's comment which I felt addressed some common questions one might have https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42990867

f-trycuaOP1y ago

Hi! Thanks for the feedback. We hear you on the naming - "computer" is a broad term, but it aligns with our vision for making AI agents feel more like a natural extension of computing. "Lume" is staying as the name for our CLI, but we've integrated it into our monorepo alongside our agent and computer-use interface.

Also, appreciate you linking the previous discussion! We'll make sure to address common questions more clearly in our docs and updates.

sarakaser1y ago

Looks great! I’ll definitely play with it. Curious how it compares with running the sandbox on a KVM instead?

adamlu1231y ago

Nice work! Cannot wait to try out!

codenote1y ago

It's very valuable that Swift codes is open-sourced under the MIT!

powerawq1038461y ago

wow, nice work

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