bad-ass-mcp: Free, Open Source MCP for Native Desktop GUI Control via Accessibility API
bad-ass-mcp is an MCP server that gives AI agents direct control over your desktop using the operating system's native accessibility layer. Unlike Anthropic's Computer Use or OpenAI's Operator, it doesn't rely on screenshot-based look-move-look cycles, and unlike UiPath, it's free and open source.
How it works
Instead of parsing screenshots, bad-ass-mcp uses the same accessibility API that screen readers use. This means it can navigate, point, click, and type faster and more reliably than vision-based approaches. The developer notes that WebView frameworks (Electron, Tauri, etc.) have poor accessibility exposure, but the tool still works — and is faster than taking a screenshot. They are pushing projects to improve accessibility support, which also benefits visually impaired users.
Key capabilities
- Control GUI applications across macOS, Windows, and Linux
- Interact and test GUI apps autonomously
- Streamline workflows across multiple apps and workstations
- Record and save video of its own actions (as shown in the demo video)
Example use cases
The developer plans to demonstrate organizing b-roll by shot type in Adobe Premiere Pro and color grading in DaVinci Resolve. The tool recorded itself and saved the video in a simple demo.
Who it's for
Developers using AI coding agents who need to automate desktop GUI tasks without expensive enterprise tools or slow screenshot-based approaches.
📖 Read the full source: r/ClaudeAI
👀 See Also
Agent Smith: One Command To Scaffold MCP Servers, Skills, And A Ticket-To-PR Pipeline For Claude Code
Agent Smith scans your repo, detects exact stack (Go/Echo, React/Zustand, golang-jwt, pgx, etc.), sets up MCP servers, hooks, and skills tailored to your setup, and provides an autonomous ticket-to-PR pipeline.
Mandala v0.3: Open-Source Async Runtime to Unify Logistics Telemetry as OpenTelemetry Spans for Agent Reasoning
Mandala v0.3 provides an open-source async runtime that ingests telemetry from Samsara, Descartes, Vizion, and FMCSA via webhooks, emits events as OpenTelemetry spans, and exposes data via MCP tools for LLM agents.
Squeez tool compresses bash output 90%+ to extend Claude Code context window
Squeez is a hook that automatically compresses raw bash output like ps aux, docker logs, and git log before it reaches Claude Code. It reduces token usage by 92.8% on average across 19 common commands, helping sessions last longer.
Persistent Memory for Claude: Local Stack with MCP, 39ms Retrieval, 82% Token Reduction
A developer built a persistent memory layer for Claude using local vector search (Qdrant + Qwen3) and MCP integration, achieving 82% token reduction, 39ms hot-path retrieval, and session crystallization via L4 nodes.