use.computer

Quick start

Spin up sandboxes in under 5 minutes.

Sign up at use.computer; new accounts start with $10 free credit, no card required. Copy your account API key from Settings. It starts with uc_live_....

pip install use-computer

1. Ubuntu, on free credit

Ubuntu desktops are metered against your credit, so they work right after sign-up:

import os
from use_computer import Computer

client = Computer(api_key=os.environ["USE_COMPUTER_API_KEY"])

with client.create(type="ubuntu") as ubuntu:
    print(ubuntu.run("hostname").stdout)        # in-guest bash
    ubuntu.keyboard.type("hello from use.computer")
    png = ubuntu.screenshot.take_full_screen()
    print(ubuntu.vnc_url)                       # watch and drive it live

Seed it once and snapshot the disk + RAM so future sandboxes boot from that exact state.

2. macOS and Apple simulators, on a reservation

Apple sandboxes run on dedicated Mac minis reserved for at least 24 hours at $0.15/hr (see Lifecycle). Reserve one from the dashboard, then:

from use_computer import Computer, SandboxType, SimulatorFamily

client = Computer(api_key=os.environ["USE_COMPUTER_API_KEY"])
mac = client.create(type=SandboxType.MACOS)

# screenshot the desktop
png = mac.screenshot.take_full_screen()
open("/tmp/screen.png", "wb").write(png)

# click + type
mac.mouse.click(x=200, y=300)
mac.keyboard.type("hello from a real mac")

mac.close()
# iPhone / iPad / Apple Watch simulators run on the same reservation
iphone = client.create(type=SandboxType.IOS, family=SimulatorFamily.IPHONE)
iphone.input.tap(x=100, y=200)

watch = client.create(type=SandboxType.IOS, family=SimulatorFamily.WATCH)
watch.input.tap(x=100, y=200)   # touch works; type_text doesn't on watchOS

Apple TV and Apple Vision simulators are coming soon.

3. View it in your browser (noVNC)

Every running sandbox has a one-click live view: Ubuntu sandboxes expose vnc_url directly, and the dashboard's Sandboxes tab has an Open button on every running VM and simulator. The viewer is a full noVNC session you can drive with mouse and keyboard.

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