🖥️ Open Computer

The Open-Source, Self-Hosted Personal AI Cloud Computer

Your private, sovereign zo.computer on any $4/mo Linux VPS.

🌐 Live Web OS Showcase · ⚡ 2-Min AI Setup · 📖 Beginner Guide · 🤖 AI Providers · 🔄 Auto-Updates · 🥊 Comparison Matrix · ❓ FAQ · ⭐ Star on GitHub

Note

💡 Inspired by Zo Computer

This open-source project is directly inspired by the visionary work of the team at Zo Computer. Zo pioneered the concept of a cloud-native personal computer for AI.

If you want a fully managed, high-performance cloud computer that works out of the box with zero setup, we warmly recommend checking out zo.computer.

Open Computer is a community-driven, self-hosted open-source alternative built for developers, tinkerers, and self-hosters who want to run this entire experience on their own personal Linux server, VPS, or homelab.

❤️ The Story: Recreating My Favorite Tool in the World

"Once you experience what it feels like to have a real personal computer powered by an AI API, there is simply no coming back."

I'll be completely honest: I really love Zo Computer.

The first time I used Zo, something deep clicked for me. If you have an AI API key (from Anthropic, Google, or OpenAI), Zo is the last thing you will ever need. It isn't just another chat interface or a plugin squeezed into an editor sidebar—it is a pure superpower. It gives you a living, autonomous computer in the cloud that never sleeps. A companion that can write code, run background scrapers, manage files, execute shell commands, and do real work for you while you're offline.

Once you start using a tool like this in your daily workflow, your entire standard for computing changes. Going back to isolated local scripts, manual SSH sessions, and fragmented browser tabs feels like stepping back a decade. There is simply no coming back.

So I decided to recreate my favorite product—out of sheer love, homage, the deep fun of hacking from scratch, and the practical need to have this superpower running 24/7 on my own VPS hardware for maximum productivity and freedom.

🌊 The Emerging Trend: Why GUI + Global Tops the Agentic OS Wave

The world is waking up to this new era. Projects like Omarchy (omarchy.org) are proving that an OS with an AI agent as master is the next frontier of operating systems. The developer ecosystem is moving at breakneck speed toward autonomous environments.

Yet, as exciting as terminal-only or raw agentic OS experiments are, Zo Computer and Open Computer still top the paradigm for two fundamental reasons: it is a true visual GUI, and it is Global.

A True Visual GUI (Human + AI in Harmony): Purely headless or terminal-bound agent OSes can feel isolating and opaque. Humans are visual creatures. We want to see our workspace—a dual-pane file explorer, live tabbed code editing with syntax highlighting, visual system metrics, scheduled automations cards, and a dedicated Recycle Bin. Open Computer preserves full human agency alongside autonomous AI power. You are in the cockpit, with the AI as your tireless co-pilot.
Global & Everywhere: It lives in the cloud, accessible instantly from any browser on earth. Whether you're on a dual-monitor desktop at your desk, typing on a cheap Chromebook, holding an iPad at a coffee shop, or checking a task from your phone on the train—your entire environment, terminal sessions, background daemons, and AI agent travel with you anywhere in the world.

Open Computer is a labor of love: 100% self-hosted, 100% open-source, and free forever for anyone with a Linux server.

🥊 Why Open Computer? The Modern AI Computer Matrix

Capability / Feature	Open Computer	Zo Computer	Omarchy	Terminal CLIs (Claude Code / Aider)
100% Self-Hosted & Sovereign	✅ Yes (Runs on your hardware)	❌ Closed Cloud SaaS	✅ Yes (Local Linux)	✅ Yes (Local Terminal)
Software Cost	🆓 100% Free & MIT	~$50–$100/mo	🆓 Free & Open	🆓 Free CLI (requires API)
Hosting Cost	$4/mo VPS or $0 Homelab	Included in SaaS	Local machine	Local machine
Visual Desktop Web OS	✅ Full Web Desktop	✅ Full Web Desktop	❌ Headless / TUI	❌ Terminal only
Native Linux PTY Terminal	✅ Full xterm.js Shell	✅ Containerized Shell	✅ Linux Shell	⚠️ Subshell / Tool exec
File Manager & Editor	✅ Dual-pane + Recycle Bin	✅ Files & Editor	❌ Manual CLI	❌ External editor
24/7 Background Automations	✅ YouTube, X, GTM, Crons	✅ Cloud Tasks	⚠️ Local daemons	❌ Closes with terminal
Global Remote Access	✅ Any browser anywhere	✅ Any browser anywhere	❌ Local desktop only	❌ Local terminal only
Model Freedom (BYOK)	✅ Any LLM + Local Ollama	⚠️ Managed selection	⚠️ Configurable	⚠️ Specific providers
Zero Inbound Open Ports	✅ Cloudflare Tunnel Native	N/A (Hosted)	N/A	N/A

📸 Screenshots

AI Workspace & Home	Native Linux Terminal

File Explorer & Recycle Bin	Integrated Code Editor

24/7 Scheduled Automations	Integrations & MCP Hub

🏗️ System Architecture

  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │                 Client Layer (Browser / iPad / Mobile)                 │
  │     Web OS Desktop · xterm.js PTY · Dual-Pane Files · Tabbed Editor    │
  └───────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
                                      │  HTTPS / WSS (WebSocket)
                                      ▼
  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │         Zero-Trust Ingress (Cloudflare Tunnel / SSH Local Port)         │
  │          No public open ports · Automatic SSL · DDoS Protection        │
  └───────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
                                      │  Reverse Proxy / Unix Loopback
                                      ▼
  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │                  Open Computer Gateway (FastAPI Daemon)                 │
  │   ├── PAM / Token Authentication & Rate Limiting                       │
  │   ├── WebSocket PTY Manager (Full Arch/Ubuntu pseudo-terminal)         │
  │   ├── Safe File Gateway (SSRF & Traversal Protection, Trash Bin)       │
  │   ├── 24/7 Process Supervisor (YouTube, X Bot, GTM Outbound/Inbound)   │
  │   └── Cron Automation Engine (Flexible background triggers)            │
  └───────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
                                      │  REST / Async Streaming
                                      ▼
  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │                     Model Intelligence Layer (BYOK)                    │
  │   Anthropic Claude · Google Gemini · OpenAI GPT · DeepSeek · Ollama    │
  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

✨ Features at a Glance

🧠 Universal AI Providers: Connect any OpenAI-compatible provider in seconds—OpenAI (GPT-4o, o3), DeepSeek (V3/R1), Groq, OpenRouter, Google Gemini, Anthropic, or run 100% free & local with Ollama or vLLM. Add multiple providers and switch seamlessly!
🎨 Dynamic Image Generation: Generate visuals directly inside your workspace using DALL-E 3, Flux 1 Schnell/Dev, Recraft v3, Stable Diffusion, or Gemini Flash Image with a simple prompt in chat.
🔄 Automatic Updates & 1-Click Upgrade: Never worry about falling behind. Open Computer checks GitHub automatically and lets you update with 1 click directly from the UI without losing your chat history or files.
💻 Real In-Browser Terminal: A true Linux PTY powered by xterm.js with ANSI color support, window resizing, direct shell execution, and an integrated Recycle Bin bar.
📁 File Manager & Code Editor: Browse your home directory, view/edit source code in a tabbed editor, upload files, and safely manage deletions with an integrated Recycle Bin.
🤖 Autonomous Social & GTM Tasks: Built-in supervisor processes for YouTube video repurposing, autonomous X (Twitter) growth posting, and GTM cold email & inbound lead enrichment.
⏰ Scheduled Automations: Tell your agent in plain English to run tasks periodically (e.g. "Check competitor prices every morning at 8 AM and email me the summary").
🔄 24/7 Background Daemons: Keep long-running processes alive (web scrapers, Telegram bots, Discord bots, monitors) with automatic supervisor restarts.
🔌 Integrations & MCP Tools: Connect remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and third-party APIs.
🛡️ Hardened Security: Built with defense-in-depth protection against Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF), prompt injection, directory traversal, and server reconnaissance.

⚡ The 2-Minute AI Setup (Zero Manual Commands)

Tip

Don't want to type Linux commands manually? You don't have to!

When installing Open Computer on your VPS, you only need to provide four details to your AI coding assistant (we strongly recommend Antigravity or Claude Code):

VPS SSH Connection: Your server IP, root (or sudo) username, and password / SSH key.
Open Computer Credentials: The dedicated username and password you want for Open Computer (e.g. opencomputer). Open Computer uses Linux PAM authentication, so your AI will create this secure non-root user with sudo privileges automatically.
Cloudflare Tunnel Token (Optional): If you want zero-port-forwarding public HTTPS access (https://agent.yourdomain.com), provide your tunnel token.
AI Model API Key (Optional): Provide your Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenAI, or OpenRouter API key so your agent is ready to chat immediately upon first login.

Simply copy this prompt, fill in your details, and paste it into your AI assistant:

Here are my server and Open Computer setup details:

1. VPS Connection (root or admin user):
   - IP: <YOUR_SERVER_IP>
   - User: root (or sudo user)
   - Password / SSH Key: <YOUR_VPS_PASSWORD_OR_KEY>

2. Open Computer Account (create this user for me):
   - Desired Username: opencomputer
   - Desired Password: <YOUR_OPENCOMPUTER_PASSWORD>

3. Optional Integrations (leave blank if not needed):
   - Cloudflare Tunnel Token: <YOUR_CLOUDFLARE_TUNNEL_TOKEN>
   - AI API Key (Anthropic / Gemini / OpenAI / OpenRouter): <YOUR_API_KEY>

Instructions:
Please connect to my VPS via SSH. If logged in as root, create the dedicated Open Computer user with sudo privileges and set the password specified above. Switch to that user, clone https://github.com/shieldspprt/open-computer.git under their home directory, configure the .env file with the AI API key and Cloudflare Tunnel token (if provided), run bash install.sh, and ensure the systemd service (and Cloudflare tunnel if configured) is running and healthy.

Your AI assistant will handle user creation, package installations, virtual environment setup, systemd service configuration, and security checks automatically. You'll be ready to log in and chat in 2 minutes flat!

☁️ Recommended VPS & Bare-Metal Cloud Providers

Open Computer is lightweight and runs on almost any 64-bit Linux instance with at least 1.5 GB RAM and 1 vCPU. Here are battle-tested hosting providers across all budget tiers:

🌟 Popular Cloud VPS Providers

Provider	Typical Specs	Pricing	Best For	Official Link
DigitalOcean	1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB NVMe	~$6/mo ($200 credit)	Beginner-friendly dashboard & 1-click snapshots	digitalocean.com ↗
Hetzner Cloud	2 vCPU (x86/ARM), 4 GB RAM, 40 GB NVMe	~€3.79/mo	Community #1 pick: Unbeatable price-to-performance	hetzner.com/cloud ↗
Linode / Akamai	1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB SSD	~$12/mo ($100 credit)	Rock-solid reliability & developer network	linode.com ↗
Vultr	1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 55 GB NVMe	~$10/mo	High-frequency compute across 32+ global regions	vultr.com ↗
OVHcloud	1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 40 GB SSD	~$4.20/mo	Unmetered bandwidth & enterprise anti-DDoS	ovhcloud.com ↗
Contabo	4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 50 GB NVMe	~€5.50/mo	Massive RAM for running local Ollama LLMs	contabo.com ↗

⚡ Bare-Metal & Ultra-Budget VPS Providers

Looking for the most economical way to run Open Computer 24/7? These providers offer extraordinary value:

RackNerd: Legendary budget deals (frequently $15–$25/year for 2GB–3GB KVM VPS). A top favorite on LowEndBox.
BuyVM / Frantech: Dedicated CPU slices, unmetered 1Gbps bandwidth, and inexpensive NVMe Storage Slabs ($5/mo per TB).
Netcup: High-performance German root-servers with guaranteed dedicated cores at VPS pricing.
Scaleway: European cloud provider with ultra-low-cost Stardust and ARM instances.
Your Own Homelab / Spare PC / Raspberry Pi 4/5: Run Open Computer on Ubuntu Server or Debian at home for $0/month.

🌐 Zero-Trust Global Access via Cloudflare

Cloudflare Zero Trust & Tunnel: Connect your Open Computer to a custom domain (https://agent.yourdomain.com) with automated SSL certificates, Cloudflare Access (SSO), and DDoS shielding—completely free, without opening any inbound ports on your firewall.

🚀 Manual Beginner-Friendly Step-by-Step Guide

Prefer running the commands yourself? Follow these 4 easy steps:

Prerequisites

A Linux server or VPS running Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 (e.g. Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Contabo, or a spare PC). A $4–$6/month box with 2GB+ RAM is plenty!
SSH access to your server.

Step 1: Create a Dedicated User

For your server's security, Open Computer should run as a standard user (not as root).

Log into your server via SSH as root, then run:

# 1. Create a new user (e.g. named 'suop')
adduser suop

# 2. Grant sudo permissions
usermod -aG sudo suop

# 3. Switch to your new user
su - suop

Step 2: Download and Install

While logged in as your new user, clone the repository and run the automated installer:

git clone https://github.com/shieldspprt/open-computer.git
cd open-computer
bash install.sh

What the installer does automatically:

Installs required packages (Python, venv, git, curl, ripgrep).
Sets up an isolated Python virtual environment.
Generates secure random session secrets and tokens in .env.
Configures and enables a systemd background service (su.service).

When finished, the script will output:

SU is running. Sign in with user 'suop' and your Linux password.

Step 3: Access Open Computer

By default, Open Computer listens securely on 127.0.0.1:8000 so it is not exposed naked to the internet. Choose either method to access it:

Option A: Quick SSH Port Forwarding (Easiest for local use)

From your laptop or local computer terminal, run:

ssh -L 8000:127.0.0.1:8000 suop@your-server-ip

Now open http://localhost:8000 in your web browser!

Option B: Free Cloudflare Tunnel (Recommended for remote access)

To access your personal computer from anywhere with free SSL (https://yourname.domain.com):

Create a free tunnel in your Cloudflare Zero Trust dashboard pointing to http://localhost:8000.
Add your tunnel token to .env as CLOUDFLARE_TUNNEL_TOKEN=...
Start the tunnel container:
```
docker compose up -d cloudflared
```

Step 4: Sign In and Connect Your AI Provider (Takes 10 Seconds!)

Sign In: In your browser, enter the Linux username (e.g. suop or opencomputer) and the Linux password you set during installation.
Open Settings: Click the Settings (⚙️) gear icon in the bottom-left sidebar, then click the Models tab.
Add Your AI Provider:
- You don't have to deal with editing messy .env files or scrolling through huge lists of companies!
- Simply click one of the Quick fill buttons:
  - ⚡ OpenAI: Quick fill https://api.openai.com/v1, paste your OpenAI key (sk-...), and click Add Provider.
  - 🧠 DeepSeek: Quick fill https://api.deepseek.com/v1, paste your DeepSeek key, and click Add Provider.
  - 🚀 Groq: Quick fill https://api.groq.com/openai/v1, paste your Groq key, and click Add Provider.
  - 🌐 OpenRouter: Quick fill https://openrouter.ai/api/v1, paste your OpenRouter key, and click Add Provider.
  - 🦙 Ollama / Local: Quick fill http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1 (leave API key blank) and click Add Provider.
- Want to bring any other provider? Just type any Provider Name, its Base URL, and API key.
- Click Add Provider. Open Computer tests the connection and automatically discovers all available chat and image models!
Choose Your Default Models:
- In Model Preferences, choose your preferred Default Chat Model and Image Model (e.g., openai:dall-e-3 or openrouter:black-forest-labs/flux-1-schnell).
Start Creating: Close Settings and select your model from the top bar or composer dropdown. Type your first prompt and start building!

🤖 Connect Any AI Provider in 10 Seconds

Open Computer includes a Universal AI Provider Manager. You can connect any OpenAI-compatible AI provider in the world in seconds:

Provider	Quick-Fill Endpoint	API Key Needed?	Example Models Discovered
OpenAI	`https://api.openai.com/v1`	Yes (`sk-...`)	`gpt-4o`, `gpt-4o-mini`, `o3-mini`, `dall-e-3`, `dall-e-2`
DeepSeek	`https://api.deepseek.com/v1`	Yes (`sk-...`)	`deepseek-chat` (V3), `deepseek-reasoner` (R1)
Groq	`https://api.groq.com/openai/v1`	Yes (`gsk_...`)	`llama-3.3-70b-versatile`, `deepseek-r1-distill-llama-70b`
OpenRouter	`https://openrouter.ai/api/v1`	Yes (`sk-or-...`)	300+ models: Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Flux 1
Local Ollama	`http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1`	No (100% Free)	Any model you have pulled (`llama3.2`, `deepseek-r1`, `qwen2.5`)
Google Gemini	`https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/`	Yes	`gemini-2.5-flash`, `gemini-2.0-flash`, `imagen-3.0`
Together AI	`https://api.together.xyz/v1`	Yes	`Llama-3.3-70B`, `FLUX.1-schnell`, `DeepSeek-R1`

Tip

Can I add multiple providers? Yes! You can add OpenAI, DeepSeek, Groq, and your local Ollama all at the same time. Open Computer merges their models into your chat picker so you can switch between them anytime with a single click.

🎨 Generating Images with AI

Open Computer can generate images and save them directly to your cloud computer's workspace:

Pick an Image Model: Go to Settings (⚙️) › Models › Model Preferences and choose your preferred image model:
- OpenAI: openai:dall-e-3 or openai:dall-e-2
- OpenRouter: openrouter:black-forest-labs/flux-1-schnell, openrouter:black-forest-labs/flux-1-dev, openrouter:google/gemini-2.5-flash-image, openrouter:recraft/recraft-v3
- Fal.ai: fal-ai/flux/schnell, fal-ai/recraft-v3 (set FAL_KEY in Settings › Keys)
- Together AI: together:black-forest-labs/FLUX.1-schnell
Generate in Chat: Simply ask the agent in natural language:

"Generate a high-resolution image of a futuristic neon city street in Tokyo during rain."
Instant Preview & Download: The generated image is automatically saved to workspace/Projects/media/ and rendered right in the chat with a direct download link.

🔄 Automatic Updates & Staying Current

You never have to worry about missing new features, security fixes, or updates:

Method A: 1-Click Update from the Web UI (Recommended)

Open Computer automatically checks GitHub periodically for new updates.
When a new version is released, an "Update Available" badge appears in the top navigation bar and in Settings (⚙️) › System.
Click Update Now: Open Computer will pull the latest code, update python dependencies, and reload the background service in ~5 seconds.
Your chat history, files, automations, and keys are 100% preserved.

Method B: Update via Terminal (SSH)

If you prefer updating via the command line or are updating from a previous version, simply run:

cd ~/open-computer
git pull
sudo systemctl restart su

🛠️ Managing Your Service

# Restart Open Computer
sudo systemctl restart su

# Check live logs
journalctl -u su -f

# Check service status
systemctl status su

❓ Beginner FAQ & Troubleshooting

1. How do I log in? What is my username and password?

Open Computer uses Linux PAM authentication. Your username is the Linux user you created in Step 1 (or told your AI assistant to create, such as opencomputer or suop). Your password is the Linux password you set for that user.

2. I forgot my password or got locked out. How do I reset it?

Log into your VPS via SSH as root, and run:

sudo passwd yourusername

Type a new password, press Enter, and log in on the web!

3. How do I run AI completely free for $0?

You can run 100% private, free local models using Ollama:

In your Open Computer web terminal, run:

curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
ollama pull llama3.2

Go to Settings › Models, click the Ollama / Local preset chip (http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1), leave the API key blank, and click Add Provider.
Your local models will appear in the model picker!

4. How do I access Open Computer from my phone or tablet?

Connect your Open Computer to a free Cloudflare Tunnel (see Step 3, Option B). You get a free HTTPS address (e.g. https://computer.yourdomain.com) that works on iPhone, iPad, Android, and laptops from anywhere in the world.

5. How do I restart or check if Open Computer is running?

# Check service status
systemctl status su

# Restart the service
sudo systemctl restart su

# View live logs
journalctl -u su -f

6. Where are my files stored?

All files, projects, and created media are saved directly on your server under ~/open-computer/workspace/. You can view, edit, download, and delete them through the built-in dual-pane file explorer, or access them via SFTP/SSH.

🔒 Security Principles

Open Computer is designed for single-user personal ownership:

Local Process Boundary: The AI agent runs with the permissions of your dedicated Linux user. It cannot escape into other users' private directories.
Protected Environment: Dangerous files like .env, SSH keys (~/.ssh), GPG keys, and gateway code are shielded from the agent's file tools.
SSRF Defense: Network web fetches automatically block private IP ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 192.168.0.0/16, 127.0.0.0/8, 169.254.169.254 cloud metadata) and unsafe ports.
Session Protection: Automatic sign-out after 10 minutes of inactivity (SU_SESSION_IDLE) and brute-force IP rate limiting.

🗺️ Community Roadmap & Upcoming Features

We are actively building the future of open-source agentic computing. Here is what is in flight:

Web OS Desktop: Zo-style tabbed UI with live system telemetry.
Native Linux PTY: Fast ANSI terminal with auto-reconnect and integrated Recycle Bin status.
Safe Tools & Sandbox: Protection against SSRF, directory traversal, and prompt injection.
Social & GTM Automations: Autonomous YouTube, X (Twitter), and B2B email pipelines.
🎙️ Real-Time Voice Mode: Low-latency duplex voice conversations with your cloud computer.
📱 Mobile PWA & Push Notifications: Installable web app for iOS and Android with background task completion alerts.
💬 Telegram & WhatsApp Agent Gateway: Interact with your VPS directly through encrypted messaging apps.
🔌 Community MCP Hub: One-click installer for Model Context Protocol tools (Notion, GitHub, Brave Search, Postgres).
🐳 Docker All-in-One Image: Instant 1-line deployment via docker run -d -p 8000:8000 ....

🌟 Join the Movement: Star & Share!

Open Computer is built by developers who believe that AI personal computers should be open, private, and owned by you—not locked behind expensive monthly subscriptions.

If you believe in sovereign, self-hosted AI, here is how you can support this project:

1. Give us a Star ⭐

Click the Star button at the top right of this repository! It takes 1 second and directly signals to the GitHub algorithm that self-hosted AI computers matter.

2. Share with the Community 📢

Spread the word to fellow developers, self-hosters, and AI builders:

🐦 Share on X (Twitter)
👾 Share on Reddit r/selfhosted and r/LocalLLaMA
🟠 Discuss on Hacker News

3. Join GitHub Discussions & Feedback 💬

Have a question, feature request, or cool automation you built?

Join the conversation on GitHub Discussions
Report bugs or security enhancements via GitHub Issues

🤝 Contributing

Contributions, bug reports, and suggestions are warmly welcome!

Check out CONTRIBUTING.md to get started.
For vulnerability reports, please review SECURITY.md.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

_{Special thanks to the Zo Computer team for pioneering the AI computer paradigm.}

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
docs		docs
server		server
systemd		systemd
workspace		workspace
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
SECURITY.md		SECURITY.md
docker-compose.yml		docker-compose.yml
install.sh		install.sh

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