OpenMausBot: Coordinate AI Agents in a Desktop Chat App

Overview

OpenMausBot turns agent workflows into a chat-style desktop app: each bot has its own profile, model, conversation, and connected tools. A local harness runs agents through installed Claude, Codex, or Grok command-line interfaces, while a shared event stream delivers replies and activity to the app.

It is aimed at people who want several agents with different roles rather than one general-purpose assistant. Agents can use cloud or local computers and connected apps, with approval prompts for actions such as shell commands and file edits. The project also offers a terminal and server mode for users who need to access it beyond the desktop app.

Key Features

• Manage multiple agents as chats, with per-bot personalities, models, and conversation histories.
• Run agents through local Claude, Codex, and Grok CLIs, with support for custom engines.
• Connect agents to cloud desktops, isolated local VMs, or supported host-computer controls.
• Review and approve sensitive actions through inline permission cards.
• Connect apps such as Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Notion, and Linear through Composio.
• Organize work into channels with separate transcripts, instructions, folders, and bot rosters.
• Create and manage bots and channels through an MCP server with a bounded set of tools.
• Use desktop releases or run the application from source; a CLI and Docker deployment options are also documented.

Use Cases

• Developers who already use agent CLIs and want to coordinate several specialized agents in one interface.
• Individuals who want agents to work with connected services or computer environments while retaining approval control.
• Teams that want separate agent rosters and instructions for projects or work contexts.
• Users evaluating a self-hosted alternative to closed personal-agent apps, who are comfortable configuring local tools and optional integrations.

Getting Started

For a released desktop build, download an installer from the latest GitHub release. To run from source:

git clone https://github.com/milind-soni/OpenMausBot
cd OpenMausBot
pnpm install
pnpm dev:server
pnpm dev

The source setup requires Node 24 or newer, pnpm, and at least one supported agent CLI installed and logged in. See the README for platform-specific installation and configuration details.

Alternatives

• Orkas: Orkas directs a Commander and specialist agents from one chat, while OpenMausBot presents agents as chat contacts and runs supported agent CLIs locally.
• holaOS: holaOS centers on a customizable workspace with shared memory and integrations, while OpenMausBot focuses on coordinating local agent CLIs with approval prompts.
• craft-agents-oss: Craft Agents organizes agent sessions across projects and offers headless and CLI access, while OpenMausBot coordinates agents as chat contacts on desktop.

Considerations

• The project describes itself as early-stage; released builds are available for macOS and Windows, while Ubuntu support is beta.
• Local agent use depends on installing and logging into a supported CLI. Custom integrations may require additional configuration.
• Composio and Boat are optional third-party services. Boat may incur charges after its trial, and cloud-computer use can add costs.
• Host-computer control is platform-dependent and opt-in. Ubuntu Wayland host control is disabled; some voice and dictation capabilities are also platform-specific.
• The README distinguishes the Apache-2.0 open-source edition from the source-available enterprise/ directory, which has a separate license.