A powerful automation skill for controlling Linux desktop interfaces, mouse movements, and keyboard inputs without a browser relay.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install xdotool-control
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install xdotool-control using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is xdotool-control?
The xdotool-control skill enables seamless automation of mouse, keyboard, and window operations directly on a Linux desktop. It is specifically designed to handle tasks that traditional browser automation tools might struggle with, such as interacting with Chrome extension icons, managing GUI-based applications, and performing visual verification loops. By leveraging this tool within the Openclaw Skills framework, developers can bridge the gap between AI agents and local desktop environments.
This skill provides a high degree of precision for window management, allowing agents to find, focus, and resize windows before executing commands. Whether you are automating repetitive data entry in a legacy GUI app or orchestrating complex multi-tab browser workflows, xdotool-control offers the low-level hooks necessary for reliable desktop interaction.
xdotool-control Use Cases
- Clicking Chrome extension icons like OpenClaw or Dawn that are outside the DOM.
- Automating desktop GUI applications when a browser CDP connection is unavailable.
- Running screenshot-verify-click loops to interact with dynamic user interfaces.
- Switching browser tabs, opening new URLs, and managing address bars via keyboard shortcuts.
- Automating terminal prompts or approving tmux-based daemon requests.
How xdotool-control Works
- The skill searches for a specific window ID using name patterns or process attributes.
- It activates and synchronizes the window focus to ensure input commands are received correctly.
- Precise mouse movements or keyboard sequences are dispatched to the X11 server.
- Integrated screenshot utilities capture the current screen state to verify the success of the operation.
- Logic loops can compare screenshots against template images to locate UI elements with pixel-level accuracy.
xdotool-control Setup
To use this skill, ensure your Linux environment has the necessary dependencies installed:
sudo apt-get install xdotool scrot imagemagick
You can verify the installation using the following command:
for dep in xdotool scrot convert; do
command -v "$dep" &>/dev/null && echo "OK" || echo "Missing"
done
xdotool-control Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill interacts with the system using coordinates and temporary image files to maintain state and verify actions:
- Window Metadata: Tracks Window ID, Name, and Geometry (X, Y, Width, Height).
- Temporary Assets: Stores screenshots in
/tmp/(e.g.,snap.png,toolbar_snap.png) for visual analysis. - Automation Scripts: Uses specialized shell scripts like
snap_verify_click.shandfind_and_click.shfor complex logic. - Coordinates: Uses screen-absolute pixels, often calculated dynamically based on display geometry.
xdotool-control Advanced Features
- Template matching using ImageMagick to find UI elements based on visual similarity.
- Automated screen width detection to calculate toolbar positions across different resolutions.
- Modifier clearing to prevent accidental Shift or Ctrl states during automated typing.
- Multi-agent support for approving background daemon prompts in tmux sessions.
- Precision window management including raising, resizing, and moving windows to specific desktop quadrants.
SKILL.md
Loading
Related Openclaw Skills
Skill Factory
A comprehensive developer toolkit designed to create, evaluate, benchmark, and publish high-quality Openclaw Skills for AI agents.
MLB Daily Scores
A dedicated MLB companion that fetches daily game recaps, upcoming previews, and injury reports for your favorite baseball team.
neolata-mem
A high-performance, graph-native memory engine for AI agents featuring hybrid search, biological decay, and Zettelkasten-style linking.
YouTube AI Editor
A comprehensive automation tool for downloading videos, generating subtitles, analyzing SEO content, and creating character-consistent AI thumbnails.
Limitless Life Logs
An AI-powered skill to search, summarize, and extract actionable tasks from your Limitless AI pendant recordings.
code-share
A professional utility for AI agents to share large code blocks via GitHub Gists instead of cluttered chat messages.
Featured*
