Kimi Computer Use

An experimental, unofficial bridge that lets Kimi Code CLI control local macOS applications through an existing OpenAI Computer Use installation.

The package contains no OpenAI binaries. It starts the Computer Use client already installed on the user's Mac and translates the small MCP compatibility gap between Kimi Code and that client.

Requirements

• macOS. The installed OpenAI runtime currently declares macOS 14.4 or later.
• Kimi Code CLI with plugin support. Version 0.29.1 is verified.
• ChatGPT or Codex with OpenAI Computer Use installed and working.
• Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions granted to the OpenAI Computer Use runtime.

The bridge looks for the Computer Use client at:

$CODEX_HOME/computer-use/Codex Computer Use.app/Contents/SharedSupport/
SkyComputerUseClient.app/Contents/MacOS/SkyComputerUseClient

When CODEX_HOME is unset, it defaults to ~/.codex.

Install as a Kimi plugin

In a Kimi Code session:

/plugins install https://github.com/songkeys/kimi-computer-use
/reload

Kimi installs a managed copy under $KIMI_CODE_HOME/plugins/managed/kimi-computer-use. New sessions load the Computer Use Skill and MCP server automatically.

Inspect the installation with:

/plugins info kimi-computer-use
/mcp

Install the MCP bridge from npm

The GitHub plugin installation is recommended because it includes both the MCP bridge and the Kimi Skill. The npm package can also be used as a standalone stdio MCP server:

npx -y kimi-computer-use@latest

For example, a direct Kimi mcp.json entry can use:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "computer-use": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "kimi-computer-use@latest"]
    }
  }
}

This MCP-only installation does not load the bundled Kimi Skill. Prefer the GitHub plugin unless the MCP client supplies its own Computer Use instructions.

Usage

Ask Kimi to use Computer Use explicitly, or describe a desktop task:

Use Computer Use to inspect Calculator and enter 42.

Open System Settings with Computer Use and tell me what page is visible.

The bundled Skill instructs Kimi to use an observable state/action/state loop:

1. Read the target app with get_app_state.
2. Use accessibility elements when available and screenshot coordinates only as a fallback.
3. Perform the action.
4. Fetch a fresh app state before deciding the next action.

How it works

The OpenAI Computer Use service authenticates the client process ancestry. Launching its MCP client directly from Kimi is rejected as an unauthenticated sender. The bridge therefore uses the signed Codex executable bundled with ChatGPT or Codex as a process launcher:

Kimi Code
  -> kimi-computer-use bridge
  -> signed Codex launcher
  -> OpenAI Computer Use MCP client
  -> OpenAI Computer Use service

Codex is not used as an agent and no OpenAI model request is made by the bridge. It runs codex sandbox with Codex's disabled/unrestricted permission profile so the signed client can access its normal caches, macOS services, and Unix sockets.

Kimi Code 0.29.1 does not advertise the MCP elicitation capability required by the Computer Use client. The bridge adds that capability to initialize and automatically accepts the app-access elicitation. All other JSON-RPC messages, including screenshot image blocks, pass through unchanged.

Configuration

Environment variables:

Variable	Purpose
CODEX_HOME	Override the Codex data directory. Defaults to ~/.codex.
COMPUTER_USE_CLIENT_PATH	Override the full path to SkyComputerUseClient.
COMPUTER_USE_CODEX_LAUNCHER_PATH	Override the signed Codex executable path.
COMPUTER_USE_BRIDGE_DEBUG=1	Write bridge diagnostics to stderr.

The signed launcher is discovered in this order:

1. COMPUTER_USE_CODEX_LAUNCHER_PATH
2. /Applications/ChatGPT.app/Contents/Resources/codex
3. /Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/codex

Security and data flow

Installing this package gives Kimi access to the local Computer Use tools, which can read screenshots, click, type, scroll, drag, and interact with applications.

The bridge intentionally:

• automatically accepts the Computer Use MCP app-access elicitation;
• launches the signed client with an unrestricted Codex permission profile;
• passes accessibility text and screenshots back to Kimi as MCP tool results.

Kimi may send those tool results to the configured model provider as part of the conversation. Do not install the plugin unless that behavior is acceptable for the applications and data on the Mac.

Compatibility

The initial release was verified with:

Component	Verified version
Kimi Code CLI	0.29.1
ChatGPT bundled Codex	0.146.0-alpha.3.1
OpenAI Computer Use runtime	26.721.1000502
macOS / architecture	macOS 27.0 / arm64
MCP protocol	2025-11-25

OpenAI Computer Use is an internal desktop integration rather than a stable third-party SDK. ChatGPT, Codex, or Computer Use updates may change binary paths, process-authentication rules, or protocol behavior.

Development

The bridge has no runtime npm dependencies.

pnpm install
pnpm test
pnpm smoke

pnpm test uses a fake Computer Use server and is safe to run anywhere. pnpm smoke connects to the real local service, calls list_apps, and verifies that get_app_state returns both text and a JPEG screenshot.

Troubleshooting

Sender process is not authenticated

The Computer Use client was started directly instead of through the signed Codex launcher. Ensure ChatGPT or Codex is installed in /Applications, or set COMPUTER_USE_CODEX_LAUNCHER_PATH.

Computer Use client is missing

Enable or reinstall OpenAI Computer Use first, then verify that its client exists below $CODEX_HOME/computer-use.

Client and server version mismatch

Quit and relaunch ChatGPT so its Computer Use client and runtime update together, then retry the smoke test.

Plugin changes do not appear

Run /reload or start a new Kimi session. Kimi runs its managed plugin copy, so editing the original checkout does not affect an existing installation until the plugin is reinstalled.

License and trademarks

The bridge code is available under the MIT License.

This project is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by OpenAI or Moonshot AI. OpenAI, ChatGPT, Codex, Kimi, and related names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Users must supply and be licensed to use their own OpenAI and Kimi software and accounts.