linux-gui-control✓ Pass

SKILL.md Content

---
name: linux-gui-control
description: "Control the Linux desktop GUI using xdotool, wmctrl, and dogtail. Use when you need to interact with non-browser applications, simulate mouse/keyboard input, manage windows, or inspect the UI hierarchy of applications on X11/GNOME. Supports: (1) Clicking/typing in apps, (2) Resizing/moving windows, (3) Extracting text-based UI trees from apps (A11y), (4) Taking screenshots for visual analysis."
---

# Linux GUI Control

This skill provides tools and procedures for automating interactions with the Linux desktop environment.

## Quick Start

### 1. Identify Target Window
Use `wmctrl` to find the exact name of the window you want to control.
```bash
wmctrl -l
```

### 2. Inspect UI Hierarchy
For apps supporting accessibility (GNOME apps, Electron apps with `--force-renderer-accessibility`), use the inspection script to find button names without taking screenshots.
```bash
python3 scripts/inspect_ui.py "<app_name>"
```

### 3. Perform Actions
Use `xdotool` via the helper script for common actions.
```bash
# Activate window
./scripts/gui_action.sh activate "<window_name>"

# Click coordinates
./scripts/gui_action.sh click 500 500

# Type text
./scripts/gui_action.sh type "Hello World"

# Press a key
./scripts/gui_action.sh key "Return"
```

## Workflows

### Operating an App via Text UI
1. List windows with `wmctrl -l`.
2. Activate the target window.
3. Run `scripts/inspect_ui.py` to get the list of buttons and inputs.
4. Use `xdotool key Tab` and `Return` to navigate, or `click` if coordinates are known.
5. If text-based inspection fails, fallback to taking a screenshot and using vision.

### Forcing Accessibility in Electron Apps
Many modern apps (VS Code, Discord, Cider, Chrome) need a flag to expose their UI tree:
```bash
pkill <app>
nohup <app> --force-renderer-accessibility > /dev/null 2>&1 &
```

## Tool Reference

- **wmctrl**: Window management (list, activate, move, resize).
- **xdotool**: Input simulation (click, type, key, mousemove).
- **dogtail**: UI tree extraction via AT-SPI (Accessibility bus).
- **scrot**: Lightweight screenshot tool.

License

Declared license: MIT

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 openclaw

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

View the license in the source repository — the version published there is authoritative.