How do I install the Desktop Act skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add lifecycle-innovations-limited/desktop-act in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Desktop Act safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Desktop Act?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Desktop Act free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Desktop Act?

Lifecycle-Innovations-Limited (@lifecycle-innovations-limited) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Desktop Act by lifecycle-innovations-limited

Name: Desktop Act
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: Lifecycle-Innovations-Limited

File contents

desktop-act

Computer-use primitives via mcp__desktop-act__* plus act(goal) (OAuth via claude-agent-sdk — no Anthropic API key).

Multi-agent (required pattern)

ensure_desktop(owner_id="<agent-id>", geometry="2560x1440")  # exclusive seat
# … primitives with session_id …
heartbeat_desktop(session_id)   # long runs
release_desktop(session_id)     # on stop / idle done

If another agent holds every free seat, Linux auto-spawns a new Xvnc on the next free display/port. Leases expire (DESKTOP_ACT_LEASE_TTL); reaper frees the lock and stops pool VNC so idle seats do not thrash the host.

Architecture

Parent agent is the brain — primitives + screenshots, or hands-off act(goal).
Linux: X11 + Xvnc/websockify pool (:50–:99), file-locked leases.
macOS: single interactive session (Screen Sharing → noVNC optional).
Windows: full WinBackend (ImageGrab + pyautogui/SendInput); single interactive desktop only (no multi-seat pool). Needs a logged-in session.

Watching the desktop

Pool session returns novnc_url (port base DESKTOP_ACT_NOVNC_PORT_BASE, default 6082). Host default display (often :1) is separate and is never reaped by the idle reaper. Always prefer the returned URL over hardcoding ports.

Install

With claude-ops: desktop-act@ops-marketplace (co-installed by /ops:setup and /ops:update via plugin-dependencies.json).
Standalone: marketplace add Lifecycle-Innovations-Limited/desktop-act, then desktop-act@desktop-act.

When to use

Task	Approach
Local app you need to click/type into	`desktop-act` primitives
Concurrent agents needing isolated seats	Linux pool + `ensure_desktop(owner_id=…)`
Hands-off goal	`mcp__desktop-act__act(goal, max_iterations=…)`
Browser-only automation	Prefer browser MCP tools when no OS UI is required

Defaults

act model: claude-sonnet-5
act max_iterations: 20 (not max_steps)
Python: >=3.11

---name: desktop-actdescription: Cross-OS computer-use MCP: multi-agent exclusive desktop leases, Xvnc pool on Linux, single-session macOS/Windows. Use for GUI/desktop automation and concurrent agent desktops.---# desktop-actComputer-use primitives via `mcp__desktop-act__*` plus `act(goal)` (OAuth viaclaude-agent-sdk — no Anthropic API key).## Multi-agent (required pattern)```textensure_desktop(owner_id="<agent-id>", geometry="2560x1440") # exclusive seat# … primitives with session_id …heartbeat_desktop(session_id) # long runsrelease_desktop(session_id) # on stop / idle done```If another agent holds every free seat, Linux **auto-spawns** a new Xvnc on thenext free display/port. Leases expire (`DESKTOP_ACT_LEASE_TTL`); reaper freesthe lock and **stops pool VNC** so idle seats do not thrash the host.## Architecture- Parent agent is the brain — primitives + screenshots, or hands-off `act(goal)`.- **Linux:** X11 + Xvnc/websockify pool (`:50`–`:99`), file-locked leases.- **macOS:** single interactive session (Screen Sharing → noVNC optional).- **Windows:** full WinBackend (ImageGrab + pyautogui/SendInput); single interactive desktop only (no multi-seat pool). Needs a logged-in session.## Watching the desktopPool session returns `novnc_url` (port base `DESKTOP_ACT_NOVNC_PORT_BASE`,default **6082**). Host default display (often `:1`) is separate and is neverreaped by the idle reaper. Always prefer the returned URL over hardcoding ports.## Install- **With claude-ops:** `desktop-act@ops-marketplace` (co-installed by `/ops:setup` and `/ops:update` via `plugin-dependencies.json`).- **Standalone:** marketplace add `Lifecycle-Innovations-Limited/desktop-act`, then `desktop-act@desktop-act`.## When to use| Task | Approach ||------|----------|| Local app you need to click/type into | `desktop-act` primitives || Concurrent agents needing isolated seats | Linux pool + `ensure_desktop(owner_id=…)` || Hands-off goal | `mcp__desktop-act__act(goal, max_iterations=…)` || Browser-only automation | Prefer browser MCP tools when no OS UI is required |## Defaults- `act` model: `claude-sonnet-5`- `act` max_iterations: `20` (not `max_steps`)- Python: `>=3.11`

Frequently asked questions

Desktop Act