win-pilot

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Win-Pilot provides Windows computer use with DeepSeek Harness as its primary integration. Its computer tool operates in the current desktop or an optional separate Windows task session, with a compact visible window for pause and manual takeover. Plugin, MCP, CLI and native integrations share the same runtime.

Features

Related MCP server: Netwright

Requirements

• Windows 10/11 x64

• Node.js 22.12 or newer

• Windows PowerShell 5.1

• Optional .NET 8 runtime for WGC capture

• .NET 8 Windows Desktop Runtime for the optional task desktop

• An Agent Plugin host, stdio MCP client, or shell-capable agent

Quick Start

Install with your Agent (recommended)

Send this single instruction to an agent on the Windows machine:

Install and verify Win-Pilot by following https://raw.githubusercontent.com/JeremyWangCY/win-pilot/main/AGENT_INSTALL.md

The agent will prefer the complete plugin, then fall back to MCP or CLI only when its host lacks plugin support.

Manual installation

Plugin-capable hosts can install JeremyWangCY/win-pilot. The package contains both .mcp.json and skills/win-pilot.

For other hosts:

npm install -g win-pilot@latest
win-pilot doctor --probe

Register this local MCP server through the host's normal plugin/tool settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "win-pilot": { "command": "win-pilot", "args": ["mcp"] }
  }
}

Convenience installers are provided for known hosts, while generic modes remain available for every other agent:

win-pilot install --agent codex
win-pilot install --agent claude
win-pilot install --agent qoder
win-pilot install --agent pi
win-pilot install --agent dsh
win-pilot install --agent mcp
win-pilot install --agent cli

Verify with:

win-pilot --version
win-pilot status --json
win-pilot doctor --probe --json

Expected for this release: version 0.4.0, platform win32, and every required doctor check marked ok. Doctor checks installed prerequisites; a successful connection is required to verify a task session.

Settings

In DeepSeek Harness 0.2.0-rc.2 or later, open Settings → Win-Pilot or the plugin detail page. The host projects the plugin's Config. Display preferences apply immediately. Changing the desktop environment applies to the next computer operation, including an existing chat.

desktopEnvironment defaults to current; task selects the separate task window. Save the setting to switch on the next computer operation. Win-Pilot cancels and cleans up the old control session before changing desktops, releases old browser claims, and requires a fresh window list or desktop screenshot before input. Old targets cannot carry over; failed cleanup blocks the switch. With the option off, model schemas, runtime skills and diagnostics do not advertise the task-desktop option. With it on, native actions, observations, clipboard and recovery stay in that task desktop; failure never redirects work to the main desktop. Browser actions require a browser launched by the same task.

The light, frameless window defaults to 432×300. Its toolbar contains expand/restore, pin and close. In the expanded view, click, drag or type to take over: AI input stops before your first gesture is delivered. After 10 seconds without manual input, control returns to the AI; a held button or key prevents that return. The compact view is read-only. Right-click the toolbar for local sign-in settings. Complete Windows feature setup and local sign-in once; optionally remember credentials using the current Windows user's DPAPI and Credential Manager. Passwords stay in the local dialog. This mode requires .NET 8 Windows Desktop Runtime and working Windows child-session support. A Windows user change, credential change or system policy may require setup again; it is not a virtual machine.

The settings card distinguishes the installed version from the running version. When a new managed release is installed, use Safely reload to wait for active operations, release control and load that release. An in-place update or an older running plugin may require restarting DeepSeek Harness. See task desktop for behavior and verification limits.

Use win-pilot desktop --preview to view the native window without creating a session or running computer actions. win-pilot desktop is the normal connection entry and respects the connection hold. Source builds use npm run build:desktop; checks without Windows sessions use npm run test:desktop.

Numeric limits and input policy use internal defaults; old settings cannot change them. Required Windows/Meta system keys stay enabled internally. Background input, lock checks, user-interruption cancellation, focus yielding and window text reads follow this project's own desktop control contract. CLI/MCP installs without a harness use the built-in defaults.

Updating

Finish active UI tasks, update the runtime, and restart or reload the host's plugin/MCP process:

npm install -g win-pilot@latest
win-pilot doctor --probe

DSH profiles must be restarted separately. Re-run win-pilot install when you want its managed skill copy refreshed; user-maintained custom skills are not updated in the background.

Sandboxed agents

When a sandbox reaps children after every command, configure win-pilot mcp in the host's persistent plugin or MCP supervisor. Do not detach a process from an ephemeral command. Shell-only agents can use one-shot win-pilot request calls.

Usage

Version 0.4.0 connects DSH native tools, CLI children and MCP children to the host’s current settings. Independent hosts keep their own defaults. The top status pill aggregates concurrent owners and offers pause, resume and end controls; task setup and sign-in waits remain visible. The settings card reports installed and running versions and offers safe reload when supported.

win-pilot session accepts JSON Lines on stdin and emits one response per request, preserving request id values. Keep stdin open between observation and input so snapshots and browser claims remain in the same runtime. Send {"id":"done","action":"session_close"} or close stdin to cancel outstanding work and release control. One-shot request commands still have separate lifetimes.

Version 0.3.1 applies desktop setting changes within existing chats and keeps the running pill visible for CLI observations and long actions. Switching requires fresh discovery before input.

Version 0.3.0 adds session-scoped stop / resume, queued and active request cancellation, and atomic per-user control ownership. Observation remains available after stopping. Desktop accessibility uses stable sparse indexes and model-visible full / delta / no_change trees; hidden observations do not advance that baseline. Rich paste accepts format: text | html | md and restores supported original clipboard formats unless the user changes the clipboard meanwhile. Markdown conversion covers a limited subset.

Browser additions are browser_frames, browser_filechooser, browser_claim_tab, and browser_finalize. Same-origin child frames use frame_id and semantic references; cross-origin/OOPIF frames are explicitly rejected. Claims bind to the current control session: keep claim_id for mutations, then finalize to release without activating the tab. Arm a chooser before opening it, read its event, and pass the single-use filechooser_id plus explicit absolute paths to browser_upload within 60 seconds. The provider uses explicit loopback CDP and does not include a user-browser extension.

Native cancellation checks run between OS calls. A blocked UIA/system call may require bounded process termination and return an unknown outcome; inspect before further input. Clipboard restoration has no OS-level compare-and-swap guarantee.

MCP and plugin hosts expose computer. Shell-only hosts use the identical JSON interface:

win-pilot request --payload '{"action":"list_apps"}' --json
win-pilot request --payload '{"action":"get_window_state","hwnd":12345,"include_text":true}' --json
win-pilot request --payload '{"action":"click","hwnd":12345,"element_index":7,"snapshot_id":"<snapshot>"}' --json

The live MCP tools/list result is authoritative for the complete parameter schema and defaults.

How it works

Windows Agent
  ├─ Agent Plugin ─┐
  ├─ stdio MCP ────┼─> Win-Pilot runtime ─> PowerShell helper ─> UIA / Win32 / WGC
  ├─ CLI + Skill ──┤          └────────────> CDP provider ─────> isolated Edge
  └─ Native Adapter┘

The runtime is the deep module: it owns action semantics and results. Adapters only register and render its interface, so fixes remain local and every host receives the same behavior.

Security and privacy

Win-Pilot runs with the Windows user's permissions. It contains no telemetry and does not upload screenshots. Browser navigation makes ordinary network requests to requested sites. Installing the plugin does not bypass host approvals, sandbox rules, or task authorization.

Troubleshooting

Compatibility-build diagnostics currently use %TEMP%\win-pilot-diag.log.

Development

git clone https://github.com/JeremyWangCY/win-pilot.git
cd win-pilot
npm run build:wgc
npm run build:desktop
npm run test:desktop
npm test
npm pack --dry-run

Tests exercise the public CLI protocol, MCP discovery/calls, plugin manifest, installation plans, and owned Windows/browser fixtures.

License

MIT