OpenClaw UI Desktop Overlay Project
Daud Nasir
OpenClaw UI
A lightweight, desktop overlay for OpenClaw. This fork focuses on one-command deploy, app-style installation, and OpenClaw-first onboarding/control workflows.
Attribution: this project is a fork of lcoutodemos/clui-cc, with original foundation by lcoutodemos.
Features
Floating overlay — a click-through window that stays on top. Toggle with
⌥ + Space (fallback: Cmd+Shift+K).Multi-tab sessions — each tab runs its own OpenClaw TUI session with independent state.
Conversation history — browse and resume past OpenClaw sessions.
Skills marketplace — install plugins from Anthropic's GitHub repos without leaving OpenClaw UI.
Visual skill builder — node-style skill composition panel (When/Time/What/Where/Search/Action) that generates a structured build prompt.
Voice input — local speech-to-text via Whisper (required, installed automatically).
File & screenshot attachments — paste images or attach files directly.
Why OpenClaw UI
OpenClaw, but visual✨✨ — keep CLI power while getting a fast desktop UX for approvals, history, and multitasking.
Human-in-the-loop safety — tool calls are reviewed and approved in-app by YOU, yes you before execution.
Session-native workflow — each tab runs an independent OpenClaw session you can resume later but is still connected to the same openclaw agent lol
Local-first — everything runs through your local OpenClaw CLI. No network needed (unless your using a provider for the ai model*)
How It Works
See
docs/ARCHITECTURE.md for the full deep-dive.Primary Install (One-Liner)
Remote one-liner installer (installs OpenClaw UI into `/Applications' on mac)
This install currently works for MacOS only. :) After install, users can launch OpenClaw UI directly from Applications/Spotlight without Terminal.
Local Deploy (Alternative)
From repo root:
What it does: setup + dependency install + build + doctor + run.
Other deploy modes:
1) Clone the repo
2) Double-click
install-app.commandOpen the project folder in Finder and double-click
install-app.command.First launch: macOS may block the app because it's unsigned. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. You only need to do this once. Folder cleanup: the installer removes temporarydist/andrelease/folders after a successful install to keep the repo tidy.
After the initial install, just open OpenClaw UI from your Applications folder or Spotlight.
Terminal / Developer Commands
Only
install-app.command is kept at root intentionally for non-technical users. Developer scripts live in commands/.Quick Start (Terminal)
Press ⌥ + Space to show/hide the overlay. If your macOS input source claims that combo which it shouldnt do lol, use Cmd+Shift+K.
To stop:
Fast Install Modes
Developer Workflow
Renderer changes update instantly. Main-process changes require restarting
npm run dev.Other Commands
Command Purpose `curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MuhammadDaudNasir/OpenClaw-UI/main/install.sh bash`
./deploy.command One command deploy (setup + build + run) ./commands/bootstrap.command One-command setup/build (supports --app and --run) ./commands/deploy.command Deploy entrypoint (--app, --no-run) ./commands/setup.command Environment check + install dependencies ./commands/start.command Build and launch from source ./commands/stop.command Stop all OpenClaw UI processes ./commands/setup-git.command --origin <url> Set your GitHub remote for this fork npm run build Production build (no packaging) npm run dist Package as macOS .app into release/ npm run dist:win Package Windows portable build into release/ npm run doctor Run environment diagnosticPublish Your Fork To GitHub
Use the helper:
Full guide:
docs/GITHUB_SETUP.mdWindows Build (Experimental)
Windows packaging is now supported without changing the macOS path.
This creates Windows artifacts in
release/ (portable target).Detailed guide:
docs/WINDOWS.mdTo improve confidence without a local Windows PC, this repo now includes a GitHub Actions workflow that runs
npm run build and npm run dist:win on windows-latest. but currently doesnt workSetup Prerequisites (Detailed)
You need macOS 13+. Then install these one at a time — copy each command and paste it into Terminal.
Step 1. Install Xcode Command Line Tools (needed to compile native modules):
Step 2. Install Node.js (recommended: current LTS such as 20 or 22; minimum supported: 18). Download from nodejs.org, or use Homebrew:
Verify it's on your PATH:
Step 3. Make sure Python has
setuptools (needed by the native module compiler). On Python 3.12+ this is missing by default:Step 4. Install OpenClaw CLI (or keep Claude CLI for compatibility mode):
Step 5. Authenticate OpenClaw (follow the prompts that appear):
Step 6. Install Whisper for voice input:
No API keys or.envfile required. OpenClaw UI uses your existing OpenClaw CLI authentication (Pro/Team/Enterprise subscription).
Architecture and Internals
Project Structure
How It Works
Each tab creates an
openclaw tui --message ... --session ... process.PTY output is parsed and normalized into canonical UI events.
ControlPlane manages tab lifecycle (connecting → idle → running → completed/failed/dead).Tool permission requests arrive via HTTP hooks to
PermissionServer (localhost only).The renderer polls backend health every 1.5s and reconciles tab state.
Sessions are resumed with
--resume <session-id> for continuity.Network Behavior
OpenClaw UI operates almost entirely offline. The only outbound network calls are:
Endpoint Purpose Required
raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/* Marketplace catalog (cached 5 min) No — graceful fallback api.github.com/repos/anthropics/*/tarball/* Skill auto-install on startup No — skipped on failureNo telemetry, analytics, or auto-update mechanisms. All core OpenClaw interaction goes through the local CLI.
Troubleshooting
For setup issues and recovery commands, see
docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md.Quick self-check:
Tested On
Component Version macOS 15.x (Sequoia) Node.js 20.x LTS, 22.x Python 3.12 (with setuptools installed) Electron 33.x OpenClaw CLI 2.1.71
Known Limitations
macOS is primary — full overlay/tray behavior is tuned for macOS. Windows builds are supported in experimental mode via
npm run dist:win.Requires OpenClaw CLI — OpenClaw UI is a UI layer, not a standalone AI client. You need an authenticated
openclaw CLI.Permission mode — OpenClaw runs through PTY/TUI transport so approvals and tool execution remain interactive.
Credits
Fork and active development: Muhammad Daud Nasir
Original project and core foundation: lcoutodemos (clui-cc)
This fork keeps explicit attribution in docs and UI.
License
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Posted Apr 11, 2026
Developed OpenClaw UI, a desktop overlay for OpenClaw with easy deployment and control workflows.
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