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AI agents and automation

cua

by trycua

Cua is a set of tools that lets AI agents use full desktop computers, including virtual machines on a Mac and automation of native apps on macOS, Windows and Linux. It is meant for building, running and testing agents that operate software through its normal screen interface.

Worth a lookEstablished, with a few things to check (listed below).

View on GitHubProject website

Stars
31.2k
Licence
MIT
Runs on
Your computer
Setup
Moderate
Language
Rust
Age
635 days

What you can do with it

  • Give an AI agent its own macOS or Linux desktop to work in, running on your Mac or your own cloud account
  • Let an agent such as Claude Code operate desktop apps and browsers through a command line, MCP or SDK
  • Create local macOS and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon and test agents against simulated tasks

Make money with it

A freelancer could build and sell desktop-automation workflows for clients whose software has no API, using agents run inside sandboxed virtual desktops.

An idea, not financial advice. Check the licence before charging for anything built on it.

Ways a business could use it

  • Automate repetitive work in desktop apps that have no API, such as spreadsheets or older accounting software, by letting an agent operate them
  • Run agents in isolated virtual desktops to test software or workflows without risking your main machine

Can you use it commercially?

Free to use, change and sell, including in paid products. Keep the copyright notice.

Not legal advice. Read the project's licence file before building a product on it.

Getting it running

Install with a curl shell script (or a signed .dmg for Cua Spaces on macOS 26 or later), or a PowerShell script on Windows for the driver, then connect your own agent.

Follow the official instructions in the project README.

Things to check

  • The Cua Spaces app is source-available under FSL-1.1-MIT rather than fully open source, and paid Pro and Teams plans exist
  • You must supply your own AI agent and model, which may need paid API keys
  • Installation uses pipe-to-shell scripts, and agents controlling a full desktop carry safety risks if given access to signed-in accounts
  • Spaces and Lume need macOS 26 or later and Apple Silicon

Who's talking about it

Checked 28 Oct 2026. Summary drafted by AI from the project's README.

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